Story highlights The Trump administration collected $12 million in civil penalties compared to Obama's $36 million

Lawsuits filed by the EPA against polluters also dipped by 24 percent

Washington (CNN) The amount of money the Environmental Protection Agency is penalizing polluters they've sued for breaching federal regulations has plummeted by 60% under President Donald Trump, a report released Thursday has found.

Between January and July, fines resulting from settlements have been significantly lighter on polluters' pocketbooks on average compared to previous administrations in the same time period, according to a report released by the Environmental Integrity Project, an environmental watchdog nonprofit group.

EIP found that between Trump's first day in office through the end of July, the Department of Justice collected a total of $12 million in civil penalties from companies sued for breaking pollution control laws. During President Barack Obama's first seven months, his administration collected $36 million in penalties. President George W. Bush's administration collected $30 million and President Bill Clinton collected $25 million, according to EIP's analysis, which is not adjusted for inflation.

Lawsuits filed by the EPA against polluters breaching a variety of federal regulations have also dipped by 24%, the report found. The report additionally found that so far, the EPA under Trump has filed 26 civil lawsuits against polluters, a significant decrease compared to the 34 cases filed under Obama, 31 cases under Bush and 45 cases from Clinton in the same time period.

EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt has criticized Obama's EPA for its "attitude that the states are a vessel of federal will."

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