The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance (OECA) has posted an April 17, 2024, memorandum regarding “Strategic Civil-Criminal Enforcement Policy” from David M. Uhlmann, OECA...more
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) new Strategic Civil-Criminal Enforcement Policy, announced last week by David Uhlmann, Assistant Administrator for the Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance (OECA),...more
On September 28, 2023, the United States Environmental Protection Agency ("EPA") Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance ("OECA") released a memorandum announcing its new Climate Enforcement and Compliance Strategy....more
Under the Biden-Harris administration, the U.S. EPA has made advancing Environmental Justice (EJ) a leading priority. At times it has felt like EPA releases an EJ-related announcement, policy, or guidance every day. While...more
Advancing Environmental Justice (“EJ”) is a central pillar of the Biden Administration. Beginning with President Biden’s Executive Order “Tackling the Climate Crisis at Home and Abroad,” signed during his first week in...more
On April 30, 2021, the Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance (“OECA”) of Environmental Protection Agency (“EPA”) issued new internal guidance (the “Memorandum”) outlining actions intended to strengthen enforcement...more
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has announced the scheduled termination of its controversial Enforcement Discretion Policy (Policy). In a memorandum dated June 29, 2020 (Memorandum), Susan Bodine, the Assistant...more
EPA’s Assistant Administrator for the Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance (OECA) Susan Bodine recently issued a new policy document titled “Enhancing Effective Partnerships Between the EPA and the States in Civil...more
The National Association of Clean Air Agencies (“NACAA”) submitted October 25th comments to the United States Environmental Protection Agency (“EPA”) Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance (“OECA”) in regards to their...more
The United States Environmental Protection Agency (“EPA”) Office of Inspector General (“OIG”) issued a November 5th Project Notification titled: Analysis of EPA Enforcement Results from Fiscal Years 2006 Through 2018...more
Assistant Administrator for the United States Environmental Protection Agency (“EPA”) Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance (“OECA”), Susan Parker Bodine, issued an August 21st memorandum titled: Transition from...more
Three memoranda, two issued by the United States Department of Justice (“DOJ”) and one issued by EPA, mark a significant shift in how the federal government approaches civil and criminal enforcement for violations of...more
In our 2018 outlook, we told you about the trend towards cooperative federalism—EPA’s plan to “rebalance the power between Washington and the states to create tangible environmental results for the American people.” Early in...more
The Trump Administration is making what might appear to be subtle changes in federal enforcement policies that have the potential to significantly shift environmental enforcement as prescribed by the prior administration. ...more
Seyfarth Synopsis: In a guidance document issued last week, U.S. EPA sets out to deliberately move environmental enforcement responsibilities back to the states. While this may, to local interests, represent a noble purpose,...more
In an April 22 memorandum, the Office of Inspector General (OIG) for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced its intent to begin preliminary research to assess the EPA’s inspections of, and enforcement...more