From: JD Supra
“The Government Accountability Office (GAO) has launched an investigation into declining enforcement actions by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) against companies accused of violating EPA’s pollution standards during the Trump administration. A GAO spokesperson said this Tuesday that the probe began in October 2018, with a focus on 2017 enforcement data that showed a significant drop in dollar amounts for settlements made with alleged violators. The EPA’s Inspector General is also conducting an investigation into the agency’s enforcement figures. Data compiled by Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility, and released Tuesday, found that the EPA in 2018 generated the fewest new criminal case referrals for prosecution to the Justice Department since 1988.”
