The Climate Equity Initiative will be the focus of the US Office of Environmental Justice

The United States Attorney General announced last week that the Office of Environmental Justice (OEJ), was being created within the Department of Justice. TheOEJWill manage DOJ’s environmental justice projects and be the central hub for all our efforts to advance our comprehensive enforcement strategy for environmental justice and address the harm caused from environmental crime, pollution and climate change.

Attorney General Merrick B. Garland stated that OEJ will prioritize cases with the greatest impact on the most vulnerable communities in partnership to the Civil Rights Division. Office for Access Justice, Office of Tribal Justice, United States Attorneys Offices and Office for Civil Rights.
Whistleblowers are reminded that violations of environmental laws, such as the Clean Water Act or Clean Air Act, can be grounds for a False Claims Act lawsuit.

The DOJ settled a case against a in 2019.Domestic producer of Omega-3 fish oilsSupplements, fishmeal and fish solubles are available for livestock and aquaculture feed. On a loan application, the producer allegedly falsely claimed compliance with federal environmental laws. The settlement provided that the fish oil producer was paid $1 million. In a qui-tam lawsuit, a former employee who blew the whistle on his employer’s fishy business was awarded $200,000

False certifications of compliance with environmental law can cause harm to taxpayers, workers and residents as well as the environment for future generations. According to the DOJs Civil Division Assistant Attorney General, companies will face the appropriate consequences if the misrepresent their eligibility for federal programs or divert resources from those who are eligible. It is up to employees of manufacturers and contractors, construction companies, power stations, and other recipients to government funds to report environmentally hazardous conduct. The U.S. Attorney stated that businessmen and companies that lie in order to obtain taxpayer money would be held accountable.