Ab a te me nt a nd Re me die s K E L L Y MCDANI E L DE PUT - - PDF document

3/7/2018 1

Ab a te me nt a nd Re me die s

K E L L Y MCDANI E L DE PUT Y DI ST RI CT AT T ORNE Y SAN JOAQUI N COUNT Y

One o f the ma in o b je c tive s o f e nviro nme nta l

e nfo rc e me nt is e sta b lishing a po lic y tha t se rve s to de te r o the rs fro m e ng a g ing in the sa me type o f a c t fo r fe a r o f b e ing pro se c ute d the mse lve s.

While this fa c to r is pro b a b ly the mo st po litic a l

in na ture , the re ne e ds to b e so me e xpe c ta tio n o f e nfo rc e me nt in o rde r to susta in the via b ility o f the la ws de sig ne d to pro te c t the e nviro nme nt.

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A sig nific a nt numb e r

• f e nviro nme nta l

c a se s invo lve da ma g e to a na tura l re so urc e

Pro b a b ly mo st impo rta nt is the e xte nt o f the

ha rm to huma n he a lth o r the e nviro nme nt a s a who le tha t re sulte d fro m the c o nduc t o f the re spo nsib le pa rty.

T

he pro se c uto rs e xa mine the dura tio n o f the ha rm, the na ture o f the vio la tio n invo lve d, a s we ll a s the pro ximity o f the da ma g e to urb a n a re a s o r e c o lo g ic a lly se nsitive a re a s.

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CIVIL

• VS. CRIMINAL

RE ME DIE S

Bo th type s o f litig a tio n pro vide e sse ntia lly the sa me re lie f with o ne no ta b le a nd

• b vio us e xc e ptio n…

I

nc a rc e ra tio n is pe rha ps the mo st po we rful c o nse q ue nc e

• f a c rimina l pro se c utio n, a nd in a nd o f itse lf, c a n ha ve

e ve n the mo st po we rful impa c t o n a de fe nda nt.

E

ve n a c o rpo ra tio n is c o nc e rne d a b o ut its b usine ss re puta tio n. A fe lo ny c o nvic tio n ra ise s sig nific a nt ra mific a tio ns, suc h a s insura nc e , c re dit wo rthine ss, re sa le va lue o f pro pe rty, va lue o f the b usine ss, a b ility to re c o ve r a sse ts, b usine ss pa rtne rs, inve sto rs. e tc .

Crimina l pro se c utio n is the me ssa g e tha t mo st e ffe c tive ly

c o mmunic a te s de te rre nc e in the unive rse o f e nviro nme nta l e nfo rc e me nt.

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Civil Pro se c utio n

 E

q uita b le po we rs tha t g o b e yo nd the e xpe c ta tio ns o f c rimina l la w.

 Pre limina ry I

njunc tio n – Ma inta ining the sta tus q uo “ST OP”

 I

njunc tio ns – Gre a t e q uitpo we rs to re sto re the na ture re so urc e a nd mitig a te injury to the e nviro nme nt a nd to the pub lic (re c re a tio n a nd c o mme rc ia l b e ne fits - E x: BP o il spills tha t e ffe c t the fishing industry fo r ye a rs into the future ).

 Pe na ltie s – Punishme nt a nd de te rre nc e .

Na tura l Re so urc e Da ma g e Asse ssme nt (NRDA)

 Wha t Is Na tura l Re sourc e Da ma g e Asse ssme nt? 

Sta te a nd fe de ra l truste e a g e nc ie s wo rk c o o pe ra tive ly with lo c al g o ve rnme nts, lo c a l o rg a niza tio ns, a nd the re spo nsib le pa rty to a sse ss e c o lo g ic a l injurie s a nd huma n use lo sse s c a use d b y e nviro nme nta l vio la tio ns. T he g o a l o f this pro c e ss, kno wn a s na tura l re so urc e da ma g e a sse ssme nt (NRDA) is to :



Qua ntify the injurie s to wildlife , ha b ita t, a nd lo st huma n use o f tho se re so urc e s. 

De te rmine the a mo unt o f re sto ra tio n ne c e ssa ry to re sto re the re so urc e s a nd c o mpe nsa te fo r the injurie s a nd lo sse s.



De ve lo p a n a ppro pria te Re sto ra tio n Pla n a nd o ve rsig ht o f tha t pla n.

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I njurie s a re q ua ntifie d b y sa mpling e nviro nme nta l me dia (e .g ., wa te r, se dime nt, b io ta ), tra c king live a nd de a d impa c te d wildlife , a nd c o lle c ting o the r e mpiric a l da ta fo llo wing a spill o r o the r de le te rio us e ve nt.

T he truste e a g e nc ie s will se e k input o n re sto ra tio n pro je c t ide a s to c o mpe nsa te fo r impa c ts to diffe re nt re so urc e type s (e .g ., b ird lo sse s, impa c ts to ha b ita ts, lo sse s o f huma n re c re a tio na l use s). Upo n de ve lo pme nt o f a Re sto ra tio n Pla n, funds c o me fro m the re spo nsib le pa rty to imple me nt re sto ra tio n pro je c ts de sig ne d to b o th re sto re a nd c o mpe nsa te fo r the injure d re so urc e s a nd huma n use lo sse s.

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

Wha t Is T he Proc e ss?



SPIL L

Whe n a spill o c c urs tha t po se s a thre a t to wildlife o r ha b ita t, CDF W b io lo g ists re spo nd to e va lua te the thre a t, a ssist with re spo nse o pe ra tio ns, a nd do c ume nt the injury.



DAT A COL L E CT ION

During a nd a fte r a spill, da ta will b e c o lle c te d in o rde r to e va lua te the injury. E xa mple s inc lude ma c ro inve rte b ra te surve ys, wa te r a nd se dime nt sa mple s, a nd ve g e ta tio n surve ys. F

• llo wing fe de ra l

g uide line s, this is o fte n do ne c o o pe ra tive ly with the re spo nsib le pa rty, a s we ll a s with fe llo w truste e a g e nc ie s.



INJURY QUANT IF ICAT ION

Onc e the ne c e ssa ry da ta is c o lle c te d, the injury is q ua ntifie d in te rms o f the a re a o f ha b ita t impa c te d, the de g re e o f the impa c t, a nd the time until re c o ve ry. Impa c te d a nima l po pula tio ns ma y b e e va lua te d se pa ra te ly, in te rms o f the numb e r o f individua ls impa c te d a nd the time ne e de d fo r po pula tio n re c o ve ry.



RE ST ORAT ION SCAL ING AND DAMAGE QUANT IF ICAT ION

T his pro c e ss invo lve s e va lua ting po te ntia l c o mpe nsa to ry re sto ra tio n pro je c ts a nd "sc a ling " the m to the size o f the injury. T he c o st o f the se pro je c ts b e c o me s the me a sure o f da ma g e s.



SE T T L E ME NT WIT H RE SPONSIBL E PART Y

Onc e the da ma g e c la im is c o mple te d, the pa rtie s a tte mpt to re a c h a se ttle me nt with the re spo nsib le pa rty.



RE ST ORAT ION IMPL E ME NT AT ION

Afte r a c a se is se ttle d, a truste e c o unc il is e sta b lishe d to ma na g e the funds a nd o ve rse e the re sto ra tio n wo rk. Onc e a Re sto ra tio n Pla n is fina lize d, wo rk ma y b e g in.

ABAT E ME NT

 VARI

E S COUNT Y T O COUNT Y

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 GE

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