Enforcing anti-pollution laws

NELC attorneys carefully monitor compliance with environmental laws and report violations to government agencies. When the government doesn't take legal action, NELC does, winning court orders that stop illegal discharges and that impose monetary penalties for past pollution. NELC has been a leader in efforts to crack down on violators...

LANDMARK VICTORY- Stopping Exxon's Illegal Air Pollution

Since 2005, ExxonMobil’s Baytown, Texas, refinery and chemical plants have released more than 5,000 tons of unauthorized pollutants into the air. In April 2017, NELC attorneys won a $19.95 million penalty against ExxonMobil, holding them accountable for more than 16,000 days of violations of the Clean Air Act from the...

Protecting public health

On October 6, NELC filed a complaint under the federal Clean Air Act against ArcelorMittal, the world’s largest steelmaker. The suit will address hundreds of air pollution violations at the company’s Monessen Coke Plant. The complaint, filed on behalf of PennEnvironment and its members, alleges that residents of numerous towns...

Challenging inadequate standards

Cooling systems at power plants and factories across the country pull in water from local lakes, rivers, and estuaries, killing billions of aquatic organisms in the process. We’re challenging the Environmental Protection Agency’s new cooling water intake rule in court, and calling for stronger regulations to reduce the harm to...

Critical problems, proven results

NELC attorneys have a proven track record of bringing corporate polluters to justice and translating public frustration into environmental victories. NELC has required payments of more than $200 million toward court-ordered penalties and pollution reduction measures, and allocated $45 million to environmental projects around the country.

Become a Member

NELC research and litigation is made possible by the generosity of our contributing members. Through membership support, NELC attorneys obtain court orders to stop illegal pollution and secure major penalties against violators of environmental laws. Our members tremendously help us protect public health and natural resources.

National Environmental Law Center

NELC is a non-profit litigation center founded in 1990 to enforce anti-pollution laws and protect public health and the environment. NELC attorneys work closely with state and local citizen groups by providing essential legal expertise to bring corporate polluters to justice. Read more about NELC.

Issues

Latest News

5th Circ. Says $20M Exxon Pollution Verdict Needs 2nd Look
By Juan Carlos Rodriguez Law360 (July 30, 2020, 6:42 PM EDT) -- Environmental groups saw... Read More
Environmental Groups Spur TCEQ to Sue Valero – But Agency Must Now Deliver Clean Air for Port Arthur Residents
Environmental groups alleged 1.8 million pounds of illegal pollution from the Port Arthur Refinery PORT... Read More
NELC Newsletter Winter 2020 - Supreme Court to Decide: Can Polluters Evade Clean Water Law by Shortening Discharge Pipes?
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