NCJ Number
139281
Journal
George Washington Law Review Volume: 59 Issue: 4 Dated: (April 1991) Pages: 775-780
Date Published
1991
Length
6 pages
Annotation
During the past two decades, the criminal enforcement of environmental laws has gradually become a national priority, as indicated by the amendments that Congress has made to environmental laws to give them effective criminal sanctions, by the willingness of the executive branch to invoke these sanctions, and by the frequency with which the judicial branch has imposed them.
Abstract
Twenty years ago, none of the major environmental laws in effect contained significant criminal enforcement provisions. Today, all do. Penalties have been added, and the levels of fines have been increased. Since 1982, the Department of Justice has obtained 703 indictments and 517 convictions for environmental crimes. Most cases prosecuted by the DOJ have been brought against corporations and their top officers. Despite these efforts, stopping pollution remains an extremely challenging task. Footnotes