Among other things, it pointed to last year's EPA enforcement report that said 20 percent of the nation's incinerators and landfills are in significant noncompliance, and one in four drinking water systems in the nation is in violation of public health standards. The Globe noted wide disparities among states regarding prosecution of environmental crimes. Two federal prosecutors told The Globe that the Clinton administration has little interest in environmental crime and discourages vigorous prosecution of environmental laws. In the early 1990s, state pollution control officers formed the Environmental Council of the States to lobby the EPA and Congress to give states more of a say in environmental decision-making. From 1988 to 1998, states issued 75 percent of the enforcement citations.
States also pay for the bulk of regulation.
The main work of environmental agencies has changed, state leaders say. While agreeing that some enforcement is necessary, these leaders say adopting a more confrontational approach is a mistake. It inspires polluters to assume an adversarial relationship with their environment and regulatory agencies, and to challenge enforcers to discover their misdeeds. Neither the state nor EPA can afford that cat and mouse approach to environment management, neither can the environment. Allergic to Beans One of the key battles between the states and the EPA is over how to measure environmental performance.