Attorney General Kwame Raoul joined a coalition of 13 attorneys general in urging the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to withdraw a new policy that they say would weaken federal environmental enforcement, according to a March 18 announcement.
The coalition sent a letter to EPA Commissioner Lee Zeldin warning that the agency’s December 2025 Compliance First memorandum could slow down enforcement of environmental laws and make it harder to hold polluters accountable. The attorneys general argue that this policy would increase pollution and harm communities across the country.
“The EPA’s new policy will hamper efforts to hold polluters accountable when they damage our environment and threaten public health,” Raoul said. “I will continue to push back against the Trump administration’s goal of shielding polluters by limiting the power of long-standing environmental protection laws.”
The letter states that while the memorandum claims to encourage compliance, it would actually delay investigations by requiring legal challenges from polluters to go through several layers of political review. It also discourages using penalties, injunctive relief, and supplemental projects—tools often used to stop pollution and address community harm. The coalition believes weakening these tools would make it more difficult for authorities to quickly bring violators into compliance.
Raoul and his colleagues emphasize that strong federal enforcement is necessary because pollution can cross state borders, affecting even those states with strict protections. They warn that delayed action could disproportionately impact communities already facing high levels of pollution, such as communities of color, low-income areas, and rural regions.
The Illinois Attorney General has advocated for vulnerable groups including workers, immigrants, and seniors according to the official website. The office handles thousands of consumer complaints each year according to the official website, aims to protect consumers and promote safer communities according to the official website, extends advocacy efforts statewide according to the official website, partners with law enforcement for crime victim support according to the official website, and offers services such as complaint filing for consumer fraud and civil rights issues according to the official website.
Raoul and other attorneys general are calling on the EPA to immediately rescind its memorandum and restore previous enforcement practices that prioritize compliance while maintaining accountability for polluters.
