EPA Nominee Pledges to Senators to Get Tougher on Enforcement

The Biden administration’s nominee to lead the EPA’s enforcement office said Tuesday he would try to bulk up the office’s might if confirmed.

The Environmental Protection Agency’s Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance has weathered a 30% budget cut over the last decade, and its cadre of criminal investigators had dwindled to fewer than 150 by the end of the Trump administration, David Uhlmann, Biden’s pick to lead the office, told the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee during a confirmation hearing.

Uhlmann also pledged to enforce EPA regulations without prejudice.

“In enforcement, there’s no role for politics,” he said. ...