New Chief Vows ‘No Letup’ on Environment Law Enforcement

The new administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency said Wednesday that “there won’t be any letup” in enforcement of environmental laws during his tenure.

“The heat is still on, full blast,” Lee M. Thomas told the agency’s annual conference of enforcement officials.

Environmentalists, however, Wednesday accused the agency of planning to weaken and delay air pollution standards for heavy-duty diesel trucks and buses. The EPA plan, which under a court order must be announced by March 15, is expected to delay full implementation of stricter standards for another decade, the National Clean Air Coalition said.

Thomas’ speech, his first since becoming EPA administrator Jan. 5, came in the same setting that his predecessor, William D. Ruckelshaus, used a year ago to castigate enforcement officers for falling down on the job. Ruckelshaus evidently got results, because the agency said its enforcement actions set a record last year.

Thomas told the conference that he favors a balanced approach to enforcement of EPA standards through action by federal and state administrative agencies and the courts.

“The regulated community and the public must know that EPA and the states are willing and able to fully, forcefully and aggressively use each of these tools to obtain compliance,” he said.