diff --git a/megatron/utils.py b/megatron/utils.py
index d00f4cd0ef..3d5eef4672 100644
--- a/megatron/utils.py
+++ b/megatron/utils.py
@@ -4,24 +4,14 @@
 
 import sys
 import os
-import time
 import logging
-from typing import ContextManager, Optional
+from typing import Optional
 
 import torch
 from torch.nn.parallel import DistributedDataParallel as torchDDP
 
 from deepspeed.accelerator import get_accelerator
 
-if get_accelerator().device_name() == "cuda":
-    try:
-        from apex.multi_tensor_apply import multi_tensor_applier
-        import amp_C
-
-        HAS_APEX = True
-    except Exception:
-        HAS_APEX = False
-
 from megatron import get_args, get_adlr_autoresume, get_num_microbatches
 from megatron.core import mpu
 from megatron.core.tensor_parallel import param_is_not_tensor_parallel_duplicate
@@ -30,70 +20,104 @@
 
 import ezpz as ez
 
+ACCELERATOR = get_accelerator()
+assert ACCELERATOR is not None
+
+if ACCELERATOR.device_name() == "cuda":
+    try:
+        from apex.multi_tensor_apply import multi_tensor_applier  # type:ignore
+        import amp_C  # type:ignore
+
+        HAS_APEX = True
+    except Exception:
+        HAS_APEX = False
+
 RANK = ez.get_rank()
 log = logging.getLogger(__name__)
-# log.setLevel("INFO") if RANK == 0 else log.setLevel("CRITICAL")
-
+log.setLevel(os.environ.get("LOG_LEVEL", ("INFO" if RANK == 0 else "CRITICAL")))
 
 _DLIO_PROFILER_EXIST = True
-_DFTRACER_EXIST=True
+_DFTRACER_EXIST = True
 
 try:
-    import dftracer
+    import dftracer  # type:ignore
 except Exception:
-    _DFTRACER_EXIST=False
+    _DFTRACER_EXIST = False
 
 try:
-    import dlio_profiler
+    import dlio_profiler  # type:ignore
 except Exception:
     _DLIO_PROFILER_EXIST = False
 
 
 if _DFTRACER_EXIST:
-    from dftracer.logger import dftracer as PerfTrace, dft_fn as Profile, DFTRACER_ENABLE as DFTRACER_ENABLE
+    from dftracer.logger import (  # type:ignore
+        dftracer as PerfTrace,
+        dft_fn as Profile,
+        DFTRACER_ENABLE as DFTRACER_ENABLE,
+    )
 elif _DLIO_PROFILER_EXIST:
-    from dlio_profiler.logger import fn_interceptor as Profile
-    from dlio_profiler.logger import dlio_logger as PerfTrace
+    from dlio_profiler.logger import fn_interceptor as Profile  # type:ignore
+    from dlio_profiler.logger import dlio_logger as PerfTrace  # type:ignore
 else:
     from functools import wraps
-    # from contextlib import nullcontext
-    # Profile: ContextManager = nullcontext
-    #
-    # class Profile(nullable_schema)
+
     class Profile(object):
-        def __init__(self,  cat, name=None, epoch=None, step=None, image_idx=None, image_size=None):
-            return 
-        def log(self,  func):
+        def __init__(
+            self, cat, name=None, epoch=None, step=None, image_idx=None, image_size=None
+        ):
+            return
+
+        def log(self, func):
             return func
-        def log_init(self,  func):
+
+        def log_init(self, func):
             return func
-        def iter(self,  func, iter_name="step"):
+
+        def iter(self, func, iter_name="step"):
             return func
+
         def __enter__(self):
             return
+
         def __exit__(self, type, value, traceback):
             return
-        def update(self, epoch=None, step=None, image_idx=None, image_size=None, args={}):
+
+        def update(
+            self, epoch=None, step=None, image_idx=None, image_size=None, args={}
+        ):
             return
+
         def flush(self):
             return
+
         def reset(self):
             return
+
         def log_static(self, func):
             return
+
     class dftracer(object):
-        def __init__(self,):
+        def __init__(
+            self,
+        ):
             self.type = None
+
         def initialize_log(self, logfile=None, data_dir=None, process_id=-1):
             return
+
         def get_time(self):
             return
+
         def enter_event(self):
             return
+
         def exit_event(self):
             return
+
         def log_event(self, name, cat, start_time, duration, string_args=None):
             return
+
         def finalize(self):
             return
 
@@ -103,8 +127,8 @@ def finalize(self):
 
 def get_logger(
     name: str,
-    level: str = "INFO",
-    rank_zero_only: Optional[bool] = None,
+    level: Optional[str] = None,
+    rank_zero_only: Optional[bool] = True,
 ) -> logging.Logger:
     """Returns a `logging.Logger` object.
 
@@ -112,7 +136,9 @@ def get_logger(
     non-zero ranks (and will be set to `level` on RANK==0).
     """
     logger = logging.getLogger(name)
-    logger.setLevel(level)
+    logger.setLevel(
+        str(level if level is not None else os.environ.get("LOG_LEVEL", "INFO")).upper()
+    )
     if rank_zero_only and ez.get_rank() != 0:
         logger.setLevel("CRITICAL")
     return logger