EPA Enforcement After 20 Years

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.