Environmental Law Cheat Sheet

The core ideas of Environmental Law distilled into a single, scannable reference — perfect for review or quick lookup.

PiqCue — piqcue.com/environmental-law/cheatsheet

Quick Reference

Polluter Pays Principle

The principle that those who produce pollution should bear the costs of managing it to prevent damage to human health or the environment, rather than shifting the burden to society at large.

Precautionary Principle

When an action raises threats of harm to the environment or human health, precautionary measures should be taken even if some cause-and-effect relationships are not fully established scientifically.

Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA)

A process required by law for evaluating the likely environmental effects of a proposed project or development before it is approved, ensuring decision-makers consider environmental consequences.

Standing in Environmental Litigation

The legal right to bring a lawsuit, requiring a plaintiff to demonstrate injury-in-fact, a causal connection to the defendant's conduct, and the likelihood that a favorable decision will redress the injury.

Command-and-Control Regulation

A regulatory approach in which the government sets specific standards or limits for pollutants and mandates particular technologies or practices, with penalties for noncompliance.

Cap-and-Trade

A market-based regulatory system that sets a maximum limit (cap) on total emissions, distributes allowances, and permits regulated entities to buy and sell (trade) emission permits to meet their obligations efficiently.

Public Trust Doctrine

A legal principle holding that certain natural resources such as navigable waters, shorelines, and wildlife are held in trust by the government for the benefit of the public and cannot be transferred to private ownership.

Strict Liability for Hazardous Activities

A legal standard under which parties engaged in abnormally dangerous activities are held liable for resulting environmental harm regardless of whether they exercised due care or intended to cause damage.

Environmental Justice

The fair treatment and meaningful involvement of all people regardless of race, income, or national origin in the development, implementation, and enforcement of environmental laws, regulations, and policies.

Sustainable Development

Development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs, balancing economic growth, environmental protection, and social equity.

Key Terms at a Glance

Brownfield:A property where expansion, redevelopment, or reuse may be complicated by the presence or potential presence of a hazardous substance, pollutant, or contaminant.

Cap-and-Trade:A market-based approach to pollution control that sets an aggregate emissions cap and allows entities to trade emission allowances.

CERCLA (Superfund):The Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act, which created a federal program for cleaning up hazardous waste sites.

Citizen Suit:A legal provision allowing private parties to enforce environmental laws by suing violators or compelling government action.

Clean Air Act:The primary federal law regulating air emissions from stationary and mobile sources in the United States.

Clean Water Act:The principal federal law governing water pollution, establishing the NPDES permit system for point source discharges.

Command-and-Control Regulation:A regulatory approach that sets specific standards or mandates particular technologies, with penalties for noncompliance.

Critical Habitat:Specific geographic areas essential for the conservation of a listed species under the Endangered Species Act.

Emissions Trading:A market-based mechanism allowing entities with lower emissions to sell their surplus allowances to entities exceeding their limits.

Endangered Species Act:Federal legislation that protects imperiled species and their habitats through listing, critical habitat designation, and take prohibitions.

Environmental Impact Assessment:A systematic process of evaluating the potential environmental consequences of a proposed project or action.

Environmental Justice:The equitable treatment and meaningful involvement of all people in environmental decision-making regardless of race or income.

Environmental Protection Agency:The U.S. federal agency responsible for implementing and enforcing most national environmental laws.

Externality:A cost or benefit of an economic activity that affects third parties not directly involved in the transaction, such as pollution.

Hazardous Waste:Waste that poses substantial or potential threats to public health or the environment, regulated under RCRA.

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