EPA Welcomes New “Top Cop” for Criminal Enforcement Program in New England

From EPA:

News Release
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
New England Regional Office

February 5, 2015

Contact: David Deegan, (617) 918-1017

EPA Welcomes New “Top Cop” for Criminal Enforcement Program in New England

BOSTON – Tyler Amon, a 20-year veteran of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Office of Criminal Enforcement, has been selected as the new Special Agent-in-Charge of its Area Office in Boston. He will supervise all environmental crimes investigations throughout EPA’s Region 1 jurisdiction, encompassing Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Vermont.

Amon joined EPA’s Office of Criminal Enforcement in 1995. Immediately prior to being named Special Agent-in-Charge of the Boston Office, he served as Special-Agent-in-Charge in EPA’s Region 10 office in Seattle since June 2010. Earlier in his career, Amon has worked at EPA’s Office of Criminal Enforcement in Washington, D.C., the Charlotte, N.C. Resident Office and the Dallas, Texas Area Office. He is a graduate of Colgate University in Hamilton, N.Y.

“Having grown up in New England, it is a special honor to serve as a leader entrusted with protecting the public from environmental criminals,” said Amon. “I look forward to working with the many federal, State and local officials that bring environmental violators to justice.”

“Tyler represents what EPA’s criminal enforcement program is all about – a vigorous pursuit of environmental crimes to protect communities and businesses that play by the rules,” said Cynthia Giles, assistant administrator for enforcement and compliance assurance at EPA. “Tyler is tough and fair, and he’ll take these qualities that he honed in EPA’s Seattle office to the important work in the New England region.”

“Our criminal enforcement officers are on the front line, protecting peoples’ health and our communities,” said Curt Spalding, regional administrator of EPA’s New England office. “We are very proud to welcome Tyler Amon back to New England. Our citizens will be well-served by such a well-seasoned and dedicated public servant.”

EPA’s Office of Criminal Enforcement, established in 1983, includes nearly 180 criminal investigators -- federal agents with full law enforcement authority who are highly trained and committed to protecting human health and the environment. An Area Office under the supervision of a Special-Agent-in-Charge is located in each of EPA’s ten regional offices, with smaller resident offices in several dozen other locations across the country.

Recent EPA criminal enforcement actions by in New England include:

    - an individual in Methuen, Mass. sentenced to more than seven years in prison for an asbestos training scam,
    - Unilever paying $4.5 million and pleading guilty to two counts of knowingly violating the Clean Water Act at a Connecticut facility, and
    - on Tuesday of this week, former Berkshire Power employees were charged in an air pollution scheme for tampering with environmental monitors in violation of the Clean Air Act.

Criminal Investigation Division (CID) mission is to investigate allegations of the most egregious violations of the federal environmental statutes, and to assist the Department of Justice in the prosecution of individuals and corporations charged with criminal offenses.

More information on EPA’s investigations of criminal environmental crimes: http://www2.epa.gov/enforcement/criminal-enforcement

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