Prosecutors Investigate for Criminal Environmental Law Violations

Nov. 30, 1999
Prosecutors investigated 952 individuals and organizations for criminal environmental law violations.

Federal prosecutors investigated 952 individuals and organizations for criminal violations of the nation's environmental laws during 1997, the Justice Department's Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) announced yesterday.

Fifty-three percent of the criminal inquiries were for violating wildlife protection statutes, the other 47 percent involved environmental polluters. The investigations resulted in criminal charges against 446 defendants.

Of federal environmental law defendants whose cases were concluded during 1997, 85 percent were convicted. Most of those convicted pleaded guilty.

About one-quarter of the individuals convicted were sentenced to imprisonment, the average term of which was 21.5 months, with half sentenced to a year or less.

The courts imposed fines on 64 percent of those convicted, averaging $2,710 for wildlife offenses and $124,035 for violation of environmental protection laws.

The federal government filed 207 environmental civil actions during 1997, almost all of which involved environmental pollution. During the same time, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) initiated 3,427 environmental administrative actions.

Between 1994 and 1997, the number of defendants charged with criminally violating environmental laws ranged from a low 343 in 1994 to a high of 546 in 1995.

Approximately 200 civil actions were litigated annually during this period, resulting in an average of $2.5 million awarded to the U.S. government in monetary awards or settlements.

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EHS Today Staff

EHS Today's editorial staff includes:

Dave Blanchard, Editor-in-Chief: During his career Dave has led the editorial management of many of Endeavor Business Media's best-known brands, including IndustryWeekEHS Today, Material Handling & LogisticsLogistics Today, Supply Chain Technology News, and Business Finance. In addition, he serves as senior content director of the annual Safety Leadership Conference. With over 30 years of B2B media experience, Dave literally wrote the book on supply chain management, Supply Chain Management Best Practices (John Wiley & Sons, 2021), which has been translated into several languages and is currently in its third edition. He is a frequent speaker and moderator at major trade shows and conferences, and has won numerous awards for writing and editing. He is a voting member of the jury of the Logistics Hall of Fame, and is a graduate of Northern Illinois University.

Adrienne Selko, Senior Editor: In addition to her roles with EHS Today and the Safety Leadership Conference, Adrienne is also a senior editor at IndustryWeek and has written about many topics, with her current focus on workforce development strategies. She is also a senior editor at Material Handling & Logistics. Previously she was in corporate communications at a medical manufacturing company as well as a large regional bank. She is the author of Do I Have to Wear Garlic Around My Neck?, which made the Cleveland Plain Dealer's best sellers list.

Nicole Stempak, Managing Editor:  Nicole Stempak is managing editor of EHS Today and conference content manager of the Safety Leadership Conference.

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