Environment & Energy

Our planet faces unprecedented environmental challenges, threatening ecosystems, species, coastal communities, and all too often, human life itself. Heading the list of threats is climate change, with its promise of drastic environmental, economic, and cultural upheaval. But we also face persistent problems of air and water pollution, toxic wastes, cleaning up the Chesapeake Bay and other Great Waters, and protecting natural resources and wildlife.

Central to the environmental health of the nation and the planet is decreasing our dependence on energy derived from burning fossil fuels. Our continued reliance on these sources is literally endangering the planet's ability to sustain life as we know it. Yet many policymakers, with the financial and rhetorical support of energy companies bent on making a profit at the cost of the planet's health, continue to resist desperately needed reforms. Read about CPR’s work protecting the environment in reports, testimony, op-eds and more. Use the search box to narrow the list.

Why Not Jail? Industrial Catastrophes, Corporate Malfeasance, and Government Inaction

Prosecutors have long neglected to hold corporate executives accountable for chronic mistakes that kill and injure workers and customers. Rena Steinzor's first-of-its-kind book analyzes five industrial catastrophes that have killed or sickened consumers and workers or caused irrevocable harm to the environment. From the Texas City refinery explosion to the Upper Big Branch mine collapse to the destruction of the Deepwater Horizon oil rig and extending to incidents of food and drug contamination that have killed or injured hundreds, the root causes of these preventable disasters include crimes of commission and omission. In accessible and jargon-free language, Steinzor recommends innovative interpretations of existing laws to elevate the prosecution of white-collar crime at the federal and state levels.

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Author(s): Rena Steinzor
Robert Fischman's testimony before the House Committee on Natural Resources on proposed amendments to the Endangered Species Act

Robert Fischman's September 9, 2014, testimony before the House Committee on Natural Resources on proposed amendments to the Endangered Species Act

Type: Legislative Testimony (Sept. 9, 2014)
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Author(s): Robert Fischman
Rena Steinzor testimony before Committee on Science, Space, and Technology Subcommittees on Oversight and Environment on the Status of Reforms to IRIS


Rena Steinzor's July 16, 2015, testimony before Committee on Science, Space, and Technology Subcommittees on Oversight and Environment on the Status of Reforms to EPA's Integrated Risk Information System

Type: Legislative Testimony (July 16, 2014)
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Author(s): Rena Steinzor
Gov. Jindal, Don't Sign Away Our Legal Claims

Gov. Jindal, Don't Sign Away Our Legal Claims, op-ed by Rob Verchick

Type: Op-Eds (June 2, 2014)
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Author(s): Robert Verchick
William Buzbee Testmony on the Waters of the United States Rule
William Buzbee Testmony on the Waters of the United States Rule
Type: Legislative Testimony (May 29, 2014)
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CPR Comments on the Draft Chesapeake Bay Watershed Agreement

CPR Comments on the Draft Chesapeake Bay Watershed Agreement, the first interstate agreement since EPA issued the Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) for the Chesapeake Bay.

Type: Letters to Agencies (March 17, 2014)
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Author(s): Rena Steinzor, Anne Havemann
The Role of Health and Safety Evidence in Regulation and the Civil Justice System: Preserving Protection of the Public
Type: Reports (Feb. 6, 2014)
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Author(s): Thomas McGarity, Wendy Wagner, Sidney Shapiro, James Goodwin
EPA's Retreat from Enforcement Will Harm the Chesapeake Bay
Type: Reports (Feb. 4, 2014)
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Author(s): Rena Steinzor, Robert Glicksman, Anne Havemann

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