The Biden administration has made a precedent-setting arrest this fiscal year related to anti-climate change activities, highlighted in a new report that shows a stepped-up enforcement effort against environmental crimes.
On Thursday, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released a final report on the enforcement efforts President Bidendetailing how climate-related fines were imposed this fiscal year.
The EPA has been working to implement the American Innovation and Manufacturing (AIM) Act, which requires the agency to reduce hydrofluorocarbons, a synthetic compound often used for refrigeration or air conditioning, by 85% by 2036.
The AIM Act led to the arrest in March of Michael Hart of San Diego on charges of “smuggling potent greenhouse gases,” as highlighted in the EPA report. The charges marked the first-ever greenhouse gas-related arrest under the AIM Act, but according to an EPA press release from earlier this year, “this will not be the last.”
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On July 12, 2024, an Environmental Protection Agency sign is seen on a building in Washington, DC. (Jakub Porzycki/NurPhoto)
In addition, the EPA reported $1.7 billion in administrative and judicial fines, the highest level since 2017.
From the agency environmental enforcement The efforts also saw the conclusion of 1,851 civil cases, 121 criminal defendants charged and more than £225 million spent on “pollution reduction” in “congested communities”, according to the report. By the end of 2024, approximately 480 criminal investigations into environmental programs are underway.
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The results reflect a 3.4% increase in civil cases and a 17.6% increase in criminal prosecutions compared to 2023, The Associated Press reported.
In the FY 2024 report, the EPA also noted that concerted efforts to “implement EPA’s national priorities” led to a “12% increase in the number of criminal leads opened due to EPA referrals headquarters and regional offices.”
President Biden speaks about the results of the 2024 election in the Rose Garden on November 7, 2024 in Washington, DC (Andrew Harnik)
“In FY 2024, EPA’s enforcement and compliance program delivered its strongest results since 2017, focusing on efforts to combat climate change and address some of the nation’s most significant environmental threats to our shared air, water and land ,” David M. Uhlmann , assistant administrator of EPA’s Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance, in a statement. “The progress made under the Biden-Harris administration has sent a clear signal that polluters will be held accountable and that protecting communities from harm is a top priority.”
The agency focused on six priority areas for FY 2024 as part of their National Enforcement and Compliance Initiative: mitigating climate change, PFAS exposure, combating communities from coal ash pollution, reducing airborne toxins in congested communities, increasing compliance with drinking water regulations. standards and reducing the risk of chemical accidents.
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Biden has made spending on green energy projects a focus of his administration, most recently handing out billions of dollars to finance climate-related projects in the remaining months of his term before President-elect Donald Trump takes office.
