California Attorney General Takes Aim at EPA Enforcement Plan

California’s top legal official is calling on the EPA to reconsider its decision to relax some enforcement of federal pollution laws during the coronavirus pandemic.

Attorney General Xavier Becerra, in a Thursday letter, criticized the Environmental Protection Agency’s March 26 announcement that it wouldn’t penalize companies if Covid-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus, prevents them from meeting certain environmental obligations, including monitoring and reporting pollution.

“By giving wide berth for pollution to go unmeasured and unaccounted for during this critical time, the EPA’s Noncompliance Policy will likely further endanger the public health and safety of communities exposed ...