"No man is above the law and no man is below it: nor do we ask any man's permission when we ask him to obey it. Compliance with the law is demanded as a right, not asked as a favor."
- Theodore Roosevelt
Our Mission
EIP is dedicated to President Theodore Roosevelt’s idea that our laws should be enforced in the public’s interest “without fear or favor." We combine research, reporting, and media outreach to spotlight illegal pollution, expose political intimidation of enforcement staff, and encourage federal and state agencies to take enforcement action.
Our Vision
EIP envisions a healthy regulatory and physical environment; air that can be breathed without increased risk of asthma, heart disease, or cancer; water clean enough to drink; and the right to enjoy these benefits regardless of a person's income.
How We Work
Congress gives ordinary citizens the power to enforce environmental rules when bureaucracies stumble or polluters skirt the law. We provide legal and technical know-how to help average people exercise their power to challenge big agencies and well-connected polluters. Our enforcement actions get real results and improve public health.
We are inspired by local activists willing to stand up, against the odds, to defend the environment and protect their communities. Their commitment reminds us that our air and water belong to everyone, not just well-connected industries. These local heroes show what a few individuals can do for the environment by claiming their rights granted under the law.
Our team extracts, analyzes, and posts data from dense government files to make it available (and understandable) to the public. We are proud of our efforts to ensure the data on which environmental rules depend is accurate and easily available to citizens, with straightforward explanations.
We understand that details are everything, and EIP has a hard-earned reputation for careful attention to both law and fact. We always look for environmental improvements that make economic sense in the long run. Our backgrounds in law, engineering, public health, government, economics, geology, and biology help us to get a full picture. In fact, our work has been cited in Congressional hearings and debates, in reports by the U.S. General Accountability Office, and in frequent news articles.
Recognized as a Top-Rated Charity
The Environmental Integrity Project is recognized as a top-rated charitable organization. Ninety-two percent of every dollar donated goes directly to our research, reporting, and media outreach that spotlights illegal pollution and encourages federal and state agencies to take enforcement action. Learn more.
