Environmental Law Handbook

The main focus of environmental law is to promote the protection and conservation of nature and the quality of life of its inhabitants. Increases in land development have led to a negative impact on the ecosystem. Since the 1970s, legislation has been enacted to reduce further environmental impact and attempt to correct the damage that has already been done. Environmental legislation is focused on air, water, and land contamination. Statutes such as, The Clean Air Act, The Clean Water Act, and The Pollution Prevention Act has established rules and regulations that must be followed by all citizens. The environmental law handbook will provide the specifics of each act. There are three main systems of enforcement within environmental law. The government enforces laws federal statute developed by Congress. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is another major enforcement tactic. The EPA is an agency of the government that is tasked specifically with enforcing this legislation. This agency has developed specific techniques for evaluating possible environmental harm and setting specific fines and punishments. The courts are a third force that will interpret legislation to rule on specific environmental law cases.

When the National Environmental Policy Act was passed in 1970, environmental awareness increased drastically. Although there were studies prior to this time to examine environmental impact, there was no enforceable legislation. As the real consequences of environmental harm became clear, there was more action taken to decrease it. The legal system will continue to reflect advancements that are made in environmental studies. The environmental law handbook was developed to include changes and amendments in laws and regulations. Due to the fact that this area of law is always changing and developing, there has been many new editions of this publication. The environmental law handbook will provide background on laws that can be read and understood by amateurs, as well as technical information that is necessary for legal professionals.

There are many different types of environmental law cases. They all include damages done to the environment or harmful health complications for humans. The environmental law handbook has identified four basic types of environmental law cases: nuisance, trespass, negligence, and strict liability. Nuisance basically refers to an interference with the enjoyment of property. This can constitute a number of environmental law cases when the nuisance is caused by pollutants or excessive odor due to waste. Environmental law cases concerning trespass usually occur when someone illegally enters the property of another and dumps waste or other contaminants on the plaintiff's property. Negligence environmental law cases occur when a defendant has failed to use care when handling a contaminant substance or toxin. If this causes considerable injury to the plaintiff, the defendant will be forced to pay damages. The environmental law handbook will also identify certain cases that will be ruled on strict liability. If a case is subject to strict liability, it is usually because the defendant is handling a substance that is considered abnormally dangerous or harmful. In this case the defendant will be liable for damages regardless of whether or not the act was intentional.