Introducing CalEPA’s New Enforcement Members!!!

CalEPA’s Office of the Secretary is responsible for developing a program to ensure that the boards, departments and offices (BDOs) within CalEPA take “consistent, effective and coordinated enforcement and compliance actions to protect public health and the environment” [GC §12812.2(a)(1)].

In February 2020, Secretary Jared Blumenfeld published his Enforcement Memo which sets forth the basic elements of a proactive state environmental enforcement program. Secretary Blumenfeld’s memo also provides a framework to strengthen CalEPA’s coordination and oversight of enforcement work at the boards and the departments with the goal of achieving a high level of environmental compliance throughout the state.

Members of CalEPA’s new Enforcement Team are tasked with collectively assisting in the planning and implementation of the CalEPA Enforcement Strategy as outlined in the memo. Please join us in welcoming and congratulating CalEPA’s new Enforcement Team: Linda Lye, Kristen McKinley, and Hasti Javid!

 

LINDA LYE, DEPUTY SECRETARY FOR LAW ENFORCEMENT AND GENERAL COUNSEL

Linda Lye was appointed by Governor Gavin Newsom in November 2019 to serve as Deputy Secretary for Law Enforcement and General Counsel and joined the CalEPA team in January 2021. Prior to her appointment, she served for two years as a superior court judge in Contra Costa County.

Before entering government service, Linda was a senior staff attorney at the American Civil Liberties Union Foundation of Northern California where she spearheaded litigation on issues that included surveillance, open government, voting rights, and lethal injection. Earlier in her career, Linda was a partner at Altshuler Berzon LLP in San Francisco, where she represented labor unions in state and federal court and before administrative agencies. Linda also served as a law clerk for the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg of the Supreme Court of the United States and for appellate Judge Guido Calabresi of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit.

Linda received her law degree from the University of California, Berkeley, where she graduated Order of the Coif, and her undergraduate degree from Yale College, where she graduated summa cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa.

ASSISTANT GENERAL COUNSEL FOR ENFORCEMENT – VACANT

This position is currently vacant. Please continue to check the California Governor Appointments website (under “Opportunities”) for more details about this appointed position, if interested.

KRISTEN MCKINLEY, CALEPA ENVIRONMENTAL ENFORCEMENT PROGRAM MANAGER

Kristen McKinley joined the Office of the Secretary in August 2020.  As the CalEPA Environmental Enforcement Manager, Kristen is responsible for managing the CalEPA Environmental Justice Task Force efforts and assisting in planning and implementing the CalEPA Enforcement Strategy.

Kristen has a Bachelor of Science degree in Biological Sciences and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Dance, both from the University of California, Davis. Throughout her career, she has gained extensive experience in enforcement and in coordinating with communities to understand and address their concerns.

She worked for six years for the Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC) assisting in criminal investigations of hazardous waste violations by providing sampling and scientific support. During her time at DTSC, she also participated in the formation of new Environmental Justice Task Forces and coordinated with different community groups.

Kristen joined the California Air Resources Board (CARB) in 2014 as an investigator focusing on the enforcement of CARB’s in-use diesel programs through field inspections and comprehensive fleet investigations. In addition, she was co-lead of the Environmental Justice Enforcement Team and lead for Environmental Justice issues in the Bay area. In 2017, Kristen was promoted to manage the newly created Freight Hub Enforcement Section.   The team’s enforcement efforts focused on non-compliant vehicles and equipment concentrated at warehouses and distribution centers, especially those located in disadvantaged communities, and improving CARB’s heavy-duty diesel enforcement efforts by utilizing advanced field enforcement techniques.

Having worked for the California District Attorneys Association (CDAA) and three of the six agencies under CalEPA, she has developed a broad understanding of the environmental regulatory and enforcement process.  Kristen is committed to coordinating enforcement and compliance actions across all media to protect public health and the environment, while prioritizing communities with the highest pollution burdens and environmental risks. Kristen is also a Lifetime CHMIA Member.

HASTI JAVID, CALEPA ENFORCEMENT OFFICER

Hasti Javid joined the Office of the Secretary in March 2021. As the CalEPA Enforcement Officer, Hasti is responsible for planning, coordinating, and implementing several CalEPA-wide enforcement efforts, including the CalEPA Enforcement Training Program, the CalEPA Single Complaint Tracking System, and assisting with planning and implementing the CalEPA Enforcement Strategy.

Hasti graduated from San Diego State University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Biological Sciences with emphasis in Zoology. Hasti started her career with the County of San Diego, Department of Environmental Health in May 2006 as a Vector Control Technician and transferred to the Hazardous Materials Division/Certified Unified Program Agency (CUPA) in September 2007 as a Medical Waste and Unified Program inspector.

During her 14-year career with the San Diego County CUPA, Hasti served in various roles such as but not limited to, Lead Inspector for the southern San Diego County district with a focus on Environmental Justice and enforcement; CUPA Enforcement Coordinator; CUPA Training Coordinator; and Emergency Responder on the afterhours Hazardous Incident Response Team. In addition to being the liaison between the CUPA and various law enforcement agencies, Hasti assisted the San Diego Narcotics Task Force Team 9 (marijuana eradication) in creating the San Diego County Marijuana Environmental Task Force with the majority of that work being done on her personal time. Hasti was also instrumental in starting the Enforcement Technical Advisory Group for CUPA’s statewide.

Hasti is a Registered Environmental Health Specialist and maintains numerous state certifications such as: Underground Storage Tank (UST) inspector, Aboveground Petroleum Storage Tank (APSA) inspector, CalOES certified Hazardous Materials Technician and Specialist, and 40-hour HAZWOPER. Hasti has been on the Executive Board of Directors for CHMIA since 2012 where she volunteers her time to promote CHMIA’s overall purpose and mission to encourage the cooperation and coordination of environmental crimes investigations conducted by law enforcement and regulatory agencies at the federal, state and local level. Hasti is the current CHMIA Vice President and also a Lifetime Member.

To “meet” all members of the CalEPA executive management team and read their biographies, go to https://calepa.ca.gov/about/bios/.