美国政府承担环境污染治理责任探究

在美国环境法上,政府不仅要基于作为公权力行使者而承担环境污染治理义务,而且可能需要像私人一样承担环境污染治理责任。政府承担场地环境污染治理责任的有以下理由:一是依据《超级基金法》的规定承担所有者、经营者和安排者的责任,或者由于政府行为存在重大过失而承担责任;二是依据政府合同中的补偿条款承担责任。政府放弃主权豁免使得治理责任承担成为可能。当然,在特定情形下,政府即使已经同场地的环境污染有关联,也无需承担治理责任,这些情形是:针对应急事件的反应行动、没过边界的政府监管活动、因公法行为获得所有权或控制权。美国政府承担治理责任有助于实现公平正义,体现了环境法治的基本要求。但《超级基金法》司法中关于政府责任的不确定性和政府承认自己作为责任主体的激励不足的情形客观存在。

In the environmental law of American,the government should not only bear the obligation of environmental pollution control as the wielder of public power,but also bear the responsibility of environmental pollution control as the private.There are two basis on which the government should bear the cost of soil pollution remediation is based.The first is the liability of owner,operator and arranger according to the superfund law,or be liable for gross negligence in government action;the second is the indemnity provision of government contract,the third is the gross negligence of the government's conduct.The government's waiver of sovereign immunity makes it possible to assume responsibility.But in specific situation,the government should not bear cost of soil polution remediation even if it has been associated with the contaminated sites.These situations are:the response to the emergency、the government’s regulation within the normal boundary、obtaining the ownership and control under public law.It is helpful to realize fairness and justice if the US government undertakes the responsibility of governance,embodies the basic requirements of environmental law.However,the uncertainty of government responsibility exists in judiciary and the incentive that the government admits it as responsibility party is insufficient.