An Obama administration focus on Clean Water Act enforcement has produced a flurry of recently announced consent decrees that would mandate sewer-system upgrades at large and small cities around the country. Settlements announced since January 2010 call for more than $7 billion in infrastructure work, spread over many years.
Ignacia Moreno, assistant attorney general for environment and natural resources, said on Jan. 13 that addressing municipal sewer system discharges is an enforcement priority for the Justice Dept. and Environmental Protection Agency. Justice has filed 13 such decrees in federal courts since January 2010, though six have not yet received final court approval. Moreno says there are more to come.