EPA’s crackdown on polluters is plummeting under the Trump administration, according to a new analysis by a watchdog organization.
Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility said in a report released Thursday there is a “collapse of environmental civil enforcement” across programs designed to clean up air pollution, dirty water and toxic waste. Since his return to office, President Donald Trump has rallied to reduce the headcount at agencies, including EPA, and roll back regulations to boost the energy industry.
Overall, the Department of Justice has reached civil settlements in 15 cases referred by EPA since the start of Trump’s second term, according to PEER’s report. In comparison, there were 71 such settlements in the first year of the Biden administration and 75 in the first year of Trump’s first administration.
Joanna Citron Day, general counsel at PEER, said in a statement, “Enforcing environmental laws ensures that polluters are held accountable and prevented from dumping their pollution on others for profit.”
