User:Lsibuc/Environmental crime/Bibliography

Environmental crime by country
United States

Abandoned or little used areas are common dumping places in America -especially railroads. Over $10 million a year are used to remove illegal dumping from polluting towns and the environment. A small organization, CSXT Police Environment Crimes Unit, has been started to stop railroad dumping specifically.

Ever since the Environmental Protection Agency's Office of Criminal Enforcement was founded in 1982, there has been a steady increase in prosecuted environmental crimes. This includes the prosecution of companies that have illegally dumped or caused oil spills. On a federal level, while the EPA oversees the investigations, the prosecutions are typically brought by the U.S. Department of Justice, through its Environmental Crimes Section, and/or through one of the 94 U.S. Attorney's Office across the country.

In a 2004 case study, a 30-pound cylinder of CFC-12 could be purchased in China for US$40 and illegally sold in the US for US$600.

In 2000, California real estate developer Eric Diesel was sentenced to 6 months in jail and ordered to pay a $300,000 fine for grading an illegal road in the Santa Cruz Mountains.

In 2023, eBay is accused by the Justice Department of violating environmental laws. The lawsuit states that eBay sold illegal equipment that override pollution controls on motorized vehicles, strictly forbidden products containing banned chemicals, and illegitimate pesticides. eBay Inc. faces legal action from the Justice Department for facilitating the sale and delivery of hundreds of thousands of items without authorization, in violation of the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA), the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA), and the Clean Air Act (CAA). The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) filed the complaint in federal court in Brooklyn, NY.

In 2024, A California Man Was Arrested for Importing Hazardous Greenhouse Gases Into the United States. In defiance of laws meant to limit the use of greenhouse gases and prevent climate change, Michael Hart of San Diego was taken into custody on charges of smuggling greenhouse gasses into the U.S. from Mexico and then retailing them for a profit. Charges pertaining to the American Innovation and Manufacturing Act of 2020 (AIM Act) are being brought in this case for the first time in US history. Hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) are widely utilized as refrigerants. The AIM Act forbids their importation unless the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) grants permission.

 Guam 

In 2024, Agreement between the United States and the Guam Waterworks Authority requires infrastructure investment in the sewer system. The Settlement Will Handle Notoriety Overflows and Illegal Untreated Sewage Discharges Into Coastal Waters. Today, the Guam Waterworks Authority (GWA) and the United States reached a consent decree to enhance the condition of the GWA's sewer system. The project is expected to cost $400 million and address issues such as untreated sewage spills and other violations of the Clean Water Act. Another party to the deal is the Guam government.

Enforcement
The following are some of the ways that the EPA's criminal enforcement program goes after corporate and individual defendants who have committed major environmental crimes:

-Equipped with the necessary proof to pursue environmental offenses, federal, state, and local prosecutors

-Technical assessments and environmental forensic analyses for both civil and criminal enforcement

-Computerized evidence evaluation and retrieval

-Professional legal assistance and recommendations to the Department of Justice, U.S. Attorneys, and the EPA

Congress gave the EPA's criminal enforcement program broad law enforcement authority in 1988 after it was founded in 1982. Special agents, detectives, forensic scientists, technicians, attorneys, and support personnel are all employed by the program today.

Types of Enforcement Actions
The EPA or a state acting on its own power may take civil administrative actions, which are non-judicial enforcement measures. There is no legal court procedure involved in these acts. An administrative action taken by the state or the EPA could take the following forms:

a Superfund notice letter or notice of violation, or an order (with or without fines) instructing a person, company, or other entity to take action to clean up a site or comply.

Formal lawsuits are known as civil judicial actions. They are brought before the court against individuals or organizations that have not:

obey legislative or regulatory requirements, follow administrative directives, reimburse the EPA for Superfund site cleanup expenses, or pledge to undertake the cleanup.