Class-action lawsuits were made for this. All the big early wins for the environmental movement in the US were class actions against polluters using the (literally medieval) Tort of Nuisance. Richard Nixon didn't create the EPA in 1972 because he cared about the Spotted Owl. He created the EPA so his Big Polluter buddies could now shield themselves with "I was compliant with regulations at the time" while simultaneously raising paperwork barriers to entry against competitors. Torts exist to punish the guilty. Regulations exist to shield them (and construct cozy monopolies on the side).