Publisher's Synopsis
In this text the authors examine the fragmented tangle of statutes, regulatory bodies, and programmes designed to control environmental degredation in the US. They employ carefully chosen criteria such as pollution reduction, economic efficiency, and responsiveness to social values in order to judge the various instruments - and the system as a whole - in protecting the environment. Their description of the system is concise and their selection of criteria is a contribution to programme evaluation. The book also compares US performance with other countries. The author's goal is a critical understanding of pollution regulation in the US, thus laying the groundwork for improving it.