Atlantic States Legal Foundation :
- Author:
- Atlantic States Legal Foundation, Inc.
- Call Number:
- MSS APAP-311 local
- Abstract:
- The collection contains materials relating to the projects and cases pursued by ASLF, ASLF's collection of published environmental reports and newsletters, and subject files. ASLF activities encompassed almost every U.S. state and a few U.S. territories. The projects and cases are arranged by geographic regions, state, and finally alphabetically by the company or organization. The publications are arranged alphabetically, with separation between serial publications, New York publications, New York Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) publications, and other publications. The collection contains materials from the 1960s to 2000s. However the bulk of the projects were pursued in the 1980s and 1990s, items which pre- or post-date this range are often research material, DMRs or compliance reports required by consent decrees. The collection consists of correspondence, compliance reports, discharge monitoring reports (DMR), court documents, architectural drawings, laboratory analysis, notes, news clippings, National Discharge Elimination Permit System (NPDES) permits, photographs, quarterly non-compliance reports (QNCR), remediation programs, standing, subject files, workshops and environmental newsletters, studies and research reports.
- Historical Note:
- Atlantic States Legal Foundation, Inc. (ASLF) is a not-for-profit organization founded in 1982, with headquarters in Syracuse, New York. ASLF's mission is to provide affordable technical, legal and organizational services to a variety of individuals, community groups, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), local governments and others to protect and remediate threats to the natural and human environment. In the 1980s and 1990s ASLF used the legal frame work of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act, known as the Clean Water Act (CWA) and the Emergency Planning and Right-to-Know Act (EPCRA) to ensure industrial pollution was in compliance with permits issued by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Once ASLF identified pollution discharge violations throughout the United States and U.S. Territories, a sixty day notice of the intent to sue would be sent to the permit violating company. Often agreement settlements were negotiated before reaching court. The cases that did reach the courts were citizen suits and ASLF, as an organization, often needed an individual in the affected area who could demonstrate harm. These individuals could provide standing for the case and were often ASLF members or part of an affiliated community group. On November 28, 1990 ASLF was the first ever to settle an EPCRA citizen suit. ASLF eventually became the leading NGO utilizing the citizen suit provision of the CWA to enforce disclosure and compliance with pollution permits. In 1998 the effectiveness of citizen suits was curtailed due to a U.S. Supreme Court decision. However, ASLF's efforts forced many industries and companies to be accountable to their local communities.
- Physical Description:
- 179.74 cu ft.
- Access Terms:
- Access to this record group is unrestricted with the exception of a small number of select folders in Series 1, Subseries 1 which are marked on the finding aid.
- Notes:
- Part of the Archive of Public Affairs and Policy. local
- Subjects:
- Citizen suits (Civil procedure) United States, Environmental law United States Cases, Environmental permits United States, Pollution Law and legislation United States, Water Pollution Law and legislation United States, Citizen suits (Civil procedure), Environmental law, Environmental permits, Pollution Law and legislation, and Water Pollution Law and legislation
- Genres/Forms:
- Administrative reports. aat, Architectural drawings (visual works) aat, Civil court records. aat, Correspondence. aat, Files by subject. aat, Maps. aat, Newsletters. aat, Clippings. aat, Notes. aat, Pamphlets. aat, and Trials, litigation, etc
- Corporate Names:
- Atlantic States Legal Foundation, Inc, New York (State). Department of Environmental Conservation, United States. Environmental Protection Agency, United States. Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act of 1986, United States. Federal Water Pollution Control Act, New York (State). Department of Environmental Conservation, and United States. Environmental Protection Agency
- Geographic Terms:
- United States
- Titles:
- Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act of 1986 (United States) and Federal Water Pollution Control Act (United States)
Access
Rare books do not circulate
These materials must be viewed onsite in the Special Collections Reading Room.
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