by Mike Reicher,mreicher@tennessean.com

The Environmental Protection Agency criticized Tennessee state regulators for significant shortcomings in their enforcement of the Clean Water Act and other federal pollution laws.

Auditors, in a report released in late September, found the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation neglected to penalize permit holders despite months of documented pollution, failed to assess appropriate fines and didn’t report sewage overflows from major facilities, among other findings small and large.

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