The 5 Worst Environmental Crimes in America

Every environmental headline has people behind it. Real communities are fighting for their right to breathe clean air and drink safe water. These aren’t just news stories. They’re about neighbors who refused to stay quiet when something went wrong. 

Environmental crimes are instances where the law was ignored and public health took a back seat for convenience or profit. Over the last decade, specific disasters stripped away the illusion of safety in America. Why look back at these crises? These cases show where the cracks in the system are and how people pushed back. Learning from the mistakes and the people who demanded better matters. 

What Is an Environmental Crime?

Not every environmental disaster is a crime. Sometimes accidents happen, but an issue crosses a line when companies or officials deliberately lie to the public, knowingly put communities at risk or ignore laws designed to protect ecosystems. These violations have real consequences for real people. 

The numbers tell part of the story. Environmental crime is now the third-largest criminal sector worldwide after drug trafficking and counterfeiting, with illicit gains adding up to $281 billion annually. Five cases that happened in the last decade exposed serious problems and forced changes that still affect how pollution is regulated today. 

1. Volkswagen’s Dieselgate — The Emissions Cheat

In 2015, the automotive industry faced a massive scandal when Volkswagen marketed its diesel vehicles as an eco-friendly alternative to standard gas engines. It promised high performance with low emissions, but this turned out to be untrue.

Researchers at West Virginia University found that the company installed software in 11 million cars designed to deceive regulators. The code could detect when the car was undergoing an official emissions test, switching on pollution controls to pass. Once back on the highway, those controls turned off, spewing nitrogen oxide at levels up to 40 times the legal limit.

It wasn’t a mechanical failure — it was a deliberate strategy. The fallout cost the company billions and shattered trust in the industry. The scandal forced Volkswagen to completely change direction and it now invests heavily in electric vehicles. It also pushed the auto market toward e-vehicles faster than anticipated. 

2. The Animas River Spill — A Waterway Turned Orange

Residents in Colorado, New Mexico and Utah woke up in August 2015 to a surreal sight — the Animas River had turned a thick, opaque orange. The discoloration came from the Gold King Mine, where Environmental Protection Agency contractors accidentally breached a tunnel, releasing three million gallons of heavy metal-laden wastewater.

The plume carried lead, arsenic and mercury through three states and the Navajo Nation. It threatened farmland, shut down tourism and terrified about 2,000 farmers and ranchers who relied on the river. The disaster served as a visual representation of a massive, often invisible problem — the estimated 500,000 abandoned mines scattered across the American West. 

While the government took responsibility, the event highlighted the risks associated with dormant industrial sites. Thousands of old mines sit abandoned, slowly leaking into rivers. Nobody’s responsible anymore, which means cleanup doesn’t happen until something goes wrong. The situation also showed that even government agencies can botch even their own environmental work when they’re underfunded and rushing. Urging politicians to fully finance such programs can help make a difference. 

3. The Flint Water Crisis — A Betrayal of Public Trust

The catastrophe in Flint, Michigan, is one of the most obvious examples of injustice in recent history. In a bid to save money in 2014, city officials switched the water source to the Flint River. However, they failed to treat the water to prevent corrosion. The aggressive river water damaged the city’s already aging pipes, leaching lead into the homes of over 100,000 residents. 

Residents knew something was wrong immediately. The water was brown and smelled foul. Officials insisted it was safe, but a persistent citizen and local activists eventually proved that lead levels in children were skyrocketing. The crisis wasn’t just about plumbing — it was about the systemic neglect of a low-income community. The issue led to criminal charges and a nationwide call to replace dangerous service lines. 

Because local politics often dictate health, communities must have the resources to test their own water and challenge official narratives. Even over a decade later and Flint has already replaced its lead pipes, many residents still deal with health problems from those years of exposure. The legal battles continue. 

4. The Duke Energy Coal Ash Spill — The River of Sludge

Coal ash is the waste left behind after burning coal to make electricity. In 2014, a stormwater pipe burst at a Duke Energy plant in North Carolina, releasing 39,000 tons of this gray sludge into the Dan River. The ash covered a 70-mile stretch of the riverbed, putting aquatic life at risk from heavy metals. 

The disaster compelled the energy industry to reassess its waste management practices. The visible devastation allowed local riverkeepers to pressure the utility monopoly into a massive cleanup operation. Consequently, North Carolina passed laws setting stricter standards for the storage of this industrial waste. 

Transitioning away from coal is the only way to stop coal ash production. Factories that burn coal and other fossil fuels account for approximately 40% of the world’s CO2 emissions. Until then, local watchdogs are essential for spotting illegal discharges. 

5. The East Palestine Derailment — The Toxic Cloud Over Ohio

A Norfolk Southern train hauling hazardous materials went off the tracks near East Palestine, Ohio, in February 2023. To prevent an explosion, officials authorized a controlled release of vinyl chloride, a known carcinogen. The resulting fire sent a huge, dark black cloud of smoke over the town and into the air. 

Residents were evacuated, but when they came back, many reported having headaches, rashes and respiratory issues. More than 40,000 minnows and other aquatic life died after the derailment, which dumped over a million gallons of hazardous wastewater and spread toxic chemicals into the local soil and streams. 

Later investigations showed that an overheated wheel bearing caused the accident. Critics and officials argued that the tragedy happened because the rail sector was trying to cut costs excessively and lobbied against stricter safety regulations. 

The lesson here is that politics should never override safety protocols. The disaster reignited the demand for strong safety rules and steeper penalties for companies that transport dangerous materials through residential communities. 

From Crisis to Action

These cases, and many others that happened in the U.S., share a pattern — the damage was done, but the story didn’t end there. In each instance, the violation met resistance. Whether it was scientists testing pipes or neighbors checking their tap water, accountability only came because people demanded it. 

When people check emissions ratings, when voters demand better infrastructure and when communities refuse to accept toxicity as the cost of existing, progress happens. These environmental crimes serve as a blueprint for prevention, reminding everyone that the best way to stay safe is to be aware of what’s happening all around.