Summary
In 2007, Tamaqua, Pennsylvania passed a local ordinance titled the Tamaqua Borough Corporate Waste and Local Control Ordinance, banning corporations from disposing of toxic waste and deeming it unlawful for any corporation “to interfere with the existence and flourishing of natural communities or ecosystems, or to cause damage to those natural communities and ecosystems.”
Ordinance No. 620 also recognizes residents’ right to a healthy environment and declares “Borough residents, natural communities, and ecosystems shall be considered to be “persons” for purposes of the enforcement of the civil rights of those residents, natural communities, and ecosystems.” Additionally, residents of the Borough have standing in court to bring legal action for “damages caused to natural communities and ecosystems within the Borough, regardless of the relation of those natural communities and ecosystems to Borough residents or the Borough itself.” (Article F).
Involved Organizations
Suggested Citation:
Kauffman, Craig, Catherine Haas, Shrishtee Bajpai, Kelsey Leonard, Elizabeth Macpherson, Pamela Martin, Alessandro Pelizzon, Alex Putzer & Linda Sheehan. Eco Jurisprudence Monitor. V2. 2026. Distributed by the Eco Jurisprudence Monitor. https://ecojurisprudence.org/initiatives/tamaqua-borough-corporate-waste-and-local-control-ordinance/.
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