On his first day in office, President Biden signed an Executive Order pledging to, “hold polluters accountable, including those who disproportionately harm communities of color and low-income communities.” To keep that promise, the Biden Administration will have to rebuild an EPA enforcement program battered by budget cuts, worn down by the polluter-friendly policies of the last Administration, and undermined by “states’ rights” advocates hostile to federal enforcement of federal environmental laws. Not surprisingly, these relentless attacks have taken a toll over the last two decades.
