Environmental Protection in the United States Industry, Agencies Environmentalists

by Joseph M. Petulla; San Francisco Study Center, 1987

In early 1987, illegal dumping of toxic waste was the theme of a convincing drama in the Cagney and Lacey series. The program was notable because it presented reasons for uneven enforcement of hazardous waste laws to a mass audience: low fines in most states; high-level managers' efforts to distance themselves from illegal activities; the practice of compliance with the law part of the time to deceive enforcers; low funding and staffing of enforcement agencies.