February 20, 2002—The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has released data on its enforcement and compliance assurance results for FY 2001, which included record-setting expenditures of $4.3 billion by violators for pollution controls and environmental cleanup. The program also secured commitments for an estimated reduction of more than 660 million pounds of harmful pollutants and the treatment and safe management of an estimated record 1.84 billion pounds of pollutants.
EPA’s FY2001 enforcement and compliance results include:
- actions requiring violators to invest $4.3 billion in pollution control and cleanup measures—the highest-ever such investment; enforcement actions requiring violators to reduce an estimated 660 million pounds of pollutants and treat and safely manage an estimated 1.84 billion pounds;
- the settlement of 222 civil judicial cases and the issuance of 3,228 administrative orders and field citations;
- a vigorous criminal program resulting in prison sentences totaling 256 yearsan increase of more than 100 years over FY2000—for criminal violations;
- such violations also resulted in nearly $95 million in fines and restitution;
- supplemental environmental projects totaling $89 million—up 60 percent from $55.8 million in FY2000;
- these involve actions beyond injunctive relief that a violator agrees to undertake to protect the environment and human health in exchange for a penalty reduction;
- and compliance assistance for more than one million individuals and businesses by direct assistance or through EPA’s Compliance Assistance Centers.
EPA undertook a comprehensive effort to achieve environmental and health protection goals through incentives that encourage those being regulated to conduct self-audits to identify violations, and to take swift enforcement actions to correct existing violations and deter further ones.
Major priorities included compliance with the Clean Air Act New Source Review/Prevention of Significant Deterioration rules dealing with excess pollutant releases from facilities evading permit requirements.
Further information on EPA enforcement and compliance programs is available online.
