IMPROVING COMPLIANCE WITH STATE ENVIRONMENTAL-REGULATIONS

This article reports on empirical tests of two theories for improving compliance with state environmental regulations. One theory argues for centralization of enforcement responsibilities with state agencies, w hile the other focuses on enforcement strategies, arguing for an appro ach that emphasizes capacity building and the social and moral bases o f compliance in addition to deterrence and the threatened application of sanctions. Using evidence from North Carolina, we show that central ization does not necessarily enhance compliance, but cooperative enfor cement strategies can improve the effectiveness of regulations that se ek to attain performance standards. Compliance with simpler specificat ion standards, however, can be attained just as well with easier to ad minister deterrent enforcement strategies based on frequent inspection s and adequate sanctions.