Enforcement at the EPA: High Stakes and Hard Choices

The only published work that treats the historical evolution of EPA enforcement, this book provides a candid inside glimpse of a crucial aspect of the work of an important federal agency. Based on 190 personal interviews with present and former enforcement officials at EPA, the U.S. Department of Justice, and key congressional staff members—along with extensive research among EPA documents and secondary sources—the book vividly recounts the often tumultuous history of EPA’s enforcement program. It also analyzes some important questions regarding EPA’s institutional relationships and the Agency’s working environment. This revised and updated edition adds substantial new chapters examining EPA enforcement during the Clinton and George W. Bush administrations. Its treatment of issues of civil service decline and the applicability of captive agency theory is also new and original.

A former EPA attorney and chief attorney, Joel A. Mintz is Professor of Law at Nova Southeastern University Law Center, where he teaches environmental law and related courses. He has authored or coauthored six other books, as well as numerous journal articles, on environmental enforcement, sustainability, and state and local taxation and finance.