News Releases from Region 10
New “Top Cop” selected for EPA’s Criminal Investigation Division in the Northwest and Alaska
(Seattle – September 29, 2016) Jeanne Proctor’s recent arrival at EPA’s Region 10 office in Seattle brings an experienced senior law enforcement professional who is poised to champion environmental justice while protecting public health and the environment. With a primary focus on fighting environmental crimes, Jeanne understands that some groups are more at risk and disproportionately affected by polluted air, water and land than others.
As Special Agent in Charge (SAC) of the Region 10 Criminal Investigation Division, Proctor leads the criminal enforcement program and spearheads complex environmental criminal investigations throughout Alaska, Idaho, Oregon and Washington. An Area Office, under the supervision of a Special Agent in Charge, is located in each of EPA’s 10 regional offices, with smaller resident offices in several dozen other locations across the country.
According to SAC Proctor: “I am proud to represent EPA Criminal Investigation Division in the Northwest and Alaska. Our team has investigative talents necessary to go the distance on important environmental crimes, including delivering meaningful criminal prosecutions on behalf of the United States.” She also said, “Working closely with state enforcement partners, we can put to good use specialized investigative techniques and legal tools to help protect people and the natural resources that we care so deeply about.”
Agency officials observe that Jeanne’s background reflects the high standards, quality values and professionalism needed to lead the Region’s criminal investigations program. She holds a doctorate in education, focusing on natural resources and cultural interpretation, a master’s degree in public administration and a B.A. in sociology.
“Our criminal enforcement officers are on the front line, protecting peoples’ health and our communities,” said Dennis McLerran, Regional Administrator of EPA’s Northwest office. “We welcome Jeanne in her leadership role in our Criminal Investigation Division.”
Jeanne’s public service, spanning a 25-year enforcement career, includes 15 years as a federal agent and 10 years in police leadership, program management and Office of Professional Responsibility assignments. For nearly seven years, she was a SAC with the Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management and Bureau of Reclamation in Denver, Colorado. Also, Jeanne is a former military police platoon leader and commander. She is a Desert Storm-era Army combat veteran. Established in 1983, EPA’s Criminal Investigation Division’s (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. EPA’s Office of Criminal Enforcement 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.
A few notable EPA criminal enforcement prosecutions against polluters in the Northwest include the following:
Noble Drilling – On December 19, 2014, Noble Drilling (U.S.) LLC pleaded guilty to eight crimes, including five pertaining to the Act to Prevent Pollution from Ships. Noble was sentenced to pay $12.2 million in fines and community service payments. Also, Noble was ordered to serve a four-year probation period during which time the Company must implement an environmental compliance plan. (Dutch Harbor and Seward, Alaska)
Max Spatig – On October 8, 2015, Mr. Max Spatig was sentenced to 46-months in prison, three years supervised release, and ordered to pay $498,652 in restitution. In 2010, officials discovered thousands of containers haphazardly discarded on his private property – piles of one-gallon cans to 55-gallon drums – of soaps, degreaser, paints, hydrochloric acid, oxidizers, and other unknown material. Many of the containers had been compromised and were leaking. EPA initiated an emergency response with an administrative warrant and coordinated with the EPA Criminal Investigation Division and National Enforcement Investigations Center. (Rexburg, Idaho)
HD Lindavia – On June 3, 2015, Herm. Dauelsberg (HD) was sentenced in federal court to pay $750,000 in fines and community service payments for violating the Act to Prevent Pollution from Ships by intentionally discharging 1,780 gallons of oily water into the sea and presenting false records to the Coast Guard. (Aleutian Islands, Alaska)
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More information on EPA’s investigations of criminal environmental crimes: http://www.epa.gov/enforcement/criminal-enforcement