Editors' Summary: Both George Bush and Michael Dukakis promise that if elected they will devote high-priority attention to environmental issues. Opinion polls consistently show that these candidates are articulating views on the environment that have now become an ingrained and durable part of the American public's values. A major challenge for environmental professionals in the coming year will be how to translate this sentiment into action, particularly during the "honeymoon period" of a newly elected president.

Editors' Summary: Public water systems that serve residential communities have been subject to the Environmental Protection Agency's comprehensive regulatory program under the Safe Drinking Water Act since the Act was passed in 1974. EPA has recently extended the coverage of its regulatory program to public water systems that do not serve residential communities, such as industrial and commercial facilities and schools. Many corporations that provide water to employees and other members of the public are thus now subject to substantial new liability.

Editors' Summary: EPA's RCRA enforcement program will face a serious threat as defendants begin to raise statute of limitations defenses. The five-year federal statute of limitations is now expiring for many RCRA violations. Many statute of limitations issues remain unresolved, including what, if any, is the proper statute of limitations in civil or criminal court actions and when does it begin running, and whether administrative proceedings toll the statute.

Editors' Summary: On March 15, 1988, President Reagan signed Executive Order 12630 entitled "Governmental Actions and Interference With Constitutionally Protected Property Rights." In the July issue of ELR, Roger Marzulla, head of the Land and Natural Resource Division of the U.S. Department of Justice, described the genesis of the takings Executive Order and how it might affect environmental regulation. Mr.

Editors' Summary: On March 15, 1988, President Reagan signed Executive Order 12630 entitled "Governmental Actions and Interference With Constitutionally Protected Property Rights." In the July issue of ELR, Roger Marzulla, head of the Land and Natural Resource Division of the U.S. Department of Justice, described the genesis of the takings Executive Order and how it might affect environmental regulation. Mr.

In his recent Article advocating greater use of alternative dispute resolution (ADR) techniques by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in enforcement actions, Richard Mays thoroughly analyzed the benefits of ADR but failed to adequately discuss its drawbacks.¹ This Dialogue identifies problems associated with Agency promotion of ADR and recommends that the status quo of infrequent and highly selective use of ADR techniques is entirely healthy.

Editors' Summary: The question of to what extent Superfund cleanups must comply with RCRA's hazardous waste disposal requirements—often called the "RCRA/CERCLA interface"—is easily one of environmental law's most complex issues. It must be addressed at virtually every cleanup site, and millions of dollars of cleanup costs and months of delay can hang on its resolution. In this Article, the author describes the evolution of the doctrine that Superfund remedial actions must comply with the "applicable or relevant and appropriate requirements" (ARARs) of other laws.

On October 14, 1988, the Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit issued an attorneys fees ruling¹ clarifying citizens' rights to challenge Corps of Engineers' determinations that areas are not wetlands and thus not subject to the permitting requirements of §404 of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (FWPCA or the Act).² The decision comes in a case that may be the largest enforcement action, in terms of acreage, ever brought by government or citizenry.³ It was brought by the National Wildlife Federation and th

Editors' Summary: The Environmental Protection Agency's Superfund program is under increasing attack as slow, inflexible, and inclined toward inconsistent administration in various regions around the country. While EPA defends itself vigorously, asserting that these criticisms are exaggerated and that outsiders often do not acknowledge the complexities of hazardous waste cleanup, the fact remains that in its ninth year of implementation the Superfund program has still not lived up to public expectations.

Editors' Summary: The Environmental Protection Agency's Superfund program is under increasing attack as slow, inflexible, and inclined toward inconsistent administration in various regions around the country. While EPA defends itself vigorously, asserting that these criticisms are exaggerated and that outsiders often do not acknowledge the complexities of hazardous waste cleanup, the fact remains that in its ninth year of implementation the Superfund program has still not lived up to public expectations.