Environmental Cheating -Hurts all of us - Lieberman

Stuart Lieberman, Esq.
liebermanblecher.com

*NJ Deputy Attorney General assigned to the State Department of Environmental Protection from 1986 - 1990.
*Partner in the environmental law firm of Lieberman & Blecher, P.C. in Princeton, New Jersey
*Lectures for the N.J. Institute for Continuing Legal Education (ICLE), and is available for other speaking engagements through the year.

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THE ENVIRONMENT
Environmental Cheating -Hurts all of us
Stuart Lieberman, Esq.,

Growing up, we learned not to cheat. It's morally wrong and it deprives you of the opportunity to succeed on the merits.

Cheating is particularly bad when it can hurt another person. Take, for example, environmental cheating. There are plenty of chances for homeowners to environmentally cheat and they are all wrong.

Wetlands

Many of us have wetlands on our property. If we fill them illegally, we may get away with it and end up with more useable property. But, illegal wetlands filling hurts the environment. You may feel that your little amount of wetlands do not matter. But what if everyone took this same position?

Tree Cutting

Trees are environmentally beneficial. In many towns, a permit is required to take a tree down, and some mitigation may be necessary. Yet, some people are tempted to illegally clear their lots without mandatory replanting. The net result, less water absorption, less shade, more erosion.

Waste oil and Batteries

You know that both require proper disposal. But how many people dump oil down their sink or place batteries into their garbage pail? Both cause soil and water pollution.

Open Burning

Many places require permits to open burn. And rightfully so. This is destructive of the ozone layer, causes the release of air borne pollutants and is a fire hazard. Yet, people do this freely in many communities. You see this practice often in Island communities.

Pesticide Overuse

We all know that we should follow the directions on pesticide labels. But we just want to destroy those pests, so many people use several times the recommended dose. This results in soil pollution and often stream pollution.

Radon Testing

Buyers of homes often have radon tests performed in the home they wish to purchase. Great idea, but the seller can deliberately tamper with the air canister and falsify the results. That behavior may lead to an innocent person contracting lung cancer.

Boating Releases

Boaters should not release septic and other wastes into the rivers and oceans. But they frequently do. Even large cruise lines have recently been fined for this behavior.

A little cheating may cause only a little harm. But if you cheat, then others may feel they can too. And a large scale problem emerges.

If you cheat, what are you teaching your children. After all, they will inherit the mess we are now creating.

In conclusion, environmental cheating is bad cheating because it hurts other people. Lets all make a strong effort to follow these important rules.

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The information provided in this column is written by Stuart Lieberman,a practicing environmental attorney, and is for general information purposes only. It is not legal advice and should not be used in place of legal advice.
Stuart Lieberman, Esq., and IRED.Com, Inc., will not accept any responsibilty for any reliance on the information in this column or any damages whatsoever resulting from reading this column.