Administration Budget for 2010 Signals Expanding Environmental and Workplace Safety Enforcement

The Obama administration’s budget, publicly released on May 7, includes $10.5 billion for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the largest budget allocation for the agency in its 39-year history. Under the proposed budget, EPA will dedicate $600 million to the agency’s civil and criminal enforcement program, a $32 million increase over last year. The funding increase would allow EPA to add approximately 30 members to its criminal and civil enforcement staff. The Department of Justice’s (DOJ’s) Environment and Natural Resources Division (ENRD) would also receive additional funding to augment its enforcement staff, focusing on criminal and civil air and water pollution violations.

President Obama’s nomination of Cynthia Giles, a former federal prosecutor and attorney with a public-interest environmental advocacy organization, to head EPA’s enforcement division further demonstrates the administration’s focus on environmental enforcement. Companies should expect intensified governmental attention on environmental compliance and increasing criminal and civil investigations.

For the full story, please view the PDF.