Over a century, a copper smelter in Opportunity, Montana emitted thousands of tons of toxic metals, polluting its neighbors’ properties … More
Category: federalism
Will the Supreme Court decide whether the Clean Water Act applies to groundwater?
In February, the Supreme Court agreed to decide whether the federal Clean Water Act regulates pollutants that migrate through groundwater. … More
This Endangered Species Day, we should celebrate species’ recovery and imagine innovative ways to encourage more recoveries
Today is the thirteenth Endangered Species Day, a day marked by Congress to celebrate the efforts of a wide variety … More
A market to convert flooded neighborhoods to wetlands
This month, the Mississippi River has experienced a prolonged, historic flood. The images of the flood recall other recent floods, … More
If federal authority ebbs, will states take the lead on regulating upstream water quality?
Since 1972, the Environmental Protection Agency has regulated discharges of pollution to “waters of the United States.” The meaning of … More
California waives environmental regulations for forest management: will this become more common as wildfires worsen?
California experienced two of its worst wildfire seasons in 2017 and 2018. Deadly fires shook several communities, while also marring … More
Markets for clean water
Last month, the Environmental Protection Agency published a memo encouraging states, tribes, and local governments to look to markets for … More
What makes conservation “collaborative”?
One of the chief benefits of embracing free market environmentalism is that it will ensure conservation is more collaborative. Where … More
Another downside to pervasive permitting: what happens when the government shuts down?
One of the lessons of the recent government shutdown (and expected near miss on a second one) is that there … More
Detroiters against free trees?
In 2014, a nonprofit tried to give thousands of trees to Detroit residents, but many declined the offer. A recent … More
