The Court's Impact on Local Environmental Quality

This house pictured below was a disaster area before the court intervened.

Under the continuous leadership of Larry Potter, The Shelby County Environmental Court serves as a model for other courts throughout the United States. The people of Memphis and Shelby County should feel proud of the prototypical role that our court has played in the development of the American environmental court system.

More importantly, we should recognize the substantial environmental achievements made by the Court during its relatively short existence. As evidenced by dramatic increases in both the number of environmental complaints and the effective actions taken against those complaints, departmental inspectors and citizens no longer battle a system that is incapable of following through on their recommendations and needs.

Judge Potter has also been supportive of several initiatives to increase compliance with environmental codes in Memphis and Shelby County. Judge Potter, in cooperation with Keep America Beautiful, assists other areas in establishing an environmental court.

The Shelby County Environmental Court is an example of the American system at its best -- a unique partnership between local government and the community that solves old problems with innovative, new solutions. Thanks to the Court, the environmental consciousness of Memphis and Shelby County is thriving and we are well on our way to providing our children the legacy of a better place to live.

This is the same house after court intervention.