There are seven applicable Congressional Acts that govern action regarding the Environment, with the most pertinent being the False Claims Act. Under this act it is against the law for any organization or representative to falsify any requirement regarding conditions or actions impacting the environment. Lawsuits under this act can be initiated by an individual or company, as well as the Government. Whistleblowers under this law will receive 10 to 30% of what they save the Government, as well as $11,000 for each false statement by the contractor. This act has seen extensive use over the years in attacking environmental problems.
The Environmental Protection Agency has been a major part of the enforcement arm for these laws on the environment. To conserve their resources the EPA will often let individual citizens or public action groups initiate a legal action against violations, and then they will not move in until the later stages of the case. Most of these type claims are a result of the False Claims Act, where a contractor claims he did something which in reality he did not do. Many oil spills in the ocean and on land have resulted in positive changes in the operational procedures as implemented through this act. In addition, a significant number of whistleblowers have made great money in this field.
http://www.justice.gov/civil/docs_forms/C-FRAUDS_FCA_Primer.pdf