H-GAC educates and assists enforcement officials (police, judges and prosecutors) so they can better enforce existing environmental laws, investigate violations and prosecute their offenders. Criminal environmental abuse is an ongoing problem. Although laws exist, their enforcement has been an ambiguous issue. Responsibilities have shifted from state and federal agencies to local governments where the enforcement challenge is building.
H-GAC hosts quarterly local enforcement roundtables, sponsored by the TCEQ, to provide a forum for discussing illegal dumping issues within the H-GAC region. The group includes peace officers, county prosecutors, city officials and personnel from TCEQ’s Region 12 office.
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Through the Environmental Circuit Rider Program manuals were developed to assist counties with enforcing and prosecuting environmental crimes by educating elected officials, district and county attorneys, justices of the peace, county court at law judges, district court judges, county constables, sheriffs, peace officers and code enforcement officers.
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