Under Trump, EPA’s enforcement of environmental laws collapses, report finds
Another sign of declining enforcement: Through September of last year, the EPA imposed $41 million in penalties, $8 million less than the same period during the first year of the Biden administration, after adjusting for inflation. This suggests that “the Trump administration may let more polluters get away with a slap on the wrist when it takes enforcement action,” the report said.
Taken together, the lack of prosecution, sanctions and other enforcement for environmental violations could impact communities across the country, said Erika Kranz, a senior attorney at Harvard Law School’s environmental and energy law program, who was not involved in the report.
“We have seen the administration deregulate by rescinding rules and extending compliance deadlines, and this decline in enforcement appears to be another mechanism the administration is using to downplay the importance of protecting the environment and public health,” Kranz said. “Everything seems to be linked, and if you are a person in the United States who is worried about your health and the health of your neighbors in general, this could certainly have effects.”
The report notes that many court cases last more than a year. It will therefore take time to get a clearer picture of how environmental enforcement has evolved under the Trump administration. However, early data compiled by the Environmental Integrity Project and other nonprofits show a clear and marked shift away from pursuing legal action against polluters.
Historically, administrations have “wide latitude to make enforcement decisions,” Kranz said. But this sharp drop could give rise to legal action against the Trump administration, she added.
“Given these big changes and trends, you might see groups arguing that this is more than just an exercise of discretion or choice of priorities. [and] rather, it is an abdication of an agency’s core mission and statutory obligations,” Kranz said. “I think it will be interesting to see whether the groups make these arguments, and if so, how the courts will review them.”
This article was originally published on Inside Climate News, a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization covering climate, energy and the environment. Sign up for their newsletter here.
