HELENA – U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich today announced the appointment of Mark Steger Smith to serve as Environmental Justice Coordinator for the District of Montana.

Smith, who is the Civil Division chief for the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s and has been an assistant U.S. attorney with the office since 2002, will lead efforts to enforce both criminal and civil environmental laws, along with focusing on protecting the rights of residents who are disproportionally burdened by environmental and health hazards. These environmental and health hazards could involve water or air pollution, asbestos, illegal dumping, and housing conditions like lead paint, vermin, or lack of heat. In addition to litigating cases throughout the district, Smith also will coordinate trainings for prosecutors and investigators and attend community meetings to discuss environmental issues.

“Montana is fortunate to have Mark Smith leading our efforts to protect our state’s natural resources and public health. He is a distinguished litigator in our office and brings years of environmental enforcement experience to this coordinator position. The U.S. Attorney’s Office is committed to being responsive to environmental concerns as we continue to ensure Montana has a clean and healthy environment,” U.S. Attorney Laslovich said.

The Justice Department is advancing its environmental justice work through the creation of Environmental Justice coordinators in all 93 U.S. Attorney’s Offices. The U.S. Attorney’s Office will continue to partner and coordinate with the Justice Department’s Environmental and Natural Resources Division as well as client agencies across the federal government.

The public can report suspected violations of environmental laws to the U.S. Attorney’s Office by calling 406-657-6101 or writing the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Montana, Attn: Environmental Justice Coordinator, 2601 2nd Ave. N., Suite 3200, Billings, MT 59101.