EPA Floats Draft Strategy To Bolster States' Lagging Enforcement Efforts

摘要

EPA is floating a draft strategy for bolstering states' lagging enforcement efforts that outlines a range of options including mid-level talks between states and agency regional officials to removal of a state's delegated authority to implement EPA programs as a "last resort" in the "most egregious circumstances" of poor enforcement. The Aug. 27 draft plan obtained recently by Inside EPA is part of EPA's response to a December 2011 Inspector General (IG) report that found inadequate state implementation of environmental laws and recommended EPA centralize enforcement resources at headquarters to improve oversight of state enforcement efforts. EPA rejected that proposal and will instead continue to rely on its 10 regions to oversee states' enforcement (Water Policy Report, Dec. 19,2011).