The Trump administration is proposing a reorganization of the Justice Department that could include eliminating field offices that focus on prosecuting environmental violations in Western states.
According to a March 25 memo from Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche’s office, the Western outposts would close and the Law and Policy Section within DOJ’s Environment and Natural Resources Division would be consolidated with other divisions.
That law and policy division is responsible for coordination across ENRD, legislation review and ethics advising. It also has a hand in responding to Freedom of Information Act requests and monitoring citizen suits under the Clean Air Act and Clean Water Act.
The proposal calls for pulling it under the Office of Legal Policy with several other divisions, including the criminal, national security and antitrust divisions.
