Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility
Protecting public employees
who protect our environment,
natural resources, & public health

Removing lead from drinking water is a priority of the Make America Healthy Again movement, an influential constituency among the voters who backed Trump in the 2024 election. So these actions, together with the upbeat tone of the EPA’s report on its enforcement activities in the 2025 fiscal year, suggest that the agency wants to create an impression that it is performing strongly—especially among Trump supporters.

“We’re hearing from staff that they’re being pushed just to issue compliance orders so that they can bump numbers up on the enforcement program,” said Tim Whitehouse, executive director of the watchdog group Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility, which in January released its own damning report on EPA enforcement under the current administration.