PEER Supports Law Enforcement and Regulation
PEER works to support the enforcement of environmental and natural resource laws at the federal, state and local levels. The need for protection for our natural resources and public health has never been greater. Even as the need for strong environmental and natural resource protection is growing, enforcement programs are facing declining budgets, lower staffing levels, and dispirited morale.
Florida Pollution Enforcement Reports
Since 2004, PEER has examined Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) files to assess pollution enforcement. In a state heavily reliant on its natural beauty for tourism revenue, it has fallen far short of acceptable pollution levels primarily in its waterways and wastewater management.
Despite pledges to strengthen pollution enforcement, Florida state records show declines in virtually all meaningful measures. Notably, violations and significant noncompliance with pollution limits are growing while major enforcement actions are declining.
Waste Incinerators’ Toxic Output Should Be Reported
Incinerator Chemical Releases Not Included in EPA Toxics Release Inventory
NEWS FROM PEER
PFAS at Santa Susana Seep Through Regulatory Cracks
Toxic Forever Chemicals Not Monitored in Discharge or Included in Cleanup
Major San Francisco Sewage Flooding Likely to Recur
Outfall Closure Makes City More Vulnerable in Atmospheric River Events
Nutrient Bomb Set to Detonate in San Francisco Bay
$3 Billion Plan Will Inject Even More Nutrients into Degraded Estuary
PEERMail | Holding Polluters Accountable
It takes constant oversight by advocacy groups to make sure the government holds polluters accountable.
More Oil and Gas Wells Illegally Permitted in Colorado
Conservation groups petition EPA to step in and protect air quality
Florida’s Environment Spirals Downward Under DeSantis
Nosedive in Anti-Pollution Enforcement Leading to Declining Water Quality
REPORT | 2022 Florida Enforcement Report
Florida’s environmental enforcement actions are well below historical averages and have declined significantly in the last two years of the DeSantis administration
San Francisco PUC Awash in Water Pollution Violations
City Agency Facing Stiff Fines Amid Pending Federal & State Legal Sanctions
EPA Criminal Enforcement Sputters Back to Life
FY 23 Uptick After Enforcement Levels Hit Generational Lows Under Biden
PEERMail | A Tempered Victory for Clean Air
EPA rejects a Trump-era proposal that would have lifted Clean Air Act regulations on two types of plastic recycling.
Colorado’s Air Quality Doomed to Get Worse
Gutted Reform Bill and New Regs Offer Nothing to Stem Downward Spiral
Hunters Point Festering Radiation Waste Woes
Navy Statements Mask Seriousness of Remaining Parcel G Contamination
COMMENTARY | How the FCC Fails to Follow Environmental Laws and Fails the Public
Given the FCC’s lack of oversight and failure to comply with environmental laws, numerous environmental harms occur under the agency’s watch.
Park Service Criminal Investigators Down by Nearly Half
Investigation Triage Pulls Agents from Property and Drug Trafficking Cases
Newsom Lets Boeing Keep Groundwater Forever Polluted
New Deal Sets No Timetable for Cleaning Highly Toxic Santa Susana Aquifer
Boeing’s Weak Santa Susana Cleanup Triggers Lawsuit
Sweetheart Deal Negotiated Behind Closed Doors Violates CEQA Mandates
COMMENTARY | U.S. Geological Survey Labs Must Cure Culture of Reprisal
Third party review will help prevent future scientific scandals at the U.S. Geological Survey by providing a safe channel for USGS scientists to report problems without fear of reprisal.
EPA Says Hunters Point Will Never Be Fully Cleaned
EPA Plans to Ignore Prop P Mandate and Its Own Superfund Standards
Eco-Studies Releasing Most Potent Greenhouse Gas
NSF Projects in Parks and Forests Pump Pounds of SF6 into Atmosphere
EPA Routinely Ignores Chemical Risk Calculations
Workers imperiled by failures to flag serious known hazards.