The EPA initiated 20 percent fewer civil cases against polluters for violating environmental laws from the beginning of September 2016 to end of September 2017, as compared to the previous fiscal year, according to the EPA’s latest enforcement numbers. The EPA also opened 30 percent fewer criminal enforcement cases during the same time period.
The past fiscal year marked a historic low for enforcement actions across the board: The number of new civil and criminal cases, defendants charged, and federal EPA inspections and evaluations all reached their lowest levels in at least a decade, according to the data.
The EPA said the declining numbers were not a sign of lax enforcement.
See: http://www.ehn.org/epa-enforcement-actions-hit-10-year-low-in-2017-nbc-news-2532751182.html
As the Trump Administration enters its second year of government restructuring and reprioritization, watch the trends in EPA and other federal agency enforcement actions. A pro-business atmosphere is looming large on the horizon!
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