Jeffrey Hall

Jeffrey Hall
Nationality	American
Occupation	Government official, attorney
Employer	United States Environmental Protection Agency
Known for	Assistant Administrator for EPA's Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance

Jeffrey Hall is an American government official and attorney who serves as the Assistant Administrator for the United States Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance (OECA). Confirmed by the United States Senate in December 2025, Hall assumed leadership of one of the EPA's most consequential offices — the division responsible for enforcing the nation's environmental laws and ensuring compliance with federal environmental regulations across the country. His nomination and confirmation process involved hearings before the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works, where his qualifications and policy positions were examined in the context of federal environmental enforcement priorities. Hall's appointment placed him at the helm of an office that oversees civil and criminal enforcement actions against violators of environmental statutes, including the Clean Air Act, the Clean Water Act, and the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act, among other landmark environmental laws.

Career

Nomination and Senate Confirmation Process

Jeffrey Hall was nominated by the President of the United States to serve as Assistant Administrator for the EPA's Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance. The nomination was subject to the advice and consent process of the United States Senate, as required for senior executive branch appointments.

On July 23, 2025, the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works held a hearing on Hall's nomination. The hearing was conducted alongside the consideration of Katherine Scarlett's nomination to be a member of the Council on Environmental Quality. During the proceedings, Hall provided written testimony to the committee outlining his qualifications and his vision for the Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance.

Senator Sheldon Whitehouse of Rhode Island, serving as the Ranking Member of the EPW Committee, delivered an opening statement at the nomination hearing in which he addressed the nominations of both Scarlett and Hall. The hearing provided an opportunity for members of the committee from both parties to question Hall regarding his approach to environmental enforcement, his understanding of the regulatory landscape, and his plans for the office.

Following the July hearing, the EPW Committee held a business meeting on September 17, 2025, at which the committee considered Hall's nomination for a vote. The committee took action on the nomination during this session as part of its regular business proceedings.

On October 29, 2025, the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works favorably reported several nominations to the full Senate, including Hall's nomination to serve as Assistant Administrator of the EPA. The committee also advanced the nomination of Douglas Troutman during the same proceedings. The favorable reporting of Hall's nomination by the committee indicated that a majority of the committee's members supported his appointment and recommended that the full Senate proceed with a confirmation vote.

The full United States Senate subsequently voted to confirm Hall. On December 18, 2025, the EPA issued an official announcement confirming that the Senate had approved Hall's appointment as Assistant Administrator for the Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance.

Role as Assistant Administrator for OECA

As Assistant Administrator for the EPA's Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance, Jeffrey Hall assumed responsibility for directing the agency's enforcement activities nationwide. OECA is the EPA office tasked with ensuring compliance with the nation's environmental laws and holds authority over both civil and criminal enforcement mechanisms. The office works in coordination with the United States Department of Justice, state and local environmental agencies, and tribal governments to address violations of environmental regulations.

The Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance manages several key functions within the EPA's organizational structure. These include the development of enforcement strategies, the pursuit of legal actions against entities found to be in violation of environmental statutes, the administration of compliance monitoring programs, and the oversight of cleanup and remediation efforts at contaminated sites. The office also plays a role in environmental justice enforcement, ensuring that communities disproportionately affected by pollution and environmental hazards receive adequate protection under federal law.

The Assistant Administrator for OECA serves as one of the EPA's senior leadership officials, reporting to the EPA Administrator. The position involves coordinating with EPA regional offices across the country, each of which maintains its own enforcement division that operates under the policy guidance and strategic direction set by OECA at the national level. Hall's confirmation to this role placed him in a position to influence the agency's enforcement priorities, resource allocation decisions, and approach to emerging environmental challenges.

The confirmation of Hall to lead OECA came at a time when the EPA's enforcement activities were subject to significant public and congressional scrutiny. Environmental enforcement at the federal level involves the interpretation and application of complex statutory and regulatory frameworks, and the Assistant Administrator's approach to enforcement discretion, penalty assessment, and compliance assistance can substantially shape the practical impact of environmental laws on regulated entities and affected communities.

Confirmation and Appointment

Jeffrey Hall's confirmation followed a multi-month process that began with his formal nomination and proceeded through the standard stages of Senate review. The timeline of his confirmation illustrates the procedural steps involved in the appointment of senior EPA officials:

The nomination hearing before the Senate EPW Committee took place on July 23, 2025, during which Hall presented testimony and responded to questions from committee members. The committee subsequently scheduled a business meeting for September 17, 2025, to formally consider the nomination. On October 29, 2025, the committee voted favorably to advance Hall's nomination to the full Senate. The full Senate confirmed Hall, with the EPA announcing his confirmation on December 18, 2025.

The approximately five-month timeline from hearing to confirmation is consistent with the typical pace of Senate consideration for sub-cabinet-level nominees, though the duration can vary based on scheduling, political dynamics, and the level of controversy surrounding a particular nomination. Hall's nomination progressed through committee and floor consideration alongside other executive branch nominees, including Katherine Scarlett for the Council on Environmental Quality and Douglas Troutman for another EPA position.

Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance

The Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance, which Hall leads as Assistant Administrator, is one of the principal offices within the EPA's organizational structure. OECA's mission encompasses several areas of environmental enforcement and compliance:

Civil Enforcement: OECA oversees the EPA's civil enforcement program, which pursues administrative and judicial enforcement actions against entities that violate environmental statutes and regulations. Civil enforcement actions can result in penalties, injunctive relief requiring violators to come into compliance, and supplemental environmental projects that benefit affected communities.

Criminal Enforcement: The office also directs the EPA's criminal enforcement program, which investigates and refers for prosecution cases involving knowing or willful violations of environmental laws. The EPA's criminal investigators, known as special agents, work in coordination with the Department of Justice's Environment and Natural Resources Division to bring criminal charges against individuals and entities responsible for the most egregious environmental violations.

Compliance Monitoring: OECA administers programs designed to monitor and assess compliance with environmental requirements, including inspections of regulated facilities, review of self-reported data from permit holders, and assessment of compliance rates across regulated sectors.

Cleanup Enforcement: The office plays a role in enforcement actions related to the cleanup of contaminated sites, including actions under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA, commonly known as Superfund) and other cleanup authorities.

Environmental Justice: OECA's enforcement activities include a focus on environmental justice, with particular attention to enforcement in communities that bear disproportionate environmental and health burdens from pollution and industrial activities.

As the head of this office, Hall is responsible for setting enforcement priorities, allocating resources across enforcement programs, and representing the EPA's enforcement interests in interagency discussions and before Congress.

Senate Oversight and Legislative Context

Hall's confirmation occurred within the legislative context of the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works, which exercises jurisdiction over the EPA and environmental legislation. The committee's role in the confirmation process includes conducting background review of nominees, holding public hearings, and voting on whether to advance nominations to the full Senate.

Senator Sheldon Whitehouse, as Ranking Member of the EPW Committee, delivered remarks at the July 2025 hearing that addressed both Hall's nomination and that of Katherine Scarlett. The Ranking Member's opening statement at a confirmation hearing typically sets out the minority party's perspective on the nomination and may raise specific policy questions or concerns for the nominee to address.

The committee's September 2025 business meeting, during which Hall's nomination was formally considered, is part of the standard committee process through which nominees are evaluated and voted upon before being reported to the full Senate. The favorable report by the committee in October 2025 indicated bipartisan or majority support for Hall's appointment, clearing the procedural hurdle necessary for a full Senate vote.