The Critical Role of Advanced Monitoring in Environmental Compliance and Enforcement
Air Pollution
LeRoy C. (Lee) Paddock
Thursday, September 5, 2024

Obtaining information about potential violations of environmental law has long been a key challenge for effective enforcement of environmental law. Facility inspections are, of course, a central element to collecting this information, but the number of inspectors compared to the number of regulated facilities severely limits how much data can be gathered about potential violations. Citizen complaints are another important source of information, but this can be very sporadic.

Nigeria’s Plastic Problem: A Young Lawyer's Plea for Change
plastic in Nigeria
Clinton Ezeigwe
Thursday, August 8, 2024

In the bustling streets of Lagos, where markets and stalls buzz with energy, an unspoken threat lurks in the shadows. Plastic waste has become an inseparable part of the landscape, imprinted on crowded neighborhoods and riverbanks. As an environmental justice lawyer, this is not just an issue of concern; it is a daily reality that permeates my work and personal life.  

Using Data to Boost Household Recycling
glass bottles and jars
ELR Staff
Wednesday, November 15, 2023

Household recycling can reduce demand for virgin materials, limit waste sent to landfills, and lessen the cost of producing metal-, glass-, and paper-containing products. Understanding the policies most conducive to promoting recycling is key to success. The November 2023 issue of ELR—The Environmental Law Reporter looks at the efficacy of state and local recycling policies and identifies contexts where the greatest improvements are possible. Using the most comprehensive data set on U.S. household recycling behavior, authors Joel Huber, W.

California Advances Plastic Packaging Law
Plastic bottles
Alia Enright
Catriona Smith
Wednesday, August 23, 2023

According to the Interstate Technology Regulatory Council (ITRC), in 2018, the United States generated approximately 15 million tons of plastic containers and packaging, but only recycled roughly 2 million tons (13%). The majority of that plastic instead was either landfilled (approximately 10 million tons or 70%) or incinerated (approximately 2.5 million tons or 17%). The recycling rate for plastic is much lower than rates for other common packaging materials including glass (31%), paper (80%), aluminum (35%), and steel (75%).

Proposition 65: More of the Same Despite an Everchanging Landscape
Changing Landscape - Joshua Tree Park
J. Simone Jones
Tuesday, April 18, 2023

California’s Safe Drinking Water and Toxic Enforcement Act of 1986—also known as Proposition 65—is widely considered to be a driver of chemical regulation through litigation. And because anyone who provides an alleged violator the requisite notice can bring suit to enforce the Act, including Proposition 65 “bounty hunters,” it also is viewed as a source of significant windfalls for private plaintiffs and their counsel.

Murky Waters Ahead? State Protections for Nonfederal Waters
Wetlands in Washington State
ELR Staff
Wednesday, September 14, 2022

Recent judicial and administrative changes to the scope of the Clean Water Act of 1972 (CWA) have major implications for state regulators. In this month’s issue of ELR—The Environmental Law Reporter, ELI Senior Attorney James McElfish examines the existing legal framework for state protection of nonfederal waters and discusses potential impacts of upcoming federal decisions, including the U.S. Supreme Court’s consideration of Sackett v. Environmental Protection Agency in October. 

The Dire Effects of Space Pollution
Hubble telescope orbiting Earth
Stephen R. Dujack
Thursday, February 10, 2022

The environment got a big boost last September when a rocket blasting off from Vandenberg Air Force Base orbited Landsat 9. The new satellite is a highly instrumented space probe designed to scrutinize the Earth from aloft with visual images and an array of other sensors. Test photos taken shortly after launch showed outstanding resolution of the biosphere unrolling below.

The Battle Between Decades of Wetlands Work and Hours of Oil
Beach
Jordan Perry
Monday, November 1, 2021

On October 2, approximately 25,000 gallons of oil spilled into the Pacific Ocean from a pipeline off the shore of Huntington Beach in Orange County, California. While the full environmental impact of the spill is still under investigation, it is clear that the oil spill threatens the money, time, and effort that have gone into rehabilitating and maintaining nearby wetlands. Dead fish and birds were seen washing up on shore. Oil now coats the rocky beach.

Subscribe to Pollution Control