WASHINGTON, Sept. 30 (UPI) -- Critics of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency claim the White House's lax attitude has emboldened polluters to break federal laws.

"Where once a polluter could expect criminal prosecution, there are now civil settlements. Where once there were criminal penalties, there are now taxpayer subsidies," Rep. John D. Dingell, D-Mich., chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, told The Washington Post. (NYSE:WPO)

During the Bush administration, the EPA's number of prosecutions, new investigations and convictions have dropped by more than a third, The Post reported Sunday.

Civil lawsuits filed against polluters who refuse to settle cases dropped by nearly 70 percent between 2002 and 2006, compared with a four-year period in the late 1990s, The Post reported.

There are now 172 EPA criminal investigators, below the minimum 200 required by the 1990 pollution prosecution act, signed by President George H.W. Bush.

EPA officials acknowledge seeking more settlements and plea bargains that require pollution reductions through new equipment purchases or participation in compliance programs, The Post said.