The Limitations of Legal Institutions for Addressing Environmental Risks

Peter S. Menell

Journal of Economic Perspectives, 1991, vol. 5, issue 3, 93-113

Abstract: This article assesses the major systems of environmental liability in the United States—the toxic tort system and Superfund. The discussion of each of these areas first lays out the scientific background of the environmental problems and the applicable regulatory regime. It then analyzes the efficacy of these regimes for addressing environmental problems and suggests alternative institutional designs for better promoting the goals of equitable and cost-effective compensation of disease victims and efficient deterrence and remediation of environmental degradation.

JEL-codes: K13 Q28 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 1991
Note: DOI: 10.1257/jep.5.3.93
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (22)

Downloads: (external link)
http://www.aeaweb.org/articles.php?doi=10.1257/jep.5.3.93 (application/pdf)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:aea:jecper:v:5:y:1991:i:3:p:93-113

Ordering information: This journal article can be ordered from
https://www.aeaweb.org/journals/subscriptions

Access Statistics for this article

Journal of Economic Perspectives is currently edited by Enrico Moretti

More articles in Journal of Economic Perspectives from American Economic Association Contact information at EDIRC.
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Michael P. Albert ().