Enforcement Of Environmental Regulations Research Articles

Environmental crimes in extractive activities: Explanations for low enforcement effectiveness in the case of illegal gold mining in Madre de Dios, Peru

Despite the existence of multiple laws that codify regulations defining environmental crimes, illegal practices in extractive activities tend to occur because rules are not enforced. This study therefore aims to advance explanations as to why there is low effectiveness of enforcement of regulations to tackle environmental crimes in extractive activities. We draw on the law enforcement literature to identify explanations for why environmental enforcement fails to deter illegal practices in extractive activities. We then take up the case of illegal mining in artisanal and small-scale gold mining (ASGM) in the region of Madre de Dios (MDD) in the Peruvian Amazon. We evaluate qualitative data from multiple sources including legal documents, reports and interviews. The findings suggest two issues that have shaped low enforcement effectiveness in MDD: conflicts and lack of collaboration among agencies at different levels and sectors of government, and inadequate resource allocation from the national government to other levels. Enforcement is not monolithic in one governmental authority; therefore, it is crucial to recognize and address the existence of multiple levels and sectors of enforcement to improve the effectiveness of enforcement actions. These findings bear implications for theoretical perspectives on enforcement as well as public policies to increase effectiveness of enforcement of environmental regulations.

Exporting and pollution abatement expenditure: Evidence from firm-level data

The relevance of analyzing whether exporting firms engage in greater pollution abatement cannot be overemphasized. For instance, the question relates to the possibility of export promotion policies being environmentally beneficial. Thus, the issue is especially relevant for developing countries typically characterized by weak enforcement of environmental regulation. However, despite the extensive literature assessing the environmental consequences of aggregate trade, the evidence from firm-level trade is relatively scarce and skewed toward developed countries. Accordingly, we employ cross-sectional data across Indonesian firms to assess the causal effect of exporting on abatement behavior. Due to concerns over non-random selection into exporting, we also resort to a number of novel identification strategies. Two of the approaches are proposed by Millimet and Tchernis (2013) and entail either minimizing or correcting for selection bias. The remaining methods, attributable to Lewbel (2012) and Klein and Vella (2009), rely on higher moments of the data to obtain exclusion restrictions. While we largely find exporting to encourage pollution abatement, the estimated impacts are more pronounced after accounting for the endogeneity of exporting status.

Compliance with the EU waste hierarchy: A matter of stringency, enforcement, and time

The aim of this paper is to assess whether and to what extent income and the stringency and enforcement (S&E) of environmental regulation influence compliance with the EU Waste Hierarchy (EWH), i.e., how EU member states treat waste. The EWH prioritizes waste prevention and re-use over recycling, which is ranked above waste to energy (WtE), while incineration and landfilling are the least preferred options. Biennial panel data for the period 2010–2016 is used to create a compliance index based on the waste treatment alternatives in the EWH. Waste (excluding major mineral waste) of 26 European Union countries is examined. This study is the first of its kind to regress an EWH compliance index on income, stringency and enforcement of environmental regulation, and other variables that are also expected to affect the relative benefits and costs of waste treatment, such as population density, heating demand, and electricity prices. The shares of landfilling, incineration, WtE, and recycling are also modeled to capture the effect of these variables in the waste treatment mix. The stringency and enforcement of environmental regulation are found to have a positive effect on compliance with the EWH, which has increased over time.

Environmental regulation and CO2 emissions: Based on strategic interaction of environmental governance

In order to reduce carbon emissions and improve environmental governance, the paper discusses the interactive forms of environmental regulation based on the two-regime spatial Durbin model. The effects of environmental regulation and interactive behavior of environmental regulation on carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions are explored by using the spatial lag of X (SLX) model. It is found that there is a diversified competitive behavior in the enforcement of environmental regulation among local governments in China. And the diversified competitive behavior results in the nearby transfer of pollution, which increases local CO2 emissions. In addition, there is an inverted "U" curve between environmental regulation and CO2 emissions, and China is still in the "green paradox" stage. Furthermore, it is found that the environmental regulation mainly affects CO2 emissions through industrial structure and technological progress. Also, there are differences in the spatial spillover effect of environmental regulation due to the existence of regional heterogeneity, and its impact on CO2 is particularly significant in the western region. The findings indicate that the central government should strengthen targeted supervision and adaptive incentives for local governments to implement environmental regulation so that joint emission reduction can be promoted.

Authoritarian Environmentalism and Environmental Regulation Enforcement: A Case Study of Medical Waste Crime in Northwestern China

This chapter utilizes a green criminological perspective to examine this key issue as it pertains to waste dumping in rural northwestern China. First, we offer a brief review of green criminology’s approach to waste crime and summarize the literature on top-down environmental regulation enforcement in China. Next, we describe the development of the medical waste regulation framework and highlight the current obstacles to enforcement in China. The chapter then utilizes a case study to illustrate how institutional incentives in the job performance evaluation system of bureaucrats shaped the under-enforcement of medical waste regulations at the grassroots level of rural governance. Our chapter concludes with a discussion of how the study expands our understanding of waste crime and environmental regulation enforcement in an illiberal context.

Strategic interactions inenvironmental regulation enforcement: evidence from Chinese cities.

Environmental regulation policy is the main means of pollution control and emission reduction and plays an irreplaceable role in environmental governance. However, due to the competitive behavior of economic development, the local government cannot effectively use the efficiency of environmental regulation to reduce the emission of environmental pollution. Taking 284 prefecture-level cities in China from 2005 to 2016 as samples, this paper studies the strategic interaction of environmental regulation enforcement by local governments under different circumstances and its impact on environmental pollution, so as to provide reference for national overall environmental governance planning. Through the research, it is found that the strategic interaction of environmental regulation enforcement among Chinese cities is characterized by the race-to-the-top. And the strategic interaction of environmental regulation enforcement among cities of the same economic level has the strongest impact. Besides, the impact of environmental regulation on environmental pollution has different intensity in different scenarios, showing a non-positive correlation. Most importantly, the Pollution Paradise exists in some cities under special circumstances.

Intervention Strategies on the Wastewater Treatment Behavior of Swine Farmers: An Extended Model of the Theory of Planned Behavior

Untreated swine wastewater pollutes rivers and harms the environment. The pollution can be minimized if swine farmers take wastewater treatment (WWT) action before the wastewater is discharged into rivers. Thus, the WWT behavior of swine farmers is key to environmental sustainability. However, WWT behavior, characterized by high costs and inconvenience, has received little attention from previous studies. Due to the high cost, some intervention strategies are helpful in ensuring that farmers behave in a pro-environmental manner. Therefore, this study compares the effects of two intervention factors, i.e., environmental knowledge and perceived effectiveness of enforcement, on the WWT behavior of swine farmers in Taiwan. The comparisons and empirical tests are based on an extended model of the theory of planned behavior (TPB). The findings reveal that all three classic factors in the TPB, i.e., attitude, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control, had significant and positive effects on the intention of farmers to perform WWT behavior. Contradicting most previous studies, behavioral intentions did not have a significant effect on WWT behavior; however, perceived behavioral control did. The total effects of both intervention factors on WWT behavior were significant and positive. Moreover, the total effect of environmental knowledge was larger than that of the perceived effectiveness of enforcement. The findings suggest that a combination of the two strategies of increasing the environmental knowledge of individuals and enhancing the enforcement of environmental regulations will be helpful in inducing the sustained WWT behavior of farmers. Policy makers can allocate more resources to increasing farmers’ environmental knowledge than to enhancing the enforcement of environmental regulations. Finally, future research directions are discussed.

Environmental regulation policies, local government enforcement and pollution-intensive industry transfer in China

Pollution-intensive industries are the focus of regulatory targets in environmental regulation policies, which are the basis for the enforcement of environmental regulation by governments at all levels. Based on the “pollution haven” hypothesis, we select Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei and the surrounding regions (Henan, Shandong, Shanxi) as the objective areas. By constructing spatial panel measurement models, we study the impact of environmental regulation policies on the transfer of the overall industry and five pollution-intensive industries, and explore the possible roles of the local government environmental regulation enforcement. The results show that environmental regulation policies have not caused an obvious phenomenon of industrial transfer out of Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei and the surrounding regions, and the intervention of local government environmental regulation enforcement will not change this situation. Environmental regulation policies have different impacts on the transfer of different pollution-intensive industries. The interaction effect of the enforcement of local government environmental regulation will lead to industrial transfer in the ferrous metal smelting and rolling processing industry and the petroleum processing, coking and nuclear fuel processing industry. The transfer of pollution-intensive industries in Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei and the surrounding regions is more affected by economic development, infrastructure construction, R&D investment and other factors.

The role of enforcement in environmental protection in Nigeria

The environment provides life support system to man. So many regulations and laws have been put in place to ensure adequate protection of the environment from man’s activities. Government has over the years established institutions that are given the responsibility of enforcing these laws and regulations to ensure compliance. Despite this legislative and institutional frameworks, effective compliance has become a mirage in the country. This paper examines the role of enforcement in environmental protection in Nigeria. The study adopted secondary desk review of existing literature. The findings of the study reveals that environmental regulations are the general rules and specific actions enforced by administrative agencies so as to control pollution and manage natural resources with the purpose of protecting the environment. The study findings reveal that the same government that put these structures in place is the main violator of the policies and provisions to protect the environment. This often leads to an atmosphere of system failure where, nothing works and the environment suffers for it. The benefits of enforcement of environmental regulations include creation of employment opportunities, protection of the environment and environmental sustainability. Some of the challenges of effective compliance to environmental regulations include outdated laws, high cost of environmental standards, weak institutional capacity, poor governance, under staffing, inadequate funding, vested interest, multiplicity of legislation/conflicting laws, ignorance and lack of rule of law among others. The study recommends employment of more staff, increase funding of environmental enforcement agencies, and review of old and outdated environmental laws and regulations.

Central inspection teams and the enforcement of environmental regulations in China

Despite the existence of a comprehensive set of environmental regulations, China’s environmental issues continue largely unabated and are increasingly leading to discontent among its citizens. Mirroring recent governance trends in China, the central government has increasingly taken a more hands-on-role to ensure the enforcement of environmental regulations by local government officials. One manifestation of this effort to re-centralize environmental institutions has been the establishment and deployment of Central Environmental Inspection Teams (CEITs). CEITs report directly to the central government and are dispatched to carry out crackdowns where the central government has reason to believe that environmental regulations are not being enforced. With over 29,000 companies fined and around 18,000 local government officials disciplined, the CEIT has been heralded as a great success by the central government. Using a combination of primary and secondary data, we partially reconstruct the inaugural CEIT deployment in Hebei province in 2016 from the perspectives of government officials, private and state-owned companies, and local residents. While we generally find that the CEIT has proven effective in identifying and rectifying violations of environmental regulations, as an institutional solution it is inefficient and highly-resource intensive, likely to generate unintended governance outcomes in the medium-to-longer run, and has significant social justice implications.

Visual Narratives: Exploring the Impacts of Tourism Development in Placencia, Belize

AbstractVisualizing environmental change is one way people experience ecological degradation and changes in land‐use practices. In Placencia, located in Belize, the intensity and scale of development has been increasing without participation by local populations. Through interviews and photovoice, we document the ways residents have encountered changing environments, in order to explore how global and local processes of uneven development intersect. Areas of concern included coastal erosion, dredging, and impacts to marine environments. Participants asserted the need for greater enforcement of environmental regulations and more equitable decision‐making practices related to land and resource ownership in the context of rapid development.

Compliance With the EU Waste Hierarchy: It Is a Matter of Stringency, Enforcement … and Time!

This paper assesses whether and to what extent income and the stringency and enforcement (S&E) of environmental regulation influence compliance with the EU Waste Hierarchy (EWH), i.e., how EU member states treat waste. The EWH prioritizes waste prevention and re-use over recycling, which is ranked above waste to energy (WtE), while incineration and landfilling are the least preferred options. Biennial panel data for the period 2010–2016 is used to create a compliance index based on the waste treatment alternatives in the EWH. Waste (excluding major mineral waste) of 26 European Union countries is examined. This study is the first of its kind to regress an EWH compliance index on income, stringency and enforcement of environmental regulation, and other variables that are also expected to affect the relative benefits and costs of waste treatment like population density, heating demand, and electricity prices. In conjunction, the shares of landfilling, incineration, WtE, and recycling are also modeled to capture the effect of these variables in the waste treatment mix. Stringency and enforcement of environmental regulation have a positive effect on compliance with the EWH, which has increased over time.

Impact of Informal Auto-Mobile Mechanic Workshops Activities on Groundwater Quality in Ibadan, Nigeria

The detrimental effect of the activities in informal auto-mobile mechanic workshops is a major public health concern; and its impact on groundwater contamination cannot be ignored. We assessed the effect of activities of mechanics in auto-mobile workshops on the quality of groundwater sources. Water samples were collected from hand dug wells situated within 0 to 50 metres in twenty auto-mobile workshops randomly selected across three zones. A residential area was selected as the control site. Analysis of water for some physico-chemical parameters (pH, TDS, Electrical Conductivity, Alkalinity, Oil and Grease) and the heavy metals (Cu, Cd, Cr, and Pb) was done using standard methods. Sanitary inspection was also carried out at each well location. Results were compared with the control and regulatory standards Nigerian Industrial Standard for Drinking Water Quality (NISDQW) and World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines for drinking water quality. Results revealed that mean values of pH, TDS and Electrical conductivity for the three zones, Alphonso, Temidire, and Ojoo were within WHO limits. The concentrations of Cu, Cd Cr and Pb in the water samples ranged from 0.02 - 6.12 mg/l, 0.1 - 2.19 mg/l, 0.2 - 0.79 mg/l and 0.02 - 35.8 mg/l across the three zones respectively. Mean concentrations of Cu (mg/l) were significantly higher in Alphonso (2.5 ± 2.06) than in other zones. Mean concentration of Cr (mg/l) was 0.34 ± 0.28, 0.37 ± 0.13 and 0.31 ± 0.3 for Alphonso, Temidire and Ojoo respectively. Cadmium was also present in all the zones but Pb was only detected in Alphonso. The mean concentrations for heavy metals were significantly higher when compared with the permissible limits for both NISDQW and WHO. The degree of groundwater contamination indicates poor water quality in the study area, and this requires regular monitoring. Enforcement of environmental regulations guiding activities of auto-mechanics should be done so that they can embrace environmentally friendly practices to reduce pollution.

Impact of Informal Auto-Mobile Mechanic Workshops Activities on Groundwater Quality in Ibadan, Nigeria

The detrimental effect of the activities in informal auto-mobile mechanic workshops is a major public health concern; and its impact on groundwater contamination cannot be ignored. We assessed the effect of activities of mechanics in auto-mobile workshops on the quality of groundwater sources. Water samples were collected from hand dug wells situated within 0 to 50 metres in twenty auto-mobile workshops randomly selected across three zones. A residential area was selected as the control site. Analysis of water for some physico-chemical parameters (pH, TDS, Electrical Conductivity, Alkalinity, Oil and Grease) and the heavy metals (Cu, Cd, Cr, and Pb) was done using standard methods. Sanitary inspection was also carried out at each well location. Results were compared with the control and regulatory standards Nigerian Industrial Standard for Drinking Water Quality (NISDQW) and World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines for drinking water quality. Results revealed that mean values of pH, TDS and Electrical conductivity for the three zones, Alphonso, Temidire, and Ojoo were within WHO limits. The concentrations of Cu, Cd Cr and Pb in the water samples ranged from 0.02 - 6.12 mg/l, 0.1 - 2.19 mg/l, 0.2 - 0.79 mg/l and 0.02 - 35.8 mg/l across the three zones respectively. Mean concentrations of Cu (mg/l) were significantly higher in Alphonso (2.5 ± 2.06) than in other zones. Mean concentration of Cr (mg/l) was 0.34 ± 0.28, 0.37 ± 0.13 and 0.31 ± 0.3 for Alphonso, Temidire and Ojoo respectively. Cadmium was also present in all the zones but Pb was only detected in Alphonso. The mean concentrations for heavy metals were significantly higher when compared with the permissible limits for both NISDQW and WHO. The degree of groundwater contamination indicates poor water quality in the study area, and this requires regular monitoring. Enforcement of environmental regulations guiding activities of auto-mechanics should be done so that they can embrace environmentally friendly practices to reduce pollution.

Standing to Sue Beyond Individual Rights: Who Should Be Eligible to Bring Environmental Public Interest Litigation in China?

AbstractFormally adopted in 2012, environmental public interest litigation in China has expanded standing beyond individual rights by granting administrative authorities, procuratorates, and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) the ability to initiate environmental public interest litigation (PIL). However, the aims of enhancing the enforcement of environmental regulation and the development of the ‘objective legality’ model through civil society have not been met. This is as a result of administrative authorities and procuratorates being granted standing, which inhibits NGOs from initiating their own PIL in line with the aims of the ‘objective legality’ model. In order to promote participation by civil society and its actors in environmental law enforcement, NGOs should be granted preferential standing in environmental PIL. To this end, the current requirements for NGOs to be granted standing should be relaxed, and the standing granted to administrative authorities and procuratorates should be limited or removed.

Groundwater sustainability assessment framework: A demonstration of environmental sustainability index for Hanoi, Vietnam

There is mounting concern about how to support decision-makers in driving sustainable water resources management; science needs to support the decision-making process to promote evidence-based decisions. To this end, sustainability assessment is considered a useful technique, which provides enough information to assist management. This study proposed a groundwater sustainability assessment framework, which is developed from a regular sustainability assessment approach and analytical hierarchy process (AHP). In the proposed framework, the three main pillars (environmental, social, and economic) of the concept of sustainability were considered the three important sustainability criteria. Hence, we demonstrated the proposed framework for a Hanoi case study with focus on the environmental sustainability criterion. The concept of AHP was used to create the main sustainability components (the three criteria, associated with their aspects and indicators) of a hierarchy, which appropriately cover environmental sustainability issues of groundwater resources in the target area. Based on the available reliable data of the current problems in Hanoi, we proposed three main sustainability aspects (quantity, quality, and management) and, accordingly, selected their twelve environmental sustainability indicators. To determine a reasonable sustainability assessment, we considered a conventional linear and non-linear relationship between the indicators and the corresponding sustainability indices. As for the results from the Hanoi case study, the environmental sustainability indices obtained from using a combined linear and non-linear relationship case appropriately reflect the current situation, that is, the environmental sustainability assessment is close to reality. The sustainability indices of the quantity, quality, and management aspects of groundwater were appropriately assessed at acceptable levels, resulting in Hanoi being rated at the acceptable level in the final environmental sustainability index. The variability of the environmental sustainability indices indicated that the current groundwater abstraction networks are heavily concentrated in a few specific areas in Hanoi, which is not optimal for utilizing the rich natural recharge resources of the area. Improvement of the current poor groundwater quality and strict enforcement of environmental regulations are essential to enhancing the environmental sustainability and, more importantly, to drive Hanoi towards sustainable groundwater resources.

Money Talks: The Environmental Impact of China's Green Credit Policy

AbstractThis study examines the impact of China's green credit policy on the environment. In particular, we consider an initiative that requires all banks to base their loan decisions on corporate environmental performance. This is an important issue since it is globally gaining popularity to leverage bank loans as an avenue to enforce corporate environmental responsibility. Moreover, there are only a handful of empirical investigations in relation to the impacts of credit constraint on corporate environmental behaviors and strategies. This research also provides useful insights on how to enhance environmental regulation enforcement, using the Environmental Protection Bureau in partnership with local banks to exert a creditable threat of financial constraint on unfavorable environmental outcomes. Using the synthetic control method and difference‐in‐differences analysis, we find that this policy has significantly motivated firms, particularly those firms with a higher dependence on external financing, to reduce water pollution. We further discover that the policy compels firms to favor pollution prevention at the source instead of end‐of‐pipe treatments, since the policy imposes a long‐term credit constraint on pollution.

Symbolic reactions or substantive pro‐environmental behaviour? An empirical study of corporate environmental performance under the government's environmental subsidy scheme

AbstractDo firms substantively improve their corporate environmental performance (CEP), or do they just react symbolically under the government's environmental subsidy (ENS) scheme? There is little empirical research into this business ethical problem in the literature. To understand how firms respond to the government's ENS scheme, in this study, we empirically examine the relationship between ENS and CEP. Specifically, we distinguish two types of CEP, that is, environmental management performance (EMP) and environmental operational performance (EOP), and then test the effects of ENS on EMP and EOP and the moderating role of environmental enforcement intensity (EEI) in both effects. We collect 5‐year panel data of Chinese listed companies operating in heavily polluting industries for the empirical analysis and find that (a) China's ENS significantly improves EMP, but its effect on EOP is not significant. Subsidized firms mainly respond to the government's ENS scheme through the process‐oriented pro‐environmental behaviour such as implementing the ISO14001 certification to improve EMP rather than the outcome‐oriented pro‐environmental behaviour such as investing on environment‐related R&D projects and energy conservation and emission reduction to improve EOP. This sort of firm pro‐environmental behaviour under the Chinese government's ENS scheme is symbolic rather than substantive. (b) China's EEI positively moderates the effect of ENS on EMP, but its moderating role in the effect of ENS on EOP is not significant. Therefore, the power of the current environmental regulation enforcement mechanism in China is insufficient to push firms to engage in real pro‐environmental activities to improve EOP. Relevant policy implications are discussed in the paper.

Remediation of Arsenic in Water Using Unique Ashed Biomass Material

The contamination of the world’s water supply due to various contaminants has caused the clean water supply to shrink around the globe. The problem is not only an issue with developing nations; in fact, many developed countries are facing the same turmoil. With the globalization, industrialization and weak enforcement of environmental regulations, waste water is discharged into clean water resources whereby contaminating the water. Out of the long list of contaminants many heavy metals find their way into the clean drinking water supply. The heavy metals arsenic (As), lead (Pb), and mercury (Hg) as well as many others are also discharged into water resources. There are numerous methods for removal of these heavy metals from water including filtration, chemical precipitation, ion exchange, adsorption, electro deposition as well as others but most are expensive and or not completely satisfactory. Arsenic and its compounds are often used as pesticides, herbicides, insecticides and various alloys and often find their way into the drinking water supply through various industrial sources. A cost-effective remediation of arsenic in water using readily available material is urgently needed. An ashed waste material consisting primarily of Azadirachta indica (Neem leaves) and Mangifera indica (Mango leaves) has been found effective in removing both arsenic (III) and (V) from water. The utilization of this ashed material achieves the concept of using waste material from one source, used by another and therefore benefiting both. The adsorbent is very effective at pH =7 and ion exchange appears to be the major adsorption mechanisms for binding the metal ions to the plant ash material. The material shows sufficient operation capacity to indicate the possibility of its use in remote rural areas as well as in an urban water treatment facility.

Environmental enforcement and compliance in developing countries: Evidence from India

Abstract Effective implementation of environmental regulations is an important concern for emerging economies that face serious environmental degradation. In this paper we analyze compliance and enforcement of environmental regulations in India. In particular, we model: (i) plant-level compliance with water and air pollution control laws in the state of Punjab, and (ii) the decisions of the regulatory agency, namely, the Punjab Pollution Control Board to enforce these laws through inspections and other administrative actions. The two decisions are interrelated. For a sample of 117 large water polluting plants and 109 large air polluting plants the probability of inspection influences plant-level compliance and vice versa. We also find enforcement activity is targeted towards frequent violators. Plants that belong to dirty industries are more stringently monitored but those belonging to more profitable firms less so. Plants with high abatement costs and those that are new comply less frequently.