Some Thoughts on the Interdisciplinary Aspects of Environmental Enforcement

摘要

A multitude of parties are involved in the enforcement of environmental laws. While attorneys, scientists, investigators, and other trained professionals working at the federal, state, and local level are all necessary to ensure compliance, the effective enforcement of environmental laws requires teamwork. In this Article, Prof. Joel Mintz explores this issue, focusing on environmental enforcement personnel within EPA. He looks at the typical circumstances under which civil and criminal cases are brought, describes the various skills different players bring to the table during the enforcement process, and presents an ideal model of interdisciplinary enforcement cooperation. He also reviews the historical background of environmental enforcement and the trends that have taken place at EPA over the years. And while future levels and styles of cooperation among environmental departments and agencies is too difficult to predict, he offers some recommendations to promote effective teamwork in the years to come.