One of the first actions of the Environmental Protection Agency after the declaration of the COVID-19 crisis in mid-March 2020 was to announce that it would relax its enforcement policies with respect to environmental reporting and violations during the time of the pandemic. Ostensibly this was...

We consider a model of polluting firms subject to tax on emissions, monitoring, and penalties in case of underreporting and which face a choice between a more expensive clean and a less expensive dirty technology. Moreover, emissions are subject to random events.We show that the optimal...

We analyze a model where firms chose a production technology which, together with some random event, determines the final emission level. We consider the coexistence of two alternative technologies: a "clean" technology, and a "dirty" technology. The environmental regulation is based on taxes...

We consider an inspection game between $n$ polluting firms and an environmental enforcement agency. If the cost of monitoring ambient pollution is low enough, the optimal inspection policy consists in imposing the maximal possible fine, and mixing between observing ambient pollution and not...

This article suggests that the use of strict criminal liability in response to unintended petroleum discharges undermines long-established and well-reasoned common law notions of justice and conflicts with the principles of statutory construction. The author argues that DOJ's continued use of...

In recent years, it has become increasingly clear that China’s rapid economic development has come at a significant environmental cost. Pollution problems are now a source of serious public concern, at times even social unrest. The government has responded with an ambitious reform program that...

In this contribution we set out to answer the question whether a transnational response to relieve the need of victims of transnational environmental pollution is required, and if so, what response would be in order. The first part of the question should be answered with a firm “yes.” It is...

This chapter deals with the application of economic theories of criminal law to environmental pollution. The chapter starts by addressing why environmental pollution needs to be enforced at all by using the criminal law. Attention is also paid to the question whether in certain circumstances...