About
Community Environmental Defense Council, Inc. (CEDC) is a non-profit public interest law firm based in Ithaca, New York. We are a 501(c)(3) organization and donations to CEDC are tax deductible. CEDC is dedicated to using the power of law to help communities and citizen groups in New York whose land, air, water, health, and quality of life are threatened by resource extraction activities and associated industrialization.
CEDC achieves this goal by providing free high quality legal advocacy and assistance to communities and citizen groups to help these groups in obtaining the benefit of environmental protection laws. We research legal issues and identify legal strategies for communities that seek to preserve their rural character. CEDC champions the belief that every citizen of New York — young and old, rich and poor, significant landowner or not — as well as future generations have the right to clean air and water, have access to healthy and nourishing food, and to live in vibrant communities with access to flourishing ecosystems. CEDC provides legal education to communities of these public rights and provides advice on some of the options that are available to preserve these rights.
CEDC provides representation in matters where it would not be economically feasible for these communities and citizen groups to retain and pay for representation through a traditional private law firm. CEDC does not charge fees for services from its clients, although it may receive reimbursement for costs such as travel costs, filing fees and expert witnesses. CEDC does not accept any voluntary contributions from entities that earn their income from practices or activities that we oppose or that run counter to our mission. CEDC relies entirely upon donations and grants from foundations and individuals that desire to see their communities and the environment receive top notch legal representation.
CEDC supports the precautionary principle and the American Clean Energy Agenda.
