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Enforcement

Enforcement Goals

Información relacionada disponible en español (Related Information in Spanish)

Tough civil and criminal enforcement for violations that threaten communities and the environment.

  • Clean water: cut raw sewage, animal waste, and polluted stormwater runoff; protect drinking water
  • Clean air: reduce pollution from largest sources, cut toxic air pollution
  • Clean energy and climate: focus on energy sector compliance with air, water and waste rules; assure GHG rule compliance
  • Clean communities: protect people from exposure to hazardous chemicals and require polluters to pay for cleanup of contaminated sites
  • Pursue criminal violations that threaten human health and the environment or that undermine the integrity of environmental protection programs
  • Advance environmental justice and protect overburdened communities

Next Generation Compliance: achieve greater compliance and reduce pollution using advanced monitoring and information technologies.

  • Design regulations and permits for clear and effective implementation
  • Use advanced monitoring technologies to find and take action on pollution problems
  • Shift to electronic reporting
  • Expand transparency of pollution and compliance information
  • Use innovative enforcement strategies to improve compliance

Strong EPA/State/Tribal environmental protection: work together toward shared environmental goals.

  • Work as partners to strengthen state and tribal enforcement programs and to design and implement Next Generation Compliance approaches
  • Conduct consistent, effective and efficient reviews of state enforcement programs
  • Take action to address serious issues with state enforcement programs to assure a level playing field among states and industries

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