A Study on the Enforcement and Characteristics of Environmental Criminal Law in the U.S.A.

미국 환경형법의 특성과 강제절차

Although recently vigorous studies on environmental crime have contribute criminal respects to be advanced in our country, most of them are focused on German discussions about the theory of environmental crime or environmental criminal law. As each countries in criminal legislation for environmental protection have some distinctive characteristics not found in others, the study which is more helpful to regulate environmental crime can be extend to other country in the view of comparative law. Thus this Article overviews especially the environmental criminal enforcement program involving civil and administrative enforcement in the United States. Notwithstanding that enforcement is an evolving phenomenon that only recently appeared on the scene, there is widespread public support for it. Once viewed as mere economic or regulatory offence lacking an element of moral delict, environmental crimes now provoke moral outrage and prompt demands for severe sanction and strict enforcement. Many major provisions of modem environmental acts that imposed criminal liability have been added or significantly restructured during the last decade. Notable among them are the imposition of the felony penalties for federal environmental crimes and the enactment of the endangerment crime in federal environmental law. This Article approaches the characteristics of environmental criminal enforcement form introducing major federal environmental acts. It develops the result that, considering the difference that exist between Korea and United States in environmental criminal law, our proper environmental regulatory framework can be constituted.