EPA Annual Enforcement Results Highlights Commitment To Address Largest Pollution Problems With Greatest Community Impact

Focused Effort On High-Impact Cases Leads To Increases In Pollution Reduced And Investments In Pollution Controls

Recently, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released its annual enforcement and compliance results. EPA's enforcement and compliance program enforces environmental laws that protect our nation's air, land and water by taking action to cut illegal pollution and protect people's health and communities. In fiscal year Fiscal Year 2011, EPA enforcement actions led to more than 1.8 billion pounds in pollution reduced, an estimated $19B in required pollution controls and approximately $168M in civil penalties.

"Our annual results reflect the fact that a strong and effective enforcement program is good for responsible businesses, public health and communities across the country," said Cynthia Giles, assistant administrator for EPA's Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance. "As we continue our focus on the most serious pollution problems, we expect to see better environmental performance and greater public health benefits."

In FY 2011, EPA enforcement resulted in commitments to:

• Install pollution controls for a cleaner tomorrow: $19B invested to improve environmental performance and compliance efforts, a record year, including $3B dollars to clean up hazardous waste in communities
• Protect people's health from dangerous pollution: 1.8 billion pounds of harmful air, water, and chemical pollution reduced and 3.6 billion pounds of hazardous waste reduced, properly disposed of or treated
• Deter illegal pollution through civil penalties: $168M in civil penalties assessed ($152M in federal penalties and $16M in actions taken jointly by EPA and state and local governments)
• Fight environmental crime: $35M in fines and restitution, $2M in court ordered environmental projects and 89.5 years of incarceration to deter future violations and hold violators accountable
• Invest additional resources in affected communities: $25M committed by companies through enforcement settlements to conduct supplemental environmental projects in communities

Cases under EPA's national enforcement initiatives, which focus enforcement and compliance resources and expertise on serious pollution problems affecting communities, produced the majority of commitments to install pollution controls and led to settling important cases, including the settlement with the Tennessee Valley Authority, which will lead to up to $27B in annual health benefits and provide $350M for environmental projects to benefit communities.

For more information, visit http://epa.gov/compliance/resources/reports/endofyear/eoy2011/index.html or http://epa.gov/compliance/data/planning/initiatives/index.html

SOURCE: The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency