Environmental Crimes: Raising the Stakes

Abstract:     
Although criminal sanctions have existed in federal and state environmental statutes for many years, criminal enforcement traditionally has taken a back seat to civil remedies. The past decade has seen increasing use of criminal remedies for egregious environmental violations and a very modest trend toward stiffer criminal penalties. But these efforts did not capture public awareness and apparently have not yet prompted significant improvements in environmental compliance. Two recent cases, however, have heightened media and public attention to criminal enforcement of the nation's environmental laws.

Number of Pages in PDF File: 81

Accepted Paper Series