A new Government Accountability Office (GAO) report finds that trade associations and private firms combined are responsible for filing almost half of all lawsuits over EPA rules, though Republican lawmakers are touting the report in a push for stricter oversight of EPA's payments to environmental groups in cases against the agency. Sen. James Inhofe (R-OK), ranking member on the Senate Environment & Public Works Committee, requested the GAO report on environmental litigation, which was released Aug. 31. Inhofe sought the report due to his concerns about the potentially high repayment amounts EPA is making for attorney fees to environmental and other groups suing the agency. The report is available on InsideEPA.com. See page 2 for details. (Doc ID: 2374501) Under the Equal Access to Justice Act, the Department of Treasury can authorize the payment of attorney fees and costs to parties that prevail in certain lawsuits against the government, including lawsuits brought under environmental laws including the Clean Air Act, the Clean Water Act and others. The payments are made from Treasury's Judgment Fund and agency appropriations, according to background included in the GAO report.
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