Environmental Integrity Project

Environmental Integrity Project
Name	Environmental Integrity Project
Formation	2002
Type	Nonprofit environmental organization
Headquarters	Washington, D.C.
Region served	United States
Leader title	Executive Director
Leader name	Eric Schaeffer

Environmental Integrity Project

The Environmental Integrity Project is an American nonprofit advocacy organization focused on environmental law enforcement, air pollution and water pollution oversight, and public interest litigation. Founded in 2002, the group works through investigative research, Freedom of Information Act litigation, and partnerships with public-interest firms and regulatory agencies to address compliance with Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act, and Resource Conservation and Recovery Act obligations. The organization has engaged with federal entities such as the United States Environmental Protection Agency and state agencies, and with national advocacy networks including Natural Resources Defense Council and Sierra Club.

Overview

The organization combines legal analysis, data-driven reporting, and media outreach to document violations by corporations and municipal systems in sectors such as power stations, chemical industry facilities, municipal wastewater systems, and coal mining operations. It maintains databases drawing on EPA enforcement records, Toxic Release Inventory submissions, and state permitting records to support campaigns and litigation. Its staff includes attorneys, scientists, and policy analysts who file administrative complaints and litigation, often invoking provisions of Administrative Procedure Act, civil enforcement provisions of the Clean Air Act and Clean Water Act, and citizen-suit mechanisms.

History and Organization

Founded by former EPA enforcement official Eric Schaeffer in 2002 after his departure from the agency, the group quickly positioned itself at the intersection of nonprofit advocacy and legal accountability. Early work involved scrutiny of emissions reporting by power plant operators and state permitting programs in states such as Texas, Ohio, and Pennsylvania. The organization has offices in Washington, D.C., and regional staff who coordinate with state public utility commissions, attorneys general offices, and environmental NGOs like Earthjustice and Natural Resources Defense Council. Organizational structure includes an executive director, legal counsel, research directors, and communications staff; it also convenes expert advisers drawn from academia—e.g., scholars of environmental law and environmental engineering—and former regulators.

Key Programs and Campaigns

Major campaigns have targeted compliance at coal-fired electric power plants, municipal wastewater treatment facilities, and industrial facilities subject to National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permitting. The group has advanced initiatives on mercury and hazardous air pollutant emissions, greenhouse gas reporting, and enforcement of effluent limits. It has coordinated multi-state efforts to challenge permit authorizations for mountaintop removal coal mining and to press for upgrades at aging sewage treatment plants implicated in repeated combined sewer overflow events. The organization has collaborated with state attorneys general in enforcement actions against utilities and petrochemical firms and worked with congressional committees examining EPA oversight failures.

Research and Publications

The organization publishes investigative reports, data visualizations, and state-by-state analyses that synthesize information from EPA enforcement and compliance history online datasets, Toxic Release Inventory records, and state permit files. Publications have included assessments of chronic violations at specific industrial facilities, cross-state pollution transport studies involving ozone and fine particulate matter, and audits of Clean Water Act permit issuance. Reports frequently cite regulatory filings, permit conditions, and monitoring data; they are distributed to journalists at outlets such as The New York Times, The Washington Post, and ProPublica, and are used in testimony before congressional panels including the United States Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works and the United States House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform.

Funding and Affiliations

The organization's funding comes from a mix of philanthropic foundations, individual donors, and legal settlements arising from enforcement actions. Major philanthropic supporters have included foundations known for environmental grantmaking such as the Energy Foundation, the Fishman Family Foundation, and other charitable trusts that fund public interest litigation and policy research. The group has also received project-specific grants from national environmental networks and collaborates with litigation partners such as Earthjustice and public-interest law firms. Financial arrangements include grants directed toward scientific research, FOIA litigation, and communications campaigns.

Criticism and Controversies

The organization has faced criticism from industry groups, state permitting authorities, and some elected officials who argue that its litigation-driven strategy imposes burdens on regulated entities and interferes with permitting processes. Trade associations in the electric utility and oil and gas sectors have accused the group of advancing regulatory overreach and of relying on selective data interpretations. Conversely, some environmental advocates have critiqued the organization for focusing on enforcement and litigation at the expense of broader legislative advocacy. High-profile FOIA battles and public naming of repeat violators have led to legal pushback and heated public exchanges with companies such as large investor-owned utilities and chemical manufacturers. Debates have also arisen over the use of philanthropic funds to sustain protracted litigation strategies and the transparency of funding sources in shaping campaign priorities.

Category:Non-profit organizations based in Washington, D.C.