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A new analysis shows that civil penalties for polluters have declined 85 percent since President Donald Trump took office. (Photo: isciencetimes.com)
With Corporate Interests at the Helm, EPA Polluter Fines Down 85%, Hitting Lowest Level in 25 Years
"With its scientists censored and a coal lobbyist in charge, its no wonder why EPA's civil fines for polluters are down 85 percent."
Jan 23, 2019
With a former coal lobbyist at the helm of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for the past six months--and a self-described "advocate" against the agency's work prior to that--the EPA has drastically reduced the fines it's levied against pollution-causing industries and companies since President Donald Trump took office.
The Washington Post reported Thursday that under Trump, the agency collected just $72 million in fines last year from automobile, fossil fuel, and other companies that pollute the environment--compared with an average of $500 million, which the EPA annually collected during the two decades prior to the Trump administration.
"The troubling lack of enforcement not only threatens the water we drink and the air we breathe, but also sends a dangerous message to polluters that EPA will continue to turn a blind eye." --Rep. Frank Pallone (D-N.J.)
The decline represents an alarming 85 percent drop, suggesting that Trump's EPA is no longer in the business of protecting Americans from dangerous water and air pollution, according to former EPA enforcement official Cynthia Giles.
"The public expects EPA to protect them from the worst polluters," Giles, who worked at the agency during the Obama administration, told the Post. "The Trump EPA is not doing that. What worries me is how industry will respond to EPA's abandonment of tough enforcement."
The agency's fines have fallen to their lowest level in 25 years, Giles found in an analysis of EPA data.
The decline came as no surprise to groups including government watchdog Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW), which has called for an investigation into EPA administrator Andrew Wheeler, who officially took office this month after serving as acting administrator following Scott Pruitt's resignation last summer.
Wheeler has claimed that fines are down because the EPA has focused more on working with companies to ensure that they're in compliance with the agency's environmental regulations--but Giles found that while civil penalties have declined, companies are also paying less in compliance costs to the EPA. For two decades prior to the Trump administration, the EPA collected an average of $7.8 billion per year in compliance fees, compared to $5.6 billion in the last fiscal year.
"The troubling lack of enforcement not only threatens the water we drink and the air we breathe, but also sends a dangerous message to polluters that EPA will continue to turn a blind eye," Rep. Frank Pallone (D-N.J.) told the Post.
Sen. Bob Casey (D-Pa.) added that the agency is abdicating its responsibility by failing to punish companies.
On social media, the national legal advocacy nonprofit organization Public Justice announced plans to file suit against one corporate polluter in the coming days.
"If the government isn't going to do its job and protect the environment, we will," the group wrote.
We are at a crossroads
This country and this world are at a monumental crossroads. US voters have an opportunity to beat back the forces of fascism and confront the billionaires who are rigging the economy, our media system, and our democracy, making it increasingly impossible for ordinary people to get by. We’re not just talking about the election. We’re talking about what must be done once these fascist elements are vanquished from power. We need a bolder set of solutions than what either major party has so far been willing to offer and a working-class movement ready to fight like hell for it. Trump didn't emerge from nowhere. The conditions that fueled MAGA authoritarianism were created by decades of radical neoliberal economic policies and a corrupt political system dominated by corporate interests. They slashed taxes on the super-rich, promising that the benefits would trickle down. They said giveaways to the corporate titans would make life more affordable for the rest of us. It was all bullshit. And when a bitter, betrayed populace searches for someone to blame, right-wing demagogues have little trouble finding scapegoats. People know when they're being lied to, but you won't hear any of this from the corporate media. Only independent journalism—powered and funded by people who believe in building a better world—can deliver truly trustworthy daily news. If you share our vision, please contribute whatever you can to sustain our work. |
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With a former coal lobbyist at the helm of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for the past six months--and a self-described "advocate" against the agency's work prior to that--the EPA has drastically reduced the fines it's levied against pollution-causing industries and companies since President Donald Trump took office.
The Washington Post reported Thursday that under Trump, the agency collected just $72 million in fines last year from automobile, fossil fuel, and other companies that pollute the environment--compared with an average of $500 million, which the EPA annually collected during the two decades prior to the Trump administration.
"The troubling lack of enforcement not only threatens the water we drink and the air we breathe, but also sends a dangerous message to polluters that EPA will continue to turn a blind eye." --Rep. Frank Pallone (D-N.J.)
The decline represents an alarming 85 percent drop, suggesting that Trump's EPA is no longer in the business of protecting Americans from dangerous water and air pollution, according to former EPA enforcement official Cynthia Giles.
"The public expects EPA to protect them from the worst polluters," Giles, who worked at the agency during the Obama administration, told the Post. "The Trump EPA is not doing that. What worries me is how industry will respond to EPA's abandonment of tough enforcement."
The agency's fines have fallen to their lowest level in 25 years, Giles found in an analysis of EPA data.
The decline came as no surprise to groups including government watchdog Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW), which has called for an investigation into EPA administrator Andrew Wheeler, who officially took office this month after serving as acting administrator following Scott Pruitt's resignation last summer.
Wheeler has claimed that fines are down because the EPA has focused more on working with companies to ensure that they're in compliance with the agency's environmental regulations--but Giles found that while civil penalties have declined, companies are also paying less in compliance costs to the EPA. For two decades prior to the Trump administration, the EPA collected an average of $7.8 billion per year in compliance fees, compared to $5.6 billion in the last fiscal year.
"The troubling lack of enforcement not only threatens the water we drink and the air we breathe, but also sends a dangerous message to polluters that EPA will continue to turn a blind eye," Rep. Frank Pallone (D-N.J.) told the Post.
Sen. Bob Casey (D-Pa.) added that the agency is abdicating its responsibility by failing to punish companies.
On social media, the national legal advocacy nonprofit organization Public Justice announced plans to file suit against one corporate polluter in the coming days.
"If the government isn't going to do its job and protect the environment, we will," the group wrote.
With a former coal lobbyist at the helm of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for the past six months--and a self-described "advocate" against the agency's work prior to that--the EPA has drastically reduced the fines it's levied against pollution-causing industries and companies since President Donald Trump took office.
The Washington Post reported Thursday that under Trump, the agency collected just $72 million in fines last year from automobile, fossil fuel, and other companies that pollute the environment--compared with an average of $500 million, which the EPA annually collected during the two decades prior to the Trump administration.
"The troubling lack of enforcement not only threatens the water we drink and the air we breathe, but also sends a dangerous message to polluters that EPA will continue to turn a blind eye." --Rep. Frank Pallone (D-N.J.)
The decline represents an alarming 85 percent drop, suggesting that Trump's EPA is no longer in the business of protecting Americans from dangerous water and air pollution, according to former EPA enforcement official Cynthia Giles.
"The public expects EPA to protect them from the worst polluters," Giles, who worked at the agency during the Obama administration, told the Post. "The Trump EPA is not doing that. What worries me is how industry will respond to EPA's abandonment of tough enforcement."
The agency's fines have fallen to their lowest level in 25 years, Giles found in an analysis of EPA data.
The decline came as no surprise to groups including government watchdog Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW), which has called for an investigation into EPA administrator Andrew Wheeler, who officially took office this month after serving as acting administrator following Scott Pruitt's resignation last summer.
Wheeler has claimed that fines are down because the EPA has focused more on working with companies to ensure that they're in compliance with the agency's environmental regulations--but Giles found that while civil penalties have declined, companies are also paying less in compliance costs to the EPA. For two decades prior to the Trump administration, the EPA collected an average of $7.8 billion per year in compliance fees, compared to $5.6 billion in the last fiscal year.
"The troubling lack of enforcement not only threatens the water we drink and the air we breathe, but also sends a dangerous message to polluters that EPA will continue to turn a blind eye," Rep. Frank Pallone (D-N.J.) told the Post.
Sen. Bob Casey (D-Pa.) added that the agency is abdicating its responsibility by failing to punish companies.
On social media, the national legal advocacy nonprofit organization Public Justice announced plans to file suit against one corporate polluter in the coming days.
"If the government isn't going to do its job and protect the environment, we will," the group wrote.
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