Natural Resource Damages: A Research Guide

Abstract

This research guide will focus on the federal statutory law and supporting materials available to assess natural resource damages against persons who damage natural resources as a result of discharge of pollutants into the environment. Although this guide is limited to federal natural resource damages claims, much of the material can be applicable to state statutory or common law claims.

The guide will identify the federal legal authorities which permit the assessment and collection of natural resource damages against dischargers of petroleum or hazardous substances on to land or water and will review the materials, both legal and nonlegal, that relate to the valuation of natural resource damages. The nonlegal materials will emphasize environmental economics and valuation methodologies. This guide is designed to provide a person interested in valuing damages to natural resources with sources of information on the measures of damages applicable to assessing the harm to the natural resources and how those measures should be applied. This guide will not cover specific substantive environmental or ecological scientific materials.

Keywords: environmental law, natural resources, pollution, damages, research

JEL Classification: K32