Top EPA Official Praises Enforcement Tool in DOJ’s Crosshairs (1)

A high-ranking Environmental Protection Agency enforcement official outlined her support on Nov. 12 for a settlement tool the Justice Department is considering scrapping.

Office of Civil Enforcement Director Rosemarie Kelley said supplemental environmental projects (SEPs) fall within the EPA’s authority. These projects allow polluters to volunteer efforts to offset alleged violations, often in exchange for lower fines, in settlement agreements.

“The agency’s view is that SEPs are a great tool. We think they’re a lawful exercise of our enforcement discretion, and we definitely support them,” Kelley, a career official, said during a panel discussion at an enforcement conference organized ...