Unpacking the Black Box: A Case Study of Environmental Enforcement

• In Event: Poster Session

Abstract

Enforcement of environmental laws is an important component of efforts to reduce environmental harm. Despite discussions of broader intervention strategies (e.g., smart regulation, the new environmental governance), the threat of punishment is still considered an important backstop to address the most egregious violations. However, existing literature has focused primarily on analysis of environmental law, variation in regulatory stringency by state, or the impact of penalties on noncompliance. Relatively little is known about how environmental enforcement actually works. In the current paper, we present a case study of environmental enforcement in one state, highlighting the structure and processes developed to respond to violations of environmental law. The goal is to create metrics for assessing enforcement practices in various places and ultimately examine links between enforcement structure, process and desired policy outcomes (i.e., effectiveness, efficiency, equity).

Authors

• Carole Gibbs, Michigan State University

• Louie Rivers, North Carolina State University

• Tamara Dempsey, Michigan State University

• Jade Mitchell, Michigan State University

• Matthew Gammans, Michigan State University