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Next Generation Compliance delivers the benefits of environmental laws.

EPA can improve compliance by taking advantage of new tools and approaches while strengthening vigorous enforcement of environmental laws.  Next Generation Compliance was EPA’s strategic approach to do that, designed to bring together the best thinking from inside and outside EPA, and apply these approaches where appropriate to each of EPA’s Compliance Assurance Tools. 

Next Generation Compliance Components

Next Generation Compliance consists of five interconnected components, each designed to improve the effectiveness of our compliance program:

• Design regulations and permits that are easier to implement, with a goal of improved compliance and environmental outcomes.
• Use and promote advanced emissions/pollutant detection technology so that regulated entities, the government, and the public can more easily see pollutant discharges, environmental conditions, and noncompliance.
• Shift toward electronic reporting to help make environmental reporting more accurate, complete, and efficient while helping EPA and co-regulators better manage information, improve effectiveness and transparency.
• Expand transparency by making information more accessible to the public.
• Develop and use innovative enforcement approaches (e.g., data analytics and targeting) to achieve more widespread compliance.

While the Next Generation Compliance Initiative concluded in FY2017, many of the tools and approaches continue to be relevant and useful:

• Compendia of Next Generation Compliance Examples in Water, Air, Waste, and Cleanup Programs
• Policy Statement on E-Reporting in EPA Regulations
• Designing More Effective Rules and Permits article from The George Washington Journal of Energy and Environmental Law (PDF)(21 pp, About PDF) EXIT
• Article on Advanced Monitoring:  The Changing Paradigm of Air Pollution Monitoring  EXIT
• Article on Advanced Monitoring Technology: Opportunities and Challenges. A Path Forward for EPA, States, and Tribes

For historical context on the Next Generation Compliance Initiative, see relevant documents below:

• Next Generation Compliance: Strategic Plan 2014 - 2017
• SUPERSEDED: Memorandum on the Use of Next Generation Compliance in Civil Enforcement Settlements