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Wednesday 27 February 2019
8PM
EPA defends enforcement record, despite drop in penalties
WASHINGTON (AP) — The lowest dollar amount since
Environmental Protection EPA created the enforce-
Agency's enforcement ment office in 1994, the re-
chief on Tuesday defend- port showed.
ed the Trump administra- Inspections and evalua-
tion's work, despite a report tions dropped to about
by her own agency show- 10,600, half the number
ing that civil and criminal EPA conducted at its peak
crackdowns on polluters in 2010.
have dropped sharply in Civil investigations carried
the past two years. out by the agency de-
Assistant administrator Su- clined to 22 last year, down
san Bodine, who heads the from 40 in 2017 and 125 in
office of enforcement, said 2016, the last year of the
the idea that EPA is soft on Obama administration.
enforcement is "absolutely Criminal fines and restitu-
not true," adding that the tion tumbled, from $207 mil-
agency is giving states a In this May 25, 2017, file photo, the Milton R. Young Station lignite coal-fired power plant near lion in 2016 and $3 billion in
greater role in regulation Center, N.D., glows as dusk blankets the North Dakota prairie landscape. 2017, which includes a $2.8
Associated Press billion fine against Volkswa-
and enforcement and ald Trump's deregulatory gen over emissions-rigging
stressing education and goals. Environmental and in a case initiated under
voluntary compliance by public-health groups say the Obama administration
companies. the business-friendly roll- — to $86 million last year.
Bodine told a House sub- backs place public health Rep. Frank Pallone, who
committee that a media and the environment at chairs the full energy panel,
"narrative" about lax en- greater risk, a claim Demo- told Bodine there was "no
forcement "discredits the crats repeatedly made at way to sugarcoat these
tremendous work of the Tuesday's hearing. numbers."
compliance and assur- The hearing was the first Pallone, D-N.J., said it ap-
ance staff" at EPA. oversight hearing on EPA pears that under Trump, the
"A strong environment pro- since Democrats reclaimed EPA "is relying on industry to
gram doesn't mean we the House majority last voluntarily come forward
have to collect a particu- month. and disclose when they
lar dollar amount or pick Congress has enacted a are not in compliance" with
up a number of penalties," series of laws to protect federal laws.
Bodine said. health and the environ- Pallone scoffed at that
But Rep. Diana DeGette, D- ment, "and this panel will idea and said EPA must
Colo., said EPA's own statis- not sit back and allow this have a robust enforce-
tics show an agency that's administration to simply ig- ment presence, with active
"sitting on its hands" and nore those laws," DeGette inspections and investiga-
"giving polluters a free pass. said. "We expect the EPA tions and, where appropri-
And it's putting our health to do its job." ate, referrals to the Justice
and environment at risk." The latest numbers from Department.
When EPA enforcement EPA show its overall en- Pallone and other Demo-
activities go down, "pollu- forcement activities for crats questioned Bodine
tion goes up. That's a fact," 2018 were at historically about reports that EPA
said DeGette, who chairs low levels, according to an has lost 17 percent of its
an Energy and Commerce agency report earlier this enforcement staff since
subcommittee on oversight month. 2017. Bodine disputed that,
and investigations. The EPA assessed polluters saying the agency has
The EPA has been one of a total of $69 million in civil 607 enforcement employ-
the most active agencies in penalties in the fiscal year ees of 649 authorized by
carrying out President Don- that ended Sept. 30, the Congress.q
