An environmental policy maker shows how well-designed regulations can lead to increased compliance with environmental rules–and a healthier planet.

Published by Oxford University Press.

Also Available in a Hardcover Edition

CYNTHIA GILES is an environmental policy maker. During the Obama Administration, as a senate-confirmed presidential appointee she headed EPA's Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance—their largest division. Cynthia was formerly an Assistant United States Attorney, prosecuting civil violators of federal environmental laws; the head of the water protection division for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts; a Vice-President for a New England environmental NGO, advocating for climate legislation and protection of water quality; and the co-lead of the Biden transition team for EPA. She currently serves as Senior Advisor, EPA Office of Air and Radiation. She divides her time between Rhode Island and Washington, DC.

 

This work is not a product of the United States Government or the United States Environmental Protection Agency. The author is not doing this work in any governmental capacity.  The views expressed are her own and do not necessarily represent those of the United States or the U.S. EPA.

From the Introduction

“Senior environmental officials at both the state and federal level often give the public the same reassurance about environmental compliance. Almost all companies comply, they say. The large companies comply; it is mainly the small ones that have compliance issues. Does the evidence agree? In a word: no. The data reveal that for most rules the rate of serious noncompliance—violations that pose the biggest risks to public health and the environment—is 25 percent or more…Rampant violations have real consequences: areas of the country that are not achieving air pollution standards, impaired water quality for half of the nation’s rivers and streams, contaminated drinking water, public exposure to dangerous chemicals, and avoidable environmental catastrophes with health, ecological, and economic damages.”

Praise for Next Generation Compliance

  • “We now have technology that can find methane leaks from a small gas well all the way from space; and we can measure air pollution from cars, buses, trucks, and trains without any vehicle needing to slow down—never mind stop. So why is it that so many sources of pollution that are being regulated today are still belching pollution that is harming our kids’ health, killing our trees and forests, contaminating our water, and contributing to climate change? Don’t ask me—read this book! Cynthia Giles challenges us to wake up and embrace the ways in which today’s smart technologies and analytic tools can transform old “tried and true” pollution compliance and enforcement strategies into opportunities to truly advance our health and security while leveling the playing field for everyone that is working hard to do the right thing.”

    —Gina McCarthy, Former National Climate Advisor to President Biden and Former Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency under President Barack Obama

  • “A fascinating and provocative discussion of a crucial question for environmental law and policy: compliance. It’s jam-packed with valuable, fresh ideas—and it could help make our country, and our planet, a lot cleaner. Highly recommended!”

    —Cass R. Sunstein, Robert Walmsley University Professor, Harvard Law School

  • “Cynthia Giles has researched and written the most revealing, insightful, and to me utterly surprising book on the crafting of environmental law, examining how years went by without anyone noticing that important air regulations were ineffective due to poor design. But she also analyzes what did work and how savvy design made all the difference and rid the environment of acid rain. Giles has written the most astute and informative book on the future of environmental policy and regulation. Wish I had had it when I was in office!”

    —William K. Reilly, EPA Administrator, 1989-1993

  • “This book is a revelation. Giles describes the huge gap between what environmental rules are supposed to accomplish and what happens in real life where non-compliance is rampant. Her key insight is that success on the ground doesn’t depend on the compliance culture of the regulated companies: it’s the design of the rule that matters. Giles offers a new approach that would build compliance into environmental rules on the front end, making compliance the path of least resistance. Refreshingly sensible and pragmatic without an ideological edge. A must-read for policymakers, regulators, advocates, and regulated businesses interested in how environmental regulation works in practice.”

    —Jody Freeman, Archibald Cox Professor of Law, Harvard Law School

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