President Donald Trump’s nominees to lead EPA’s enforcement office and the Council on Environmental Quality addressed bipartisan concerns during their confirmation hearing Wednesday.
Senate Environment and Public Works Committee Democrats asked Jeffrey Hall, tapped to lead EPA’s Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance, whether he would crack down on polluters.
“Mr. Hall, if directed by EPA leadership or the White House to turn a blind eye to violations of environmental laws, would you comply?” asked Sen. Ed Markey (D-Mass.).
Hall said he would enforce the law appropriately. “There are many circumstances in which we enforce the law in different ways,” Hall said. “The core goal is to bring entities into compliance, not to just take enforcement actions for that goal.”
