Policy Issues
State Info
Features
Home > Policy Issues > Environmental Citizenship
Citizen Suits
Currently, sixteen states have environmental citizen suit statutes on the books. In general, these statutes give citizens, or “any person,” the right to sue the state, a private party, or both, to protect the state’s environment.
Electronic Waste
Each year the U.S. generates 5-7 million tons of electronic waste. About 2% of this is recycled, 30% is stored, and the rest ends up in a landfill.
Environmental Justice
Communities with a large population of low-income and/or people of color are more likely to be subjected to environmental hazards. These communities are often excluded from decision-making processes by those in power and/or by deficiencies in policy, making it difficult for them to dialogue with companies, regulatory agencies, and municipalities; to address double standards held by zoning codes or real estate agencies; to access legal, scientific, and other technical support; or, to gain full consideration of their input.
Freedom of Information
Many states’ open records laws do not provide adequate access to government records. As shown by surveys undertaken mostly by journalists, many states fall very short of compliance. A recent study in Connecticut showed that only 10 of 68 agencies followed the law when asked to produce documents.
Green Building
Our demand on natural and finite resources such as energy, water, and building materials can be reduced and our contribution to environmental quality enhanced by incorporating green building principals into the design, construction, and renovation of buildings.
SLAPP Suits
SLAPPs – Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation – are civil legal complaints brought by corporations, real estate developers, or other entities who are opposing public interest issues. They are usually civil complaints or counterclaims against an individual who exercised free speech.
State Environmental Quality Acts
Some states have recognized the need for environmental assessment of state and local government actions as well as federal actions. They have enacted state environmental quality acts (SEQAs), or “little NEPAs.” These state acts generally mirror the federal Act and require state, county, and/or municipal governments to consider the environmental impacts of their actions and decisions.
The SERC project has been discontinued due to lack of funding. We apologize, but it’s unlikely that we’ll be able to respond to requests for information about the material posted on this site.
State Environmental Resource Center
Madison, Wisconsin