March 22, 2004—The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has adjusted the maximum amount of civil monetary penalties that can be imposed under the environmental statutes EPA implements. All federal agencies are required to periodically adjust for inflation the maximum penalties that can be imposed pursuant to each agency’s statutes, in order to maintain the deterrent effect of the penalties and to promote compliance with the law. Effective 30 days after publication in the Federal Register (.pdf file), the new rule increases the existing statutory maximum penalties by 17.23 percent, representing inflation increases that occurred from 1996-2003.
