USA: Oils Spills and Criminal vs. Civil Violations

In the wake of a number of recent onshore oil spills in the United States and the fact that the number of crude and refined oil pipelines continues to expand in the US, an article titled: If polluting was a criminal offense, would it happen as much? recently appeared in High Country News. Citing US Secretary of Transportation, Ray LaHood's current proposal for the "Pipeline Safety Action Plan" and the Environmental Crimes Enforcement Act of 2011 (S. 350) pending before Congress; the author concludes that there is need for guidance and further legislation to be developed to determine when it is appropriate to use criminal enforcement to deter offenders.