Environmental law aims to protect the air, water, and land that our communities are built around. Despite significant improvements in environmental practices over the last half century, noncompliance with U.S. environmental regulations remains pervasive. Tens of millions of Americans remain exposed to unsafe drinking water and pollution hotspots where exposure to toxic emissions increase health risks.
Policy brief key takeaways:
- Environmental practices have improved significantly over the last half century, but noncompliance with environmental law remains stubborn.
- New data sources and machine learning are powerful tools to assess risks, enhance enforcement, and improve compliance.
- Learning how to best combine machine learning with compliance interventions will require collaborative partnerships to rigorously pilot and evaluate impacts.