August 18, 2017
By:
Walter G. Wright
Category:
Arkansas Environmental, Energy, and Water Law
Arkansas Environmental, Energy, and Water Law
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The environmental group Environmental Integrity Project (“EIP”) issued an August 10th report entitled:
Environmental Enforcement Under Trump (“Report”)
EIP claims its review of federal records indicate a 60 percent drop in civil penalties against alleged violators during the Trump Administration’s first six months in office.
EIP states it reviewed consent decrees lodged by the United States Department of Justice from January 21 through July 31, 2017. Its review is stated to have looked at three factors:
- Penalties paid
- Amount violators will spend on pollution controls
- Where available – how much pollution such enforcement actions are expected to eliminate
The results were stated to have been compared to similar data reported for environmental consent decrees lodged under Presidents Obama, Bush, and Clinton between Inauguration Day and July 31st of each President’s first year in office.
An initial table and report for these time periods provides:
|
Administration
|
Total No. of Cases Lodged
|
Penalties
|
|
Clinton
|
45
|
$25 million
|
|
Bush
|
31
|
$30 million
|
|
Obama
|
34
|
$36 million
|
|
Trump
|
26
|
$12 million
|
Analyses are also undertaken of the value of injunctive relief and estimated annual pollution reductions.
Appendices are included which list each of the cases filed under the current and prior three Administrations in their first six months.
A copy of the Report can be downloaded here.
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