Freeman v. Grain Processing Corp.
Iowa Supreme Court
848 N.W.2d 58 (2014)
- Written by Liz Nakamura, JD
Facts
Grain Processing Corporation (GPC) (defendant) operated a corn-milling plant near a residential area. Laurie Freeman (plaintiff), along with seven other nearby residents, brought a nuisance action against GPC seeking compensation for injuries caused by the noxious odors and harmful pollutants released by GPC’s plant. GPC moved to dismiss, arguing that (1) Freeman’s action under Iowa’s common law of nuisance was preempted by the federal Clean Air Act (CAA) and (2) under the political-question doctrine, it was inappropriate for the court to decide complex issues involving air pollution because those issues should instead be addressed by the legislature. The trial court dismissed Freeman’s action. Freeman appealed.
Rule of Law
Issue
Holding and Reasoning (Appel, J.)
What to do next…
Here's why 782,000 law students have relied on our case briefs:
- Written by law professors and practitioners, not other law students. 46,200 briefs, keyed to 988 casebooks. Top-notch customer support.
- The right amount of information, includes the facts, issues, rule of law, holding and reasoning, and any concurrences and dissents.
- Access in your classes, works on your mobile and tablet. Massive library of related video lessons and high quality multiple-choice questions.
- Easy to use, uniform format for every case brief. Written in plain English, not in legalese. Our briefs summarize and simplify; they don’t just repeat the court’s language.