Trump Administration Moves To Block Public From Enforcing Environmental Protection Laws

Citizen Suits Allow Enforcement of Environmental Laws

Sarah J. Morath writes about the Trump administration’s challenge of citizen-led enforcement of environmental laws. The post Opinion | Citizen Suits Allow Enforcement of Environmental Laws appeared first on Mississippi Free Press.

How the Trump administration is blocking the public’s right to protect the environment

Reducing rampant pollution across the United States was so important that when Congress passed many environmental protection laws, including the Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act and Safe Drinking Water Act, it didn’t want to leave enforcement only to the executive branch. Congress specifically wrote into those laws ways for citizens to enforce them through the courts when the government does not act to address the problem. Called “citizen suit pro…

Trump Administration Moves to Block Public From Enforcing Environmental Protection Laws

Oil and gas well flaring in the San Joaquin Valley of southern California. Photo: Jeffrey St. Clair. Reducing rampant pollution across the United States was so important that when Congress passed many environmental protection laws, including the Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act and Safe Drinking Water Act, it didn’t want to leave enforcement only to the executive branch. Congress specifically wrote into those laws ways for citizens to enforce them…