The Department of Justice (DOJ) is doing away with an enforcement tool that has been used in the past to get states and localities into compliance with environmental laws.
 
Assistant Attorney General Jeffrey Bossert Clark announced Wednesday in an internal letter obtained by The Hill that the agency will no longer utilize Supplemental Environmental Projects (SEPs) in settlements with state and local government polluters.
 
The enforcement tool is often offered in settlements with industries and states that violate environmental laws such as the Clean Water Act and allows them the opportunity to pay lower fines by instituting actions such as environmental cleanups or infrastructure upgrades.
 
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