State Attorneys Call on EPA to End ‘Compliance First’ Approach

The attorneys general of 13 blue states called on the EPA Wednesday to stop its “compliance first” approach to enforcement.

The new doctrine, formalized in a Dec. 5 memo, orders the Environmental Protection Agency’s enforcement staff to “prioritize ensuring compliance when addressing potential noncompliance” with federal laws.

The memo also tells enforcement staff to “begin by asking how compliance can be achieved in the most efficient and quickest means possible,” and encourages them to prioritize tools like proactive outreach, technical assistance, and training.

But that approach “significantly curtails environmental enforcement and delays industry compliance,” the attorneys general