Enforcement at the EPA: High Stakes and Hard Choices

by Joel A. Mintz

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.

313 pages, Hardcover

First published November 30, 1994

Reviews

[Kim · Rating 3 out of 5]

An in-depth look at the creation and organizational evolution of the EPA. Dense reading. Best for government personnel or those who worked closely with the agency since its inception. More of a historical account of the internal workings and evolutions of the agency than an analysis of its current position and capabilities, but can be used as a case study of agency formation and politics.