Summary
With the help of CELDF, Tamaqua, Pennsylvania residents adopted a community rights ordinance banning the dumping of sludge in 2006. The ordinance recognizes the residents’ right to a healthy environment and deems 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. With this, Tamaqua became the first local community in the US to recognize rights of nature in a local ordinance.