SamPost t1_j2a6m8z wrote on December 30, 2022 at 7:31 PM

Local (city and municipal or ACHD), state or federal officials all have standing to sue (for real, hundreds of millions proportionate to profits and damages) under the Clean Air Act. They could also issue criminal charges as these acts are intentional. They do not.

So if you continue to vote for the same people in office, you will get no change.

Vote out all the incumbents. I realize that people won't do that because it may let in some "worse" person from an opposing party. All I can say is that if you keep voting for the lesser of two evils, you get evil.

lrube t1_j2au5zy wrote on December 30, 2022 at 10:05 PM

Okay, I’m very curious if you can link me these MEGA MILLION DOLLAR lawsuits that have happened. Also as noted those are citizen suits under the CAA.

SamPost t1_j2az8p5 wrote on December 30, 2022 at 10:39 PM

Good god, read a newspaper. Or just google and you would quickly find the EPA database (https://www.epa.gov/enforcement/cases-and-settlements) of both civil and criminal violations and settlements.

Things like the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the gulf. Which resulted in a $20.8 billion dollar fine. Or Volkswagon's $14 billion dollar settlement for their diesel emissions. The list is very long.

lrube t1_j2b1njv wrote on December 30, 2022 at 10:56 PM

Those are outliers not the norm. Those cases require the DOJ cooperating. It is not normal to get that relief. Yes the EPA is an administrative agency but it’s also a federal agency. They have additional resources. The Volkswagen case started in 2009.

SamPost t1_j2b45xk wrote on December 30, 2022 at 11:13 PM

There are literally hundreds of them in that database. I just picked out two well known ones since you asked for a link.

You keep throwing out more red herrings after I answer your questions. It makes me doubt your motives, and I suspect we both know the (1) DOJ doesn't need to "cooperate" to file either a civil, or even criminal suit and (2) the state DEP and the ACHD are perfectly capable of filing these suits. As per many of the examples in that database. Looking through those, it is clear they sometimes all pile on, and sometimes states go it alone.

lrube t1_j2b6263 wrote on December 30, 2022 at 11:26 PM

I went to law school for environmental law. I am perfectly capable in knowing how it works. It is not easy. I said to get THOSE types of cases you do would need DOJ cooperation especially with criminal charges. You can’t just say well obviously it’s intentional.

SamPost t1_j2bzwox wrote on December 31, 2022 at 3:06 AM

The consent decrees are literally US Steel saying "we know normal operation of our facility violates the CAA, and here's how we intent to continue". You think you need the DOJ to set up some kind of FBI sting operation? Their guilt is clearly not in question to anyone, including them.

At this point, I am pretty sure you are an astroturfer, and not an environmental lawyer. The downvotes on where I pointed out the EPA lawsuit database make it clear what is going on.