When a United States Attorney's Office opens a file for an environmental case or matter, the Office should enter the case or matter in the Department's electronic case tracking system and identify the case type as "environmental." If the case or matter involves a potential environmental crime, but is not identified as "environmental" in the case tracking system (for example, because of data entry limitations), that office should inform the Environmental Crimes Section by telephone or by electronic mail. This notice by the United States Attorney's Office allows ECS to better coordinate efforts nationwide (for example, by being able to alert the United States Attorney's Office that the same defendant is being prosecuted or the same issues are arising in another district) and to be prepared to provide support, if necessary, to the United States Attorney's Office. When ECS opens a file on a case or matter, the Section will notify the United States Attorney's Office for the district in which the crime is alleged to have occurred.

[Updated April 2018]