Environmental federalism and environmental justice: Complexities in the Oklahoma context

Abstract

At the dawn of the millennium, it is fashionable to indulge in reflective exercises aimed at discerning broad trends that have brought us to our present position in time and space. If we were to perform such an exercise in the context of environmental policy in the United States, our focus would be on just the last few decades of the 201h century. These decades can be characterized succinctly in the following way. The 1960s represent the emergence of environmental awareness and activism. The 1970s represent the translation of environmental concern into policy, particularly through tough, top-down, ambitious legislation and judicial intervention. The 1980s represent conflicts over efforts to attain efficiency in environmental policy and the emergence of environmental federalism. The 1990s represent the emergence of innovative policy instruments - market and information based solutions - and the recognition of the importance of people in the process, particularly through the concept of environmental justice.