A more thorough explanation:

Environmental law violations refer to actions that impact the environment and violate regulations set forth by the United States government. These regulations cover a wide range of activities, including the depth and course of streams, plant life, wildlife habitats, animals, soil quality, air quality, water quality, control of hazardous waste, limits on greenhouse gas emissions, and effects on recreational locations.

Businesses may refuse to comply with environmental regulations to avoid increased overhead costs. Some businesses openly refuse to comply and pay fines, while others try to hide their noncompliance by dumping hazardous waste into rivers, streams, oceans, or secluded areas. Other common types of environmental law violations include littering, improper waste disposal, the use of illegal pesticides in agriculture, releasing pollutants in amounts surpassing regulatory caps, oil spills, the destruction of wetlands, burning garbage, improperly removing and disposing of asbestos, falsifying lab data, smuggling illegal chemicals, and committing fraud relating to environmental regulations.

Environmental law violations are considered a form of white-collar crime and can result in fines, probation, jail time, or a combination thereof. Individuals typically face jail time, while corporations face stiff fines. The fines aim to offset the financial gain of conducting the illegal activity.

• A company dumps hazardous waste into a river instead of paying to have it taken to a chemical treatment plant.
• A farmer uses illegal pesticides in their crops to save money.
• A factory releases pollutants in amounts surpassing regulatory caps to avoid compliance costs.
• An oil company causes an oil spill in the ocean.
• A construction company destroys wetlands to build a new development.

These examples illustrate how businesses and individuals may violate environmental regulations to save money or avoid compliance costs, resulting in harm to the environment and potential legal consequences.