The past twenty-five years have seen a significant evolution in environmental policy, with new environmental legislation and substantive amendments to earlier laws, significant advances in environmental science, and changes in the treatment of science (and scientific uncertainty) by the courts. This book offers a detailed discussion of the important issues in environmental law, policy, and economics, tracing their development over the past few decades through an examination of environmental law cases and commentaries by leading scholars. The authors focus on pollution, addressing both pollution control and prevention, but also emphasize the evaluation, design, and use of the law to stimulate technical change and industrial transformation, arguing that there is a need to address broader issues of sustainable development. Environmental Law, Policy, and Economics,which grew out of courses taught by the authors at MIT, treats the traditional topics covered in most classes in environmental law and policy, including common law and administrative law concepts and the primary federal legislation. But it goes beyond these to address topics not often found in a single volume: the information-based obligations of industry, enforcement of environmental law, market-based and voluntary alternatives to traditional regulation, risk assessment, environmental economics, and technological innovation and diffusion. Countering arguments found in other texts that government should play a reduced role in environmental protection, this book argues that clear, stringent legal requirements--coupled with flexible means for meeting them--and meaningful stakeholder participation are necessary for bringing about environmental improvements and technologicial transformations.

Contents: (1) Intro.; Federal and State Government Interaction; (2) Statutory Framework for Enforcement of Pollution Control Laws and Key Players: Key Players in Environ. Enforcement and Compliance: EPA; U.S. Dept. of Justice; Other Federal Agencies; States and ¿Delegated Authority¿; Citizens; (3) Enforcement at Federal Facilities: Enforcement Response and Compliance Tools; Monitoring, Inspections, and Evaluations; Civil Admin. Actions; Civil and Criminal Judicial Enforcement; Sanctions and Penalties: Penalties Assessed to Federal Facilities; Environ. Justice and Enforcement/Compliance (E/C); Compliance Assistance and Incentive Approaches; (4) Funding for E/C Activities. Examples of Reported Enforcement Actions and Penalties Over Time. Illus. and tables.

Written by two internationally respected authors, this unique primer distills the environmental law and policy of the United States into a practical guide for a nonlegal audience, as well as for lawyers trained in other regions. The first part of the book explains the basics of the American legal system: key actors, types of laws, and overarching legal strategies for environmental management. The second part delves into specific environmental issues (pollution, ecosystem management, and climate change) and how American law addresses each. Chapters include summaries of key concepts, discussion questions, and a glossary of terms, as well as informative "spotlights"—brief overviews of topics. With a highly accessible structure and useful illustrative features, A Guide to U.S. Environmental Law is a long-overdue synthetic reference on environmental law for students and for those who work in environmental policy or environmental science. Pairing this book with its companion, A Guide to EU Environmental Law, allows for a comparative look at how two of the most important jurisdictions in the world deal with key environmental problems.

This new title offers a compact and complete resource for students, featuring extracts from leading cases and articles alongside clear explanations and insightful analysis from an experienced author team. This unique approach places environmental law in context, enabling you to develop a clear and sophisticated understanding of this dynamic area.