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Environmental Compliance

  

The Environmental Compliance Program Area encompasses compliance related issues such as auditing, sources of regulations, executive orders, and policies applicable to Federal Facilities.

For an overview of the environmental compliance auditing process, including EPA's perspective on compliance auditing and compliance auditing at federal facilities, click here. For compliance auditing tools and documents, click here.

For federal and agency-specific COVID-19 environmental guidance and recommendations, click here.

Please use the links above to quickly jump to the information area needed or scroll down to view all items.



Regulations, Guidance, and Policy
 
Federal Regulations
A United States Government website produced by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and the General Services Administration (GSA). This site provides access to the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), The Federal Register, the e-CFR (a prototype of a daily updated version of the CFR), the system where you can comment on proposed regulations, and a discussion on how the rulemaking process works
Published by the Office of the Federal Register, National Archives and Records Administration (NARA), the Federal Register is the official daily publication for rules, proposed rules, and notices of Federal agencies and organizations, as well as executive orders and other presidential documents.
This site enables users to search and comment on EPA regulations and significant guidance documents, and to learn how environmental regulations are written. The site also includes new sections for finding regulations and related documents, plus regulatory history, statutory authority, supporting analyses, compliance information, and guidance for implementation. Searches for regulatory information can be conducted by environmental topics, such as water or air, or by business sectors, such as transportation or construction.
The Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) is the codification of the general and permanent rules published in the Federal Register by the executive departments and agencies of the Federal Government. It is divided into 50 titles that represent broad areas subject to Federal regulation. Each volume of the CFR is updated once each calendar year and is issued on a quarterly basis.
The Electronic Code of Federal Regulations (e-CFR) is a prototype of a currently updated version of the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR). The e-CFR prototype is a demonstration project. It is not an official legal edition of the CFR. The e-CFR prototype is authorized and maintained by the National Archives and Records Administration's (NARA) Office of the Federal Register (OFR) and the Government Printing Office (GPO). The OFR updates the material in the e-CFR on a frequent basis with the most recent date of update displayed on the home page.
This web site was put together as part of a port industry focus group effort. This tool emphases environmental, land-based, regulatory issues facing port tenants and authorities. Included are common port operations cross referenced with regulatory requirements; audit program incentive opportunities; enforcement case studies and updates; inspector checklists.
These are presidential documents which require Federal facilities to perform an action, participate in an activity, or develop and implement an environmental-related policy.
This 1991 memo includes factors that DOJ considers important in evaluating whether to prosecute environmental violations. These factors include voluntary disclosure of the violation, cooperation, preventative measures and compliance programs, persuasiveness of non-compliance, internal disciplinary action, and subsequent compliance efforts. It was the intent of DOJ to encourage self-auditing, self-policing, and voluntary disclosure of environmental violations stating that these activities are considered mitigating factors in the Department's environmental enforcement activities. The necessity of having a thorough environmental auditing program cannot be overemphasized. The priority that DOJ assigns to auditing and self-disclosure as critical mitigating factors in environmental criminal prosecutions is an indication of how important it is for federal facilities to develop and implement sound and thorough auditing programs.
EPA memorandum dated February 13, 2006, by Assistant Administrator Granta Y. Nakayama, reaffirming the existing Guidance on Calculating the Economic Benefit of Noncompliance by Federal Agencies issued on September 30, 1999.
EPA's National Compliance Initiatives (NCIs) advance the Agency Strategic Plan's objectives to improve air quality, provide for clean and safe water, ensure chemical safety, and improve compliance with our nation's environmental laws while enhancing shared accountability between the EPA and states and tribes with authorized environmental programs.
DOD Environmental Standards for Substantial Installations in Foreign Countries
These documents are developed in accordance with DOD Instruction 4715.5, Management of Environmental Compliance at Overseas Installations, dated 1 May 2007, to address the protection of human health and the environment in each foreign country where DOD maintains substantial installations. Note these documents are only available to U.S. military personnel who have a FedCenter.gov membership account.
In accordance with DOD Instruction 4715.5, Management of Environmental Compliance at Overseas Installations, dated 29 June 2020, this document is used as a baseline in the development of Final Governing Standards. Note this document is only available to U.S. military personnel who have a FedCenter.gov membership account.
Guidance for the Clean Air Act (CAA)
EPA currently issues over 100 letters or memoranda per year on Clean Air Act (CAA) applicability or monitoring issues under the New Source Performance Standards (NSPS, 40 CFR 60) and the National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants (NESHAP, 40 CFR 61 and 63) programs. These written responses are broadly termed "applicability determinations". The ADI also contains "regulatory interpretations" which are written responses that apply to the broad range of NSPS and NESHAP regulatory requirements as they pertain to a whole source category; and applicability determinations issued pursuant to the chlorofluorocarbons (CFC) regulations, cited in 40 CFR 82. The ADI, a computerized database of such letters and memoranda, allows users to search by date, office of issuance, subpart, citation, control number, or string word searches.
Questions and answers concern how to prepare a RMP, submit a RMP, and accessing RMP information.
This website, provided by the EPA Office of Enforcement, is a collection of current, active EPA policies and guidance in relation to CAA, including: stationary sources; New Source Performance Standards (NSPS); National Emissions Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants (NESHAPs); CAA Section 114 : Inspection, Entry and Monitoring; new source review (NSR); prevention of significant deterioration (PSD); mobile sources; and acid rain.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has published a new compliance advisory titled Federal Facility Compliance with the Asbestos NESHAP. The Asbestos NESHAP requirements protect the public by minimizing the release of asbestos fibers during building renovations and demolitions. This compliance advisory reminds federal facilities of their compliance obligations under the Asbestos NESHAP and the Clean Air Act during building renovations and demolitions, even when those activities are performed by contractors.
This memorandum, dated 25 January 2018, withdraws the "once in always in" policy for the classification of major sources of hazardous air pollutants under section 112 of the Clean Air Act. With the new guidance, sources of hazardous air pollutants previously classified as "major sources" may be reclassified as "area" sources at any time, provided the facility limits its potential to emit below major source thresholds.
This EPA website provides a review of the CAA provisions and its applicability and enforceability at federal facilities.
Answers to the most common questions related to the General Conformity Rule.
This document seeks to clarify the impact of the Clean Air Act (CAA) Conformity Rules (Proposed) on federal facilities. It was written by Bill Frank from the U.S. EPA Federal Facilities Enforcement Office (FFEO).
This EPA website provides links to examples, forms, videos,webinars and regulatory navigation tools (i.e. who has to what when and how) for the multiple air emissions standards applicable to stationary engine rules. This includes reciprocating internal combustion engines (RICE), stationary compression ignition engine internal combustion engines, and stationary spark ignition internal combustion engines.
The final interpretation is that the plain language and structure of certain sections of the operating permits regulations (40 CFR 70 and 71) do not provide an independent basis for requiring or authorizing review and enhancement of existing monitoring in title V permits. EPA believes that other rules establish a basis for such review and enhancement. The final rule interpretation is effective on 16 January 2007. POC is Peter Westlin, EPA, Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards, Mail code: D243-05, 109 TW Alexander Drive, Research Triangle Park, NC 27711; telephone: (919) 541-1058; fax number (919) 541-1039; e-mail address: westlin.peter@epa.gov (Federal Register: December 15, 2006 [Rules and Regulations] , Page 75422-75431)
This document (EPA420-F-07-053, August 2007) responds to questions EPA has received concerning the manner in which the EPA intends to implement and ensure compliance with the regulations in the Control of Hazardous Air Pollutants From Mobile Sources ("MSAT2") rulemaking published on February 26, 2007 (72 FR 8428).
EPA has issued over 230 policy and guidance documents that help to interpret the Part 70 and 71 permit requirements and are available to view in a sortable index.
Guidance for the Clean Water Act (CWA)
Starting on page 47058 of the attached file, a section by section, paragraph by paragraph discussion is recorded as to the intent of the regulation.
This map provides information about rainwater harvesting regulations throughout the United States. FEMP designed the map to help agencies decide where to implement rainwater harvesting projects. The interactive map lets users click on a state to learn about the state's rainwater harvesting regulations and technical resources.
This November 2016 EPA guidance generally describes measures ("best practices") NPDES permit writers and pretreatment coordinators should consider adopting to address hazardous and toxic chemical discharges to POTWs.
This advisory is directed to owners and operators of small publicly owned wastewater treatment works (POTWs) and small private wastewater treatment plants, both commonly referred to as wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs). It is intended to provide small WWTPs with information that will help them comply with their National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit effluent limits.
This site details the steps to be taken towards meeting the EPA water program's strategic plans.
This EPA website provides a review of the CWA provisions and its applicability and enforceability at federal facilities.
In instances when state-specific water quality standards have not been developed or approved by EPA, the Agency will propose and/or promulgate standards for a state until such time as the state submits and EPA approves their own standards. The lists do not include states, territories or tribes covered only by federal standards applicable to multiple states, such as the Bacteria Rule for Coastal and Great Lakes Waters, and the National Toxics Rule.
This EPA website provides a fact sheet for each of the 29 industrial sectors regulated by the multi-sector general permit (MSGP). Each fact sheet describes the types of facilities included in the sector, typical pollutants associated with the sector, and types of stormwater control measures used to minimize the discharge of the pollutants. The website also provides guidance on preparing a SWPPP and monitoring Stormwater as well as providing templates for SWPPPs.
EPA 833-R-04-002A, July 2004
The Office of Wastewater Management of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA's) Office of Water prepared this guidance document to assist municipalities that own or operate publicly owned treatment works (POTWs) in developing and implementing local pretreatment programs. It discusses issues such as how to determine pollutants of concern, the data needed to develop local limits, and implementing local limits.
While written for MS4 permit writers and aficionados, each compendium has examples of permits with some provisions that include green infrastructure. The first two compendia ("Six Minimum Control Measure Provisions" and "Post-Construction Standards") feature examples from existing MS4 permits of clear, specific and measurable requirements. For Part 3, "Water Quality-Based Requirements" EPA reviewed existing state and EPA permits and identified different ways of implementing TMDLs through quantitative requirements or pollutant-specific management measures such as green infrastructure, or a combination of both.
EPA has issued final guidance on conducting effective post-construction compliance monitoring to assess the performance of measures implemented under long-term combined sewer overflow (CSO) control plans, as provided in EPA's 1994 CSO Control Policy. This guidance will assist CSO permittees in developing post construction compliance monitoring plans that collect sufficient data for evaluating the effectiveness of CSO controls and assessing compliance with the Clean Water Act requirements. See
This memorandum, dated 8 May 2006, is from the EPA Office of Water Assistant Administrator to the Regional Directors, Water Division Directors, and Branch Chiefs. The memorandum urges the use of the "qualifying local program" provision for the management and oversight of stormwater runoff from construction activities. This provision offers the opportunity to increase administrative efficiencies in the stormwater program by formally recognizing local construction management programs that meet or exceed the provisions in EPA's construction general permit.
Issued August 2013, the guidance document is intended to assist regional inspectors in reviewing a facility's implementation of the Spill Prevention, Control, and Countermeasure (SPCC) rule at 40 CFR part 112 and understanding the rule's applicability, and to help clarify the role of the inspector in the review and evaluation of the performance-based SPCC requirements. The guidance document is also available to owners and operators of facilities that may be subject to the requirements of the SPCC rule and the general public on how EPA intends the SPCC rule to be implemented. The document is designed to provide a consistent national policy on several SPCC-related issues.
EPA has compiled state, territorial, and authorized tribal water quality standards that EPA has approved or are otherwise in effect for Clean Water Act purposes. In instances when state-specific water quality standards have not been developed or approved by EPA, the Agency will propose and/or promulgate standards for a state until such time as the state submits and EPA approves their own standards. Any federally proposed or promulgated replacement water quality standards are also identified. Please note the water quality standards may contain additional provisions outside the scope of the Clean Water Act, its implementing federal regulations, or EPA's authority. In some cases, these additional provisions have been included as supplementary information.
A webpage developed by EPA's stormwater program that provides resources for MS4 compliance.
This site provides guidance for developing SWPPPs for construction activities as well as providing templates.
To reduce the rate of significant noncompliance with National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permits at lagoon facilities, improve water quality, and protect environmental and public health, the EPA has developed this troubleshooting manual. Specifically, this manual is designed to help operators at small wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) lagoons, also called wastewater stabilization ponds, identify causes of lagoon upset conditions and the corresponding troubleshooting steps.
This is EPA's first "how-to" manual on designing and implementing water quality trading programs. The Toolkit helps NPDES permitting authorities incorporate trading provisions into permits.
Guidance for CERCLA
This website provides information about contaminated federal facility sites in specific communities, access to technical fact sheets and tools and resources to help government agencies and their contractors fulfill cleanup obligations.
This EPA website provides a review of the CERCLA provisions and its applicability and enforceability at federal facilities.
In this document, dated 1 December 2008, the Department of Justice, said that the Pentagon had no legal grounds to resist cleanup orders from the EPA.
Guidance for EPCRA
This website focuses on EPA's compliance assistance tools supporting the Emergency Preparedness and Community Right-to-know Act (EPCRA). It enhances environmental compliance assistance by providing links to documents, tools, information and other related and linked Web sites for compliance with environmental requirements related to EPCRA.
Questions submitted to the EPA about EPCRA and their answers.
The Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) issued this guidance consistent with section 211 and 219 of Executive Order 14008, Tackling the Climate Crisis at Home and Abroad, to direct Federal departments and agencies on reporting in accordance with the requirements of section 301 through 313 of the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act (EPCRA) of 1986 (42 U.S.C. §§ 11001–11023).
Guidance for FIFRA
EPA in conjunction with the Pesticide Educational Resources Collaborative (PERC) is making available a guide to help users of agricultural pesticides comply with the requirements of the 2015 revised federal Worker Protection Standard. You should read this manual if you employ agricultural workers or handlers, are involved in the production of agricultural plants as an owner/manager of an agricultural establishment or a commercial (for-hire) pesticide handling establishment, or work as a crop advisor.
EPA guidance on labeling secondary or service containers used for pesticides.
Guidance for the U.S. EPA's to use in determining the appropriate enforcement response and penalty amount for violations of the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA). Issued. Dec. 2009.
This site provides information on the revised standard and how best to comply.
Guidance for RCRA
This information bulletin is intended to make Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) permit writers, inspectors, and the regulated community aware of controls, conditions and sampling practices to ensure and determine compliance with RCRA land disposal restrictions (LDRs). LDRs include testing and recordkeeping requirements, treatment standards, various prohibitions and other conditions that ensure hazardous wastes are adequately treated before disposal, thereby minimizing impact on human health and the environment. This document is based on existing regulatory requirements, longstanding guidance, and formal policy, and provides an overview of the basis of LDR requirements. It focuses on strategies that permit writers and facilities can use to improve RCRA permits and Waste Analysis Plans (WAPs), as well as provides inspectors with tools to better determine compliance with LDRs
The purpose of this advisory is to assist hazardous waste handlers in reducing data quality issues in the e-Manifest system and to support their compliance with the law.
This EPA website describer key federal responsibilities under RCRA, RCRA basics, and federal facilities enforcement of RCRA.
The attached memorandum communicates EPA's new policy to allow generators, transporters, and receiving facilities to execute electronic signatures through their employees or contractors who are located remotely from the hazardous waste shipment. This policy has been in effect as of February 10, 2023.
This is a database is designed to enable users to locate documents, including publications and other outreach materials, that cover a wide range of RCRA issues and topics.
This EPA website identifies which states have been authorized for which portions of RCRA. State authorization is a rulemaking process through which the EPA delegates the primary responsibility of implementing the RCRA hazardous waste program to individual states in lieu of the EPA.
Maintained by EPA's RCRA Enforcement Division, this site contains the policy, guidance, and other documents that are currently used in RCRA Enforcement and the RCRA Enforcement Policy and Guidance Archives with the documents that are no longer used. Topics include, but are not limited to: groundwater, inspections, permitting, and USTs.
EPA created a template that persons recycling hazardous secondary materials may choose to use to document their legitimacy determinations. Persons performing the recycling under the generator-controlled exclusion of 40 CFR 261.4(a)(23) must maintain documentation of their legitimacy determinations on-site. Documentation needs to include a written description of how the recycling meets the legitimate recycling factors. This template can also be used to document a claim of legitimate recycling under any other recycling exclusion or exemption.
Guidance for RCRA, Subtitle C
This memorandum, dated May 2013, transmits a separate revised memorandum that provides guidance and a checklist for evaluating the regulatory status of materials that would, under usual circumstances, be commercial chemical products (CCPs). CCPs are not solid waste if they are appropriately stored or managed for use, legitimately reclaimed, or appropriately stored or managed for legitimate reclamation; CCPs are solid waste if they are abandoned by being accumulated, or by being stored, or treated before, or as a means of, being disposed. The checklist is designed to assist in applying this regulatory structure to specific situations and evaluating whether a particular CCP, managed in a particular way, is a solid waste.
This practical guide helps healthcare facilities, including hospitals, surgery centers, and urgent care facilities, understand the applicable regulations so they can develop compliant, holistic, and cost-effective pharmaceutical waste management programs. The primary focus is to help healthcare facilities understand EPA's hazardous waste regulations under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) as they apply to hazardous waste pharmaceuticals, but other regulations are also discussed.
This EPA website provides information on the basic requirements, links to needed forms, and industry/sector specific information as well.
This document describes the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA's) hazardous waste listing regulations under the authority of the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) Subtitle C and includes hyperlinks to information that EPA has generated over the years to explain the listing regulations. The objective of this document is to consolidate and streamline the information on listing regulations to help Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) staff, state staff, industrial facilities, and the public understand hazardous waste listing regulations.
The purpose of this memorandum is to clarify how the hazardous waste regulations for universal waste and recycling apply to lithium-ion batteries. The proportion of electric cars powered by lithium-ion batteries on the road is rising rapidly; lithium-ion batteries also power our electronics and, increasingly, lawnmowers, e-scooters, electric bicycles, and many other devices. The growth of the circular economy for lithium battery materials is vital as the focus turns to how to eventually manage lithium-ion batteries at the end of their lives. Recycling lithium-ion batteries returns valuable critical minerals to the economy, both conserving resources and reducing the overall energy use needed to produce new batteries.
This variance, effective November 2002, applies specifically to radioactively contaminated cadmium-, mercury-, and silver-containing waste batteries .The Regulatory Bulletin discusses the LDR treatment standard established for these mixed waste batteries, the DOE petition that requested the treatability variance, the rationale for granting the variance, and implementation at the State level.
This document, updated in December 2022, describes the requirements of the RCRA organic air emission standards contained in title 40 of the CFR parts 264/265, subparts AA, BB, and CC for hazardous waste TSDFs and generators of hazardous waste.
Thousands of American workers use solvents every day in industrial, commercial, and other non-residential settings. Many of these solvents become hazardous wastes when they can no longer be used for their intended purpose and are discarded. A hazardous waste must be managed safely from its point of generation through recycling or disposal. When one of your solvents can no longer be used, it is your responsibility to determine whether it is a hazardous waste. The purpose of this guide is to make people who use and discard solvents aware of the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) hazardous waste regulations and assist them in making correct hazardous waste determinations for solvents.
This is an information management system designed to document the progress of each state and territory in establishing and maintaining RCRA-authorized hazardous waste management programs.
The Retail Strategy lays out a cohesive and effective plan to address the unique challenges the retail sector has with complying with the hazardous waste regulations while reducing burden and protecting human health and the environment.
Guidance for RCRA, Subtitle I
This EPA website provides and overview of the cleanup process as well as strategies that advance cleaning up stalled or legacy UST releases, as well as recently identified releases.
EPA provides this information about emerging fuels and the responsibility of UST owners and operators to help prevent leaks or releases of regulated substances possibly caused by emerging fuels. Emerging fuels may not always be compatible with all UST systems, and storing emerging fuels can sometimes increase corrosion in UST systems. EPA uses the term emerging fuels to broadly describe new or different fuel formulations that enter the market for various reasons, such as policy changes, retail opportunities, or technical requirements. Emerging fuels include biofuels, like ethanol, biodiesel, and butanol; new formulations of petroleum-based fuels, like ultra-low sulfur gasoline and ultra-low sulfur diesel; renewable diesel; combinations of multiple types of fuels, and others.
An EPA Brochure which highlights the implementation time frames.
Updated to reflect the 2015 revisions to the UST regulations, this 36-page booklet summarizes federal UST requirements for installation, reporting, spill and overfill prevention, corrosion protection, release detection, walkthrough inspections, compatibility, operator training, repairs, financial responsibility, release response, and closure.
The questions and answers in this document provide information about the 2015 underground storage tank (UST) regulation.
This database is designed to enable users to locate documents, including publications, OSW memos, and other outreach materials, that cover a wide range of RCRA issues and topics.
Maintained by EPA's RCRA Enforcement Division, this site contains the policy, guidance, and other documents that are currently used in RCRA Enforcement and the RCRA Enforcement Policy and Guidance Archives with the documents that are no longer used. Topics include, but are not limited to: groundwater, inspections, permitting, and USTs.
This website provides information on EPA, Regional, State, and Tribal points of contact for UST programs.
Guidance for the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA)
This website provides background information, guidance, and tools pertaining to the management of arsenic in drinking water at all sizes of community water systems.
This EPA website provides injection well owners or operators with the information they need to comply with Class II permitting requirements for DFHF. It also provides State Class II programs with SDWA information they need for DFHF in their states. Lastly, it provides general information on UIC Class II permitting as it applies to DFHF.
This EPA website provides a collection of updated guidance, tools, and overviews of the standards for drinking water contaminants.
These documents provide a simple and straightforward description of the rule and requirements. The documents include critical deadlines for drinking water systems and states and monitoring requirements.
This site details the steps to be taken towards meeting the EPA water program's strategic plans.
This EPA website provides a review of the SDWA provisions and its applicability and enforceability at federal facilities.
This memorandum, dated 15 November 2006, clarifies EPA's expectations concerning the appropriate time increment used to express "total maximum daily loads" (TMDLs).
The National Primary Drinking Water Regulations (NPDWR) are legally enforceable primary standards and treatment techniques that apply to public water systems. Primary standards and treatment techniques protect public health by limiting the levels of contaminants in drinking water. This is a compendium of the currently regulated contaminants, including disinfection byproducts, their maximum contaminant level goal (MCLG), maxim um contaminant level (MCL), potential health effects, and common sources of the contaminant.
This EPA website provides background information on all types of UICs, fact sheets, guidance documents, and current regulatory requirements.
Overview of the new requirements for public water systems related to total coliforms management. The new requirements go into effect 1 April 2016.
This website provides background information, guidance, fact sheets, and tools to facilitate understanding the requirements of the Stage 1 and Stage 2 rules as well as implementing them.
Guidance for TSCA
This biannual update to the public TSCA Inventory is part of EPA's regular posting of non-confidential TSCA Inventory data. The Inventory contains 86,557 chemicals of which 41,864 are active in U.S commerce. Other updates to the TSCA Inventory include new chemical substance additions, commercial activity data and regulatory flags, such as polymer exemptions, TSCA section 4 test orders and TSCA section 5 significant new use rules (SNURs).
This EPA website is a portal to health information, regulatory information, training, guidance documents, and O&M practices concerning asbestos.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has published a new compliance advisory titled Federal Facility Compliance with the Asbestos NESHAP. The Asbestos NESHAP requirements protect the public by minimizing the release of asbestos fibers during building renovations and demolitions. This compliance advisory reminds federal facilities of their compliance obligations under the Asbestos NESHAP and the Clean Air Act during building renovations and demolitions, even when those activities are performed by contractors.
The EPA developed this Strategy to Reduce Lead Exposures and Disparities in U.S. Communities (Lead Strategy) to lay out an all-of-EPA plan to strengthen public health protections, address legacy lead contamination for communities with the greatest exposures, and promote environmental justice and equity.
The EPA's September 2016 RRP Inspection Manual establishes uniform guidance for EPA-credentialed inspectors who conduct inspections to monitor compliance with the RRP Rule. Compliance monitoring activities for the RRP Rule include work site inspections, records reviews of renovation firms, and auditing training provider courses that certify renovators.
Memorandum issued on 14 August 2003 stating the Agency will not consider the transfer of ownership of real property that is contaminated with PCBs as a prohibited distribution in commerce of PCBs.
EPA Q&A manuals, guidance manuals, and policy statements.
EPA has issued guidance on the handling of PCB-containing fluorescent light ballasts in schools. While directed at schools, it applies to any other building owner or operator as well.
Caulk containing potentially harmful polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) was used in many buildings in the 1950s through the 1970s. PCBs in caulk have not been found in single-family homes. EPA has only found the chemical in caulk in large, older apartment complexes and some older buildings, such as schools.
The Media Kit, developed by EPA, features communications resources to educate followers, viewers and others about the risks of lead exposure, how to find and hire lead-safe certified contractors and using DIY lead-safe work practices during renovation projects on pre-1978 homes.
The plan represents an ambitious effort to deploy resources from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law while leveraging every tool across federal, state, and local government to deliver clean drinking water, replace lead pipes, and remediate lead paint. The plan includes over 15 new actions from more than 10 federal agencies that ensure the federal government is marshalling every resource to make rapid progress towards replacing all lead pipes in the next decade.
This EPA website provides information on which uses and/or manufacturing of asbestos is banned in the U.S.
Guidance for EPA Programs
Formerly known as the "Yellow Book" this website compendium of information provides field-level personnel a primer for complying with environmental requirements and understanding the enforcement and compliance processes used by EPA at federal facilities. Included on the site is a definition of what is included in the terminology "federal facilities," summaries of the enforcement process for federal facilities, and information on available assistance for achieving compliance.
This EPA website provides an overview of EPA's enforcement authority as well as copies of enforcement policy and guidance.
Key policy and guidance documents for EPA's compliance and enforcement program at federal facilities.
This website provides access to information on the status of regulatory actions by Agency. Users can select the EPA and review the titles of rules which are in the pre-rule, proposed rule, or final rule stage. Links are provided for the text of the rule and information provided on expected publication dates.
State Regulations
This provides a link to the state environmental regulatory agencies.
The Environmental Compliance Assistance Platform's state regulations locator tool.
Regulations, Guidance, and Policy Bottom Border
 
Supporting Information and Tools
 
Databases/Software Tools
This EPA website provides federal and state compliance information and sustainability content for various combustion processes (i.e., boilers, incinerators, reciprocating internal combustion engines [RICE], and wood heating appliances) that are impacted by federal and state regulations. The site includes calculators to estimate emissions from boilers fired by: propane, butane, natural gas, and oil.
CMAQ is an active open-source development project of the U.S. EPA that consists of a suite of programs for conducting air quality model simulations. CMAQ combines current knowledge in atmospheric science and air quality modeling, multi-processor computing techniques, and an open-source framework to deliver fast, technically sound estimates of ozone, particulates, toxics and acid deposition.
READ is the authoritative source of information about EPA information resources. Each information resource has a record in READ. Each record identifies if the information resource is an application/system or a model. The record also includes basic information about the resource such as: Title, Acronym, Description, Contact information, and Organization that owns or operates it. More detailed information also is available in a READ record, such as whether the resource supports a particular Governmental statute and, in the case of an application/system, how the application/system conforms to the Enterprise Architecture (EA). Life cycle information, user types, and access information are other data that can be found in a READ record.
The TDB can help drinking water utilities, water treatment process design engineers, researcher organizations, federal and state regulators, professional organizations, environmental groups, and academicians. It can be used to identify effective drinking water treatment processes, to plan for future treatment plant upgrades, to provide information to first responders to spills or emergencies, to recognize research needs, to complement literature reviews and literature searches, and to assist regulators in Best Available Technology and Contaminant Candidate List (CCL) decisions.
The State Dashboard provides summary trends of EPA and state enforcement and compliance activity, such as how many inspections were performed, how may violations were identified, and how many enforcement actions were taken. It allows the public to see trends and allows EPA and states to review data quality and to see how states are doing with program implementation. The new platform provides a dynamic interface which allows users to customize their view to best examine the data and trends they are interested in. The Dashboard covers data for five program areas: Air, Drinking Water, Hazardous Waste, Pesticides, and NPDES.
EPA and states have partnered to develop a comprehensive list of Clean Water Act (CWA) violators. Reports include details on violations and enforcement activities by facility, and an annual report with summary compliance and enforcement information by state, tribe, and territory.
The ECHO State Comparative Maps provide a quick interactive way to review national trends and compare states and territories.
The purpose of this web-based tool is to help a variety of stakeholders evaluate the economic and social impacts of pollution controls needed to meet water quality standards set for specific uses for a waterbody, such as swimming or fishing. This tool could be used by states, territories, tribes, local governments, industry, municipalities and stormwater management districts. The tool will help stakeholders identify and organize the necessary information, and perform calculations to evaluate the costs of pollution control requirements necessary to meet specific water quality standards. The tool prompts users to submit treatment technology information, alternative pollution reduction techniques and their costs and efficiencies, and financing information, as well as explain where that information can be found.
All self-disclosed civil violations, with the exception of new owner disclosures, must be made through the eDisclosure portal. Although EPA is not modifying the substantive conditions in its Audit Policy or Small Business Compliance Policy, the eDisclosure portal streamlines and modernizes EPA's approach to handling disclosures under these two policies. The changes will result in faster and more efficient resolution of self-disclosures, while saving considerable time and resources for regulated entities and EPA.
A Web-based tool that provides public access to compliance and enforcement information for approximately 800,000 EPA-regulated facilities. ECHO allows users to find permit, inspection, violation, enforcement action, and penalty information covering the past two years. The site includes facilities regulated as Clean Air Act stationary sources, Clean Water Act direct dischargers, and Resource Conservation and Recovery Act hazardous waste generators/handlers. The data in ECHO are updated monthly.
The Envirofacts search application is designed to provide a cross-section of environmental information based on the user's location. It includes MyAir, MyWater, MyEnergy, MyHealth, MyClimate, MyLand, and MyEnvironmental Reports.
A compliance assistance resource for owners and operators of crude oil and natural gas extraction operations. The Environmental Compliance Information for Energy Extraction Portal provides easily accessible information to help companies comply with federal and state environmental regulations. Compliance information is organized by statute and technical topics (e.g., well production, processing).
ECHO Notify provides weekly email notifications of changes to enforcement and compliance data in ECHO. Notifications are tailored to the geographic locations, facility IDs, and notification options that you select. ECHO Notify provides information on all EPA enforcement and compliance activities as well as activities of state and local governments under the Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act, Resource Conservation and Recovery Act, and the Safe Drinking Water Act.
This tool assists emergency managers and planners in the public and private sectors in creating or updating a comprehensive plan for managing materials and wastes generated from manmade and natural disasters. The tool walks the user through the process of developing and implementing a plan. The tool also contains many resources that can be used as aids to various aspects of the planning process.
Beginning in 2015, petroleum refineries were required to install air monitors around the perimeter of their facilities. Petroleum refineries must monitor benzene concentrations and report the results to EPA on a quarterly basis. The Dashboard improves public access to program data concerning benzene emissions along refinery fencelines and allows for a more detailed analysis of that data. Public access to this information advances public transparency and environmental justice.
CDX is the point of entry on the Environmental Information Exchange Network (Exchange Network) for environmental data submissions to the Agency. Its use is supported by the Cross-Media Electronic Reporting Rule (CROMERR) which provides the legal framework for electronic reporting under all of EPA's environmental regulations.
The EPA's RCRA (Resource Conservation and Recovery Act) Public Involvement Toolkit provides a broad range of tools and activities that community involvement practitioners, permitting agencies, public interest groups, community leaders, and facility owners/operators can use to empower communities to become more actively involved in the permit and cleanup decision-making processes at hazardous waste management facilities. This resource complements the 2016 edition of the RCRA Public Participation Manual and was designed as an online resource to help users identify opportunities and methods for engagement throughout the RCRA public participation process.
SPECIATE is the EPA's repository of organic gas and particulate matter (PM) speciation profiles of air pollution sources. Among the many uses of speciation data, these emission source profiles are used to: create speciated emissions inventories for regional haze, PM, greenhouse gas (GHG), and photochemical air quality modeling; estimate hazardous air pollutant (HAP) emissions from PM and organic gas emissions; provide input to the Chemical Mass Balance (CMB) receptor model; and, verify profiles derived from ambient measurements by multivariate receptor models (e.g., factor analysis and positive matrix factorization).
The site is used to report alleged violations of environmental law. Any member of the public can report an alleged violation. The site guides the user through the process and asks questions in a way that allows the person reporting a potential violation to clarify exactly what he or she is reporting. Once a tip is filed online, it is reviewed by the criminal enforcement program at EPA headquarters, within 48 hours if possible.
FedCenter.gov's Facility Regulatory Tour is an activity-based guide designed to help Federal facility environmental managers meet their regulatory requirements. It also provides information on green products, P2 opportunities and best practices related to a particular facility activity.
This portal is intended to help generators find hazardous waste compliance assistance resources. The portal includes both federal and state information and it covers most industrial and commercial business sectors. The portal catalogs over 800 hazardous waste compliance resources, including guidebooks, fact sheets, reports, checklists, web sites, contacts, and regulations. Various features are available to assist users in finding the best guidance materials and answers to specific questions.
Learn the condition of local streams, lakes and other waters anywhere in the US... quickly and in plain language. See if your local waterway was checked for pollution, what was found, and what is being done. The source of this information is a US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) database of State water quality monitoring reports provided under the Clean Water Act.
How's My Waterway 2.0 is a tool that assembles publicly available water quality data into a user-friendly package of information on the quality of our nation's waters. The information the tool provides may help identify areas of need where green infrastructure can improve water quality, assist in the ecological restoration of water bodies, and have a positive impact on aquatic resources and recreational opportunities.
This EPA site consists of two tables. Table 1 lists various tools and information for the layperson. Each site is designed to allow citizens to find out more about a specific waterbody in his/her neighborhood or community in an easily understandable format. For most, all one needs is a location, waterbody name or zip code to begin. Table 2 provides more advanced tools and databases for water resource managers who may be assessing waters, developing TMDLs or planning restoration actions.
The FedCenter's My Community / My Facility page provides access to the numerous data systems which contain information about issues such as: your compliance record, the permits you have, the wastes generated by your facility and your neighbors, the status of your watersheds, air monitoring data, spills your facility has reported, and population statistics.
This portal provides access to groundwater data from multiple, dispersed databases in a web-based mapping application. The portal contains current and historical data including water levels, water quality, lithology, and well construction.The portal is sponsored by the Advisory Committee on Water Information (ACWI).
The roster search and referral system is accessible to anyone contemplating the use of consensus building and dispute resolution services where environmental, natural resources, or public lands issues are involved.
This EPA tool is a desktop application that estimates the annual amount of rainwater and frequency of runoff from a specific site anywhere in the United States (including Puerto Rico). Estimates are based on local soil conditions, land cover, and historic rainfall records. It is designed to be used by anyone interested in reducing runoff from a property. The Calculator accesses several national databases that provide soil, topography, rainfall, and evaporation information for the chosen site. The user supplies information about the site's land cover and selects the types of low impact development (LID) controls they would like to use.
A web-based electronic reporting tool that Clean Water Act National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permitted facilities can use to submit their monthly discharge monitoring reports (DMR). These reports certify whether permit holders are in compliance with their discharge standards.
This website provides ready access to federally maintained geospatial data, services and applications. The website makes it possible for users to create customized maps using federal geospatial data and common geographic maps. They also can integrate their own data into the maps, and share the maps through Web browsers and mobile applications. The platform was developed by the Federal Geographic Data, an interagency committee chaired by the Secretary of the Interior. The panel also includes members from the Office of Management and Budget, Environmental Protection Agency and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Examples include NexRad, Polar-orbiting Operational Environmental Satellite Radiometer Data, Sea Surface Temperatures Analysis, and others.
EPA published the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) Electronic Reporting Rule on October 22, 2015. This rule is modernizing Clean Water Act (CWA) reporting for municipalities, industries and other facilities. The rule replaces most paper-based NPDES reporting requirements with electronic reporting. That reporting is done either via the Network Discharge Monitoring Report (NetDMR) tool or the NPDES eReporting Tool (NeT). Both sites can bee accessed here.
EPA is working collaboratively with states to implement Phase 2 of the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System Electronic Reporting rule (NPDES eRule). This dashboard provides information on the progress EPA and states are making in converting general permits and program reports to electronic submissions (Phase 2 of the NPDES eRule) as well as identifying the general permits and program reports that will use EPA's NPDES electronic reporting tool (NeT). Please contact Carey Johnston (Johnston.Carey@epa.gov) if you would like to update information on this dashboard or would like more information on EPA's collaboration and coordination activities with states.
This EPA web-based application that will allow users to easy access to chemical-specific information from the Office of Pesticide Programs' website and several other important sources. Pesticide Chemical Search is designed to consolidate information related to pesticide chemicals (active ingredients), making it easier to find related regulatory and scientific information.
RETIGO is a free, web-based tool that can be used to explore environmental data that you have collected either stationary or in motion. RETIGO allows you to add data from nearby air quality and meteorological stations. RETIGO can be used by anyone to explore data that they collected, but it does not move the data from the user's computer, unless you decide to post your data to the RETIGO data repository.
The Safe Drinking Water Act requires states to report drinking water information periodically to EPA. This information is maintained in a federal database, the SDWIS Fed Data Warehouse. Included is basic information about each public water system, including: the system's name; ID number; city or county served; number of people served; type of system (residential, transient, non-transient); whether the system operates year-round or seasonally; and characteristics of the system's source(s) of water. SDWIS also include violation information and enforcement information including actions states or EPA have taken to ensure that a public water system returns to compliance if it is in violation of a drinking water regulation.
The SSOAP toolbox is a suite of computer software tools used for quantification of RDII and facilitating capacity analysis of sanitary sewer systems. This toolbox includes USEPA Storm Water Management Model Version 5 (SWMM5) for performing dynamic routing of flows through the sanitary sewer systems.
EPA's Sanitary Survey App for Marine and Fresh Waters helps waterbody managers evaluate all contributing waterbody and watershed information including water quality data, pollution source data, and land use data. The data from the App can be exported for use in predictive models and for sharing within or between agencies (e.g., public health and environmental).
This EPA tool is a dynamic rainfall-runoff simulation model used for single event or long-term (continuous) simulation of runoff quantity and quality from primarily urban areas. The runoff component of SWMM operates on a collection of subcatchment areas on which rain falls and runoff is generated. The routing portion of SWMM transports this runoff through a conveyance system of pipes, channels, storage/treatment devices, pumps, and regulators. SWMM tracks the quantity and quality of runoff generated within each subcatchment, and the flow rate, flow depth, and quality of water in each pipe and channel during a simulation period comprised of multiple time steps.
EPA has developed a collection of communication tools that can be used to promote the value of sound stormwater management for creating a community where residents want to live and work. Public works managers can use these as part of the public education and outreach efforts of their stormwater permit programs. The materials on the website are organized by the main goals of the Stormwater Smart effort. They cover a wide range of topics and can be used on several platforms.
SUSTAIN is a decision support system to facilitate selection and placement of Best Management Practices (BMPs) and Low Impact Development (LID) techniques at strategic locations in urban watersheds. It was designed for use by watershed and stormwater practitioners to develop, evaluate, and select optimal BMP combinations at various watershed scales on the basis of cost and effectiveness.
This website provides access to a collection of EPA resources with technical information about many areas of air pollution prevention, technology, regulation, measurement, and science.
Scroll down the UIC overview page to reach this tool. EPA has ten regional offices. Each regional office oversees local state, territory, and tribal UIC activities. Select your state from the provided menu, or click on your region to find local UIC information about: public notices, ermitting and registration, Tribal concerns, Regional UIC guidance documents, and Contacts.
This is a data transfer system which now allows states, tribes and other organizations to share their biological and habitat monitoring results. All data shared using the WQX framework can be accessed on-line in the STORET Data Warehouse, EPA's repository for water quality data.
Directories/Catalogs/Newsletters
Monthly bulletins summarize publicized investigative activity and adjudicated cases by EPA's Criminal Enforcement special agents, forensic specialists, and legal support staff.
Libraries/Repositories
The Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) is the codification of the general and permanent rules published in the Federal Register by the executive departments and agencies of the Federal Government. It is divided into 50 titles that represent broad areas subject to Federal regulation. Each volume of the CFR is updated once each calendar year and is issued on a quarterly basis.
EPA's online database of land, air, and water information. This new Clearinghouse catalogues available funding, financing, and instructional resources to aid communities in their efforts to improve environmental conditions. The Clearinghouse expands on the concept of the original Water Finance Clearinghouse, launched in 2017, that served as the one-stop shop for communities researching ways to fund and finance their water infrastructure needs to assist in local decision-making. The new Clearinghouse includes over 1,800 funding and financing opportunities and information resources from EPA's air, water, and land programs. Communities can use this system to access information on funding and financing opportunities for environmental projects as well as financial research, such as case studies, white papers, and webinars.
This Interstate Technology and Regulatory Council (ITRC) online document includes the PFAS Technical and Regulatory Guidance Document, PFAS Fact Sheets and Explainer Videos, Training Module Videos and external tables of data and information prepared by the ITRC PFAS Team. The document is designed specifically to support state and federal environmental staff, as well as others (including stakeholders, project managers, and decision makers), to gain a working knowledge of the current state of PFAS science and practice.
In September 2020 TCEQ provided webinars about how to use the TNC Notebook as a recordkeeping tool for documenting compliance during an investigation. • Webinar recording on TCEQ's YouTube channel • TNC notebook Adobe Acrobat PDF Document The Small Business and Local Government Assistance (SBLGA) Section hosted these webinars to help owners and operators of transient noncommunity public water systems that provide drinking water from groundwater or purchased treated water sources. The webinars also included a short demonstration on how to use Drinking Water Watch to find sample schedule information for your system.
This page contains an index of EPA documents related to water quality standards, including those referenced in the WQS Handbook. You can sort the index alphabetically, by publication date, or by topic.
Organizations
NEIC is the only environmental forensic center accredited for environmental data measurement activities. The Center conducts applied research to solve problems raised in the implementation of EPA rules and regulations and leads in developing innovative techniques, practices and procedures. NEIC promotes the transfer of new and/or applied technology, and works cooperatively with others who have environmental enforcement responsibilities or who work in the field of environmental science.
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Lessons Learned
 
General
Database of EPA's frequently asked questions.
PHMSA is announcing an initiative to convert historical letters of interpretation (LOI) applicable to the Hazardous Materials Regulations that have been issued to specific stakeholders into broadly applicable frequently asked questions on its website. By creating a repository of frequently asked questions, PHMSA seeks to eliminate the need for recurring requests for common letters of interpretations. This Federal Register Notice introduces this initiative and its objectives to those subject to the Hazardous Materials Regulations. PHMSA's objective is to gain insight regarding the utility of this initiative and topics to prioritize in the development of future frequently asked questions. PHMSA requests comment on the initiative and input on the prioritization of future sets of frequently asked questions.
This guide, dated January 2013 and released by American Rivers, encourages permitting approaches that encourage or require "low impact development" or "green infrastructure." The guide combines model permit language with excerpts from comment letters that have helped to drive permit evolution, and is intended to be a resource for community and watershed advocates.
Compliance Auditing
This guide is an organized collection of information and series of options for industry, regulators, auditors, consultants and the public, intended to measure compliance with environmental performance standards against established benchmarks. It focuses on compliance with air, water, waste prevention, waste management, and toxic reduction standards for facilities in the United States. While the guide does not recommend a specific course of action, it establishes a tiered framework of essential components, beginning with those standards where a deviation presents the greatest potential public health, environmental, and business risks.
NOTE: This Guide must be purchased from ASTM.
This manual presents standard procedures for National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System inspections of wastewater treatment plants, pretreatment facilities, and other sites.
This document outlines standards that contain requirements for auditor reporting on internal control. While not specific to environmental compliance auditing, the processes and tools necessary for a high quality auditing program are detailed.
A regulated entity has 21 days from the time it discovers that a violation has, or may have, occurred to disclose the violation in writing to EPA. Discovery is when any officer, director, employee or agent of the facility has an objectively reasonable basis for believing that a violation has, or may have occurred. Entities must now make almost all disclosures through the eDisclosure System.
In the 11 April 2000 revised policy, the incentives that EPA makes available for those who meet the terms of the Audit Policy include the elimination or substantial reduction of the gravity component of civil penalties and a determination not to recommend criminal prosecution of the disclosing entity. The Policy also restates EPA's long-standing practice of not requesting copies of regulated entities' voluntary audit reports to trigger Federal enforcement investigations and reflects EPA's continuing commitment to encouraging voluntary self-policing while preserving fair and effective enforcement. It lengthens the prompt disclosure period to 21 days, clarifies that the independent discovery condition does not automatically preclude Audit Policy credit in the multi-facility context, and clarifies how the prompt disclosure and repeat violations conditions apply in the acquisitions context.
Published 1 August 2008, this document describes Audit Policy incentives tailored for new owners that want to make a "clean start" at their recently acquired facilities by addressing environmental noncompliance that began prior to acquisition.
Overseas Compliance Assessment Protocols (OCAP) manuals are environmental compliance assessment manuals intended for use by Department of Defense (DOD) installations that are located overseas. The OCAP manuals are based on Final Governing Standards (FGS) developed specifically for use in countries that host DOD installations. The manuals enable users to: identify applicable environmental regulations, document instances of environmental noncompliance, develop action plans to eliminate the noncompliance, and prevent future noncompliance. Service-specific supplements to the FGS-based OCAP manuals are available for use by the U.S. Air Force, the U.S. Army, the U.S. Navy, and U.S. Marines. The FGS-based manuals are updated as necessary; the service-specific supplements developed for use overseas are updated annually. FedCenter.gov membership is also required for access to these documents.
The Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) Guide is a compliance assessment manual based on U.S. OSHA regulations. It consolidates requirements from the General Industry Standard (29 CFR 1910) and the Construction Standard (29 CFR 1926), and it also includes those for Federal OSH programs and reporting (29 CFR 1904 and 1960). The OSH Guide may be used in self-audits, external audits, and as a reference tool. The manual enables users to: identify applicable regulations, document instances of noncompliance, develop action plans to eliminate the noncompliance, and prevent future noncompliance. Agency-specific supplements to the OSH Guide are available for the Air Force, the Air Force Reserve, and the Air National Guard. Also in this series are manuals based on the Nuclear Regulatory Commission requirements found in 10 CFR 20 and 10 CFR 31. The manuals are updated quarterly as necessary. Access is restricted to FedCenter.gov members and Federal Agency sponsorship.
Between 1997 and 2001 the EPA issued 11 audit protocols that provide coverage of the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA), Clean Water Act (CWA), the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act (EPCRA), and the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA), the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA), the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA), and the Toxic Substance Control Act (TSCA). In addition, there is a "how to" manual on designing and implementing environmental compliance auditing programs for Federal agencies and facilities. NONE OF THESE DOCUMENTS HAVE BEEN UPDATED SINCE THEIR ORIGINAL PUBLICATION.
For up-to-date regulatory information and audit process development, multiple Federal agencies use the U.S. TEAM Guide and the State Supplement to TEAM. These audit protocols/checklists address Federal and state/territory regulations in the following subject areas: air emissions; cultural resources, hazardous materials, hazardous waste, natural resources, NEPA, EMS, environmental noise, cleanup sites, pollution prevention, petroleum storage, pesticides use and storage, storage tanks, toxic substances (PCBs, asbestos, radon, lead-based paint), wastewater, and drinking water. These audit protocols/checklists are available to personnel from department/agency TEAM partners via FedCenter.gov membership. If your Department/Agency is not a TEAM partner, or for more information about TEAM, please view the fact sheet.
The Environmental Compliance Assessment System (ECAS) program was developed and implemented by HQDA in 1991-92 in response to the recommendation made by EPA in 1986. Active army installations are assessed for compliance performance approximately every three years.
Enforcement
This memorandum, dated 7 July 2008, clarifies EPA's position regarding the relationship between EO requirements and proposed Federal Agency SEPs. The document explains those situations where a proposal that is similar in nature to directives of an EO may otherwise be acceptable under the SEP policy regarding acceptance of proposals "that may not have otherwise occurred" without the settlement.
This EPA website explains enforcement of standards to limit human and environmental exposure to lead in paint, soil, drinking water, and wastewater
The EPA's Civil Enforcement at Federal Facilities website provides compliance policy and guidance for federal facilities across the following enforcement topics: CAA, CERCLA, Cross-Media, CWA, EPCRA, FIFRA, RCRA, SDWA, and TSCA.
Key policy and guidance documents for EPA's compliance and enforcement program at federal facilities.
Discussion of the EPA Audit Policy and how it works. Presentation given at the Federal Environmental Symposium – East, June 2008 by Jose J. Jimenez of EPA Region 3.
The EPA policy and guidance documents provided below relate to EPA's Supplemental Environmental Projects (SEP) Policy that are currently in use.
Property Disposal
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Training, Presentations, and Briefings
Offered as part of the Whole Building Design Guide (WBDG) Continuing Education Courses, this course will provide an introduction to the concepts and technologies of low impact development, with an overview and emphasis on strategies for protecting and conserving water on site. If you don't have a WBDG account, you will have to register (for free) before gaining access to the courses.
The objective of this course is for each DoD student to comprehend advanced technical and regulatory requirements of air quality. The course will enable students to build on basic knowledge to effectively manage a complex and dynamic air quality program. Topics include: air emission inventory techniques, state implementation plans, permit maintenance, New Source Review, Air Force air quality issues, and legal issues.
This is a course offered to DoD students to prepare activity/installation Air Quality Managers for managing an activity/installation air quality management program. Topics include: Compliance, emission inventories and processes, sampling, permitting, pollution prevention and reduction strategy, control technology, indoor air quality, resource management, EPA perspective, conformity, sampling and analysis modeling, emission control technology and emission credits. The course is intended for military Active duty or a civil service employee working in air compliance whether at regional or facility level.
AirKnowledge is a partnership training program in the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA's) Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards (OAQPS). AirKnowledge develops training material focused on the Clean Air Act program areas managed by OAQPS. This website is intended for use by the public and EPA staff. State, local and tribal air agency users should view training offerings on the learning management system (LMS).
Learn more about the recent U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers jointly released proposed rule to clarify protection under the Clean Water Act for streams and wetlands that form the foundation of the nation's water resources. The webcast will provide a broad overview of the proposed rule and its costs and benefits. The webcast presentation will be posted in advance. Participants are eligible to receive a certificate for attending this webcast.
From AirKnowledge.gov in partnersip with US EPA. After completion of this course, learners will be able to explain the various interrelated aspects of air pollution control, understand the basic terminology, and have a rudimentary understanding of some of the technical aspects of regulating, measuring, and controlling air pollution.
This course is a joint EPA/State of California training. The course is designed to teach environmental agency inspectors and other environmental compliance professionals core knowledge, skills, and cross program awareness needed to conduct quality inspections.
This is an online eLearning course that is required of all inspectors seeking EPA inspector credentials and meets the requirements of EPA Order 3500.1. The course covers topics such as the role of the inspector, gathering and using evidence, sampling, inspection report writing, and the role of the inspector after the inspection is compete. This course is offered through the EPA National Enforcement Training Institute (NETI) and is open to Federal (including non-EPA), state, local, and tribal personnel after they register for an Adobe Connect account via the NETI website. The link to access the available courses is also located at this website.
This video covers the first and second laws of thermodynamics, thermal energy (sensible and latent), methods of heat transfer in a boiler, and how boiler heat is transferred.
The General Conformity Rule ensures that the actions taken by federal agencies in nonattainment and maintenance areas do not interfere with a state's plans to meet national standards for air quality. The training module covers all aspects of the rule and is divided into four modules.
This one-hour webinar provides an introduction to EPA's Enforcement and Compliance History Online (ECHO) website. ECHO is a regularly updated resource, available to both internal and external parties that allows users to access detailed information including, but not limited to, the compliance status, inspection history, and pollutant discharges at any specific EPA-regulated site. ECHO focuses on Clean Air Act stationary sources, Clean Water Act dischargers, Resource Conservation and Recovery Act hazardous waste handlers, and Safe Drinking Water Act public water system. Webinar participants will learn how to work with all of ECHO's features and will gain understanding of a valuable resource that can enhance their understanding of monitoring and enforcement of environmental regulations. Anyone who does work involving EPA-regulated sites will benefit from learning about ECHO and its various features.
Multiple webinars are available concerning the development of the EPA's e-manifesting system, how the system will work, and who does what.
Addresses inventorying chemicals, emergency planning, emergency releases, and community right-to-know.
This course covers the process of developing an emission inventory. After completion of this course, learners will be able to explain: • What an emissions inventory is and what is included in an inventory (i.e., types of pollutants and emissions sources) • The steps in the development of an emission inventory: planning, emission estimation methods, required data • How to quality assure the data and emission estimates • How to document the emissions inventory • Reporting of data • Maintenance and updating data
A collection of webcasts covering general, construction, industrial and municipal stormwater management.
This Site provides information on available, accredited renovation, repair, and painting trainers accredited by EPA.
The webinar series will include air pollution mitigation techniques related to solid barriers, green infrastructure and urban design. The series will take place monthly starting March 28, 2019, with eight sessions by international experts in the field.
EPA hosts a monthly webinar series to communicate the most current EPA research, tools, and resources related to small drinking water systems. This webpage provides links to past trainings for those interested in gaining knowledge and skills related to compliance with the Safe Drinking Water Act, Building the Capacity of Drinking Water Systems, and Drinking Water Grant Opportunities.
EPA has developed a series of educational videos designed to give the public information about air quality, health and lower-cost sensors. The videos are available in English and Spanish and can be used to learn how EPA collects and uses air quality data, how air quality health risks are communicated and how to interpret data collected using air sensors.
Please join EPA's e-Manifest Team for our next quarterly public e-Manifest Webinar. EPA hosts webinars to share the Agency's progress on the e-Manifest initiative.
EPA developed the training primarily for EPA regional UST inspectors, as well as Indian country and state UST inspectors who currently have or are seeking EPA inspector credentials. This training is open to all federal, state, local, and tribal government employees through EPA's NETI eLearning Center. Instructions are provided on this website.
Facilitation skills are used to form productive teams, plan programs, and to implement controversial projects. Trained facilitators help groups communicate productively, constructively manage diverse points of view, and create concrete actions as a result of meetings.
These are training materials developed by GSA. The training targets GSA's building managers but can be used as needed for helping to develop your own agency's training program. The materials include a test, or assessment at the end to quiz trainees on what they have learned.
This presentation will cover how to manage the impacts of fats, oil, and grease on the collection system and the WWTP. The webinar will also cover fees and permitting options for food service establishments (FSEs), public outreach options, and enforcement.
This course seeks to enhance the knowledge and skills of emergency management agencies (EMAs) and drinking water and wastewater utilities (water sector) to enable more effective cross-sector relationships. Upon competition of this course the attendee will be able to: Identify and define key actors in the water and emergency services sectors; Understand the landscape for both drinking- and wastewater utilities; Identify water or wastewater service disruptions and possible impacts; Understand recommended preparedness and coordination activities based on AWIA; Understand the benefits of relationship building between sectors; Identify immediate action items to improve the overall response effort of drinking water and wastewater utilities and EMAs; Understand the importance of increasing coordinating between drinking water and wastewater utilities and EMAs; and Identify key actors and action items for improving preparedness and response before and during an emergency.
This online course contains an overview of Cal/EPA Boards, Departments and local agencies, environmental law, environmental science, the role of the environmental inspector and basic field health and safety.
Have you ever wondered why it matters if a hazardous secondary material is a solid waste? Or what you need to know to determine if something is a solid waste for purposes of RCRA hazardous waste regulation? The amount of hazardous waste regulation depends on the type of material and how it is being managed. Often, hazardous secondary materials being recycled are subject to less or no regulation.
This Navy Hazardous Waste Facility Operators course is a 40-hour course that provides information needed by personnel who work at, manage, or supervise activity hazardous waste (HW) Treatment, Storage, Disposal (TSD) facilities or less than 90-day accumulation facilities. Course trains personnel to perform their duties safely and in compliance with legal and Navy policy requirements.
These are training materials developed by GSA. The training targets GSA's building managers but can be used as needed for helping to develop your own agency's training program. The materials include a test, or assessment at the end to quiz trainees on what they have learned.
This 5-day course is designed for personnel involved with the investigation and remediation of uncontrolled hazardous waste sites and, to a lesser extent, response to an accident involving hazardous materials. It provides basic information needed to meet the forty hours training requirements of 29 CFR 1910.120 (e)(3)(i) Hazardous Waste Operations and Emergency Response (HAZWOPER). After completing this course, participants will be more knowledgeable in hazardous waste operations, team functions, personnel health and safety procedures, and operation of field monitoring equipment. This course is limited to personnel from EPA, other Federal agencies, Tribes, and State and Local Government, and is free of charge for them. Personnel not directly employed by a government agency (e.g. private industry or contractor) cannot be accepted into this course.
Sponsored by the National Association of Clean Water Agencies (NACWA), this archive of quarterly webinars address topics ranging from water recycling and endangered species challenges, permitting options for small MS4s, and CWA rule litigation updates.
An informational public webinar was held on 1 May 2023 to discuss EPA's proposed actions to reduce exposure to ethylene oxide (EtO) from commercial sterilization facilities and healthcare facilities.
During this webinar, we introduce you to the data visualization tools called the ECHO State Dashboards and Comparative Maps. EPA's ECHO provides integrated compliance and enforcement information for about 800,000 regulated facilities nationwide. Its features range from simple to advanced, catering to users who want to conduct broad analyses as well as those who need to perform complex searches. Specifically, ECHO allows you to find and download information on: permit data, inspection dates and findings, violations, enforcement actions, and penalties assessed.
The Ambient Air Monitoring curriculum is intended for learners who conduct ambient air monitoring in compliance with the applicable Clean Air Act requirements and associated monitoring regulations. In the left column, you will find entire e-learning courses. The right column provides the content of those same courses arranged by learning objective, for learners who would like to customize their learning plan or who are looking for more targeted training content. (It should be noted that training material is not yet available for all learning objectives.)
During this webinar, EPA will show you how to conduct some basic, popular searches on the ECHO website. They will demonstrate the search process and how to interpret the reports received from a search. EPA's ECHO provides integrated compliance and enforcement information for about 800,000 regulated facilities nationwide. Its features range from simple to advanced, catering to users who want to conduct broad analyses as well as those who need to perform complex searches. Specifically, ECHO allows you to find and download information on: permit data, inspection dates and findings, violations, enforcement actions, and penalties assessed.
This one hour web-based course makes available consistent, high quality environmental justice training to Federal personnel across the country.
This 24 hour course provides information needed by personnel who generate hazardous waste to perform their duties safely and in compliance with legal and Navy policy standards. The RCRA regulation 40 CFR 262 establishes standards for HW generators.
This webinar addresses the Lead Paint Disclosure and RRP rule requirements applicable to DOD housing, other federal facilities and their contractors. The presenters cover the critical regulatory and compliance requirements of these rules, as well as BMPs that help achieve and maintain compliance.
In the fall of 2018, EPA finalized tailored and streamlined standards for managing hazardous waste pharmaceuticals that reduce the cost and compliance burden for the healthcare sector, while ensuring the safe management of hazardous waste pharmaceuticals. These changes provide regulatory certainty and national consistency on how the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) applies to the reverse distribution of prescription pharmaceuticals while incorporating flexibilities to accommodate current business practices. With this rule EPA is also taking a common-sense regulatory approach to the disposal of Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved, over-the-counter nicotine replacement therapies (i.e., patches, gums and lozenges), which will no longer be considered hazardous waste when discarded.
EPA is hosting monthly webinars to share the Agency's progress on the e-Manifest initiative. For the current schedule of webinars and to be able to view past webinars, click on the link.
The NPDES permitting program offers training courses, workshops, and webinars to explain the regulatory framework and technical considerations of the NPDES permit program. These courses are designed for permit writers, dischargers, EPA officials, and other interested parties. These recorded presentations enable participants to review the material on demand in a self-paced environment.
This webinar is designed to help states and other federal agencies better track the compliance status of individually permitted NPDES facilities using the NPDES Early Warning SNC Dashboard. The NPDES Early Warning SNC Dashboard allows users to view SNC statuses for last official quarter, subsequent unofficial quarter, and current quarter in progress ("real-time status"). Real-time statuses indicate whether a facility would be in SNC if nothing changed for the rest of the current quarter, or whether a single additional effluent violation could cause SNC ("warning"). The first hour of this training will be an introduction to the Dashboard and the second hour will focus on conducting more advanced analysis with the Dashboard. In order for federal users to obtain access to the Early Warning Dashboard (and other compliance tools), users will need to register for an ECHO Gov account.
This EPA webinar presented on 29 March 2016 the performance of various POU/POE treatment systems.
The PREP Network creates and promotes professional development opportunities for pesticide regulatory officials throughout the United States and its affiliated territories. States, tribes, and territories with a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to administer pesticide regulatory and enforcement programs under the Federal Insecticide Fungicide and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA), are eligible to attend these specialized professional development courses.
Originally offered by the EPA's Water Permits Division in September 2012, this course is intended for Pretreatment Coordinators, Industrial Dischargers, and Consultants.
Originally offered by the EPA's Water Permits Division in September 2010, this 2-h course discusses the background of industrial wastewater surveys used to identify industrial user discharges of concern to POTWs and procedures for conducting surveys.
Originally offered by the EPA's Water Permits Division in June 2011, this 2-h course is intended to inform interested parties who might otherwise be unfamiliar with the requirements of the National Pretreatment Program. Topics reviewed will include how the Clean Water Act pertains to the program, the General Pretreatment Regulations, and the POTW pretreatment program implementation requirements.
Originally offered by the EPA's Water Permits Division in September 2011, this 2-h course is intended to inform interested parties who might otherwise be unfamiliar with the requirements of the National Pretreatment Program. This webcast defines the 3 types of Pretreatment Standards, the users associated with them, and how these standards are applies.
Originally offered by the EPA's Water Permits Division in October 2012, this course is intended for Pretreatment Coordinators, Industrial Dischargers, and Consultants.
Originally offered by the EPA's Water Permits Division in January 2011, this 2-h course discusses the regulatory background or the POTW's requirement to conduct compliance inspections at industrial facilities, required compliance inspection frequencies for the different industrial user classifications, procedures for conducting compliance inspections, inspector responsibilities and qualifications, and procedures for handling confidential information.
Originally offered by the EPA's Water Permits Division in September 2011, this 2-h course is intended for POTW personnel responsible for local pretreatment program implementation. This webcast provides an overview of the local limit development process, the implementation of local limits on discharges to POTW, and the content of a local limit evaluation report.
Hazardous Waste Annual Refresher is an 8-hour course that provides hazardous waste workers with updated regulatory and technical information needed to perform their duties safely and in compliance with legal and Navy policy requirements.
This EPA training module escribes the universal waste program, found in 40 CFR 273 and defines which hazardous wastes may be handled under these streamlined regulations.
Discussion of the EPA Audit Policy and how it works. Presentation given at the Federal Environmental Symposium – East, June 2008 by Jose J. Jimenez of EPA Region 3.
The focus of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 was leak prevention and included a provision for States to annually report the sources and causes of UST releases. The average percentage of unknown release sources was approximately 40% and the average percentage of unknown release causes was approximately 60% based on most recent available EPA Public Record reports posted on State websites. This webinar, recorded April 2020, discusses the currently available source and cause information nationally, the impacts of source and cause at the State level, and corrosion/degradation related issues internally and externally for UST systems. The webinar will also present a State example of how one can document source and cause more thoroughly for future national leak prevention analysis efforts.
This training is designed and directed towards the federal facility manager and provides the opportunity to learn about the SPCC requirements, an overview of the inspection process, and common violations. The training will assist federal facility managers to maintain and/or improve compliance with SPCC requirements. The course will provide an SPCC 101 overview for facility managers. (See PDF file FED FACILTY Webinar Sept 2023 1_5 hours final)
This training is designed to allow federal facility personnel and other environmental professionals the opportunity to learn about the SPCC requirements, the inspection process, and common violations. The training will assist federal facilities to maintain and/or improve compliance with SPCC requirements. The objective of this training is to assist federal facilities with the implementation of their SPCC programs designed to prevent oil discharges from impacting navigable waters. The training is targeted for facilities with oil: storage, processing, refining, transferring, and activities or equipment using/consuming oil and oil products. The course will provide an SPCC 101 overview, a "deeper dive" into the SPCC rules, their applicability and requirements (e.g. containment, tank integrity, plan updates, etc.) for federal facility operators and certifying Professional Engineers (PEs). The US EPA SPCC inspection process and expectations will be discussed. An in-depth pictorial review of typical noncompliance found during EPA inspections will be provided. (See PDF file FED FACILTY Webinar Sept 2023 draft 4 hours)
EPA has developed three Web-based training modules on topics related to TMDLs and NPDES permitting. The presentations are intended for TMDL developers and NPDES permitting staff to gain a better understanding of TMDL implementation through NPDES permits. Each module is offered as a recorded presentation that enables participants to review the material on demand in a self-paced environment. In addition, the modules are also available as unrecorded PowerPoint presentations with slides and scripts.
This course provides an overview of TSCA and the regulation of toxic substances including asbestos, PCBs, and lead-based paint. This course is offered through the EPA National Enforcement Training Institute (NETI) and is open to Federal (including non-EPA), state, local, and tribal personnel after they register for an Adobe Connect account via the NETI website. The link to access the available courses is also located at this website.
3-h Web-based course (not CD-ROM) is designed to orient new employees, provide refresher training, and supplement annual training for the Underground Injection Control (UIC) program. Topics include the function of each class of well, variations of well types within a class (when applicable), mechanical integrity testing (MIT) of each well class, and plugging and abandonment of each class of well.
These are training materials developed by GSA. The training targets GSA's building managers but can be used as needed for helping to develop your own agency's training program. The materials include a test, or assessment at the end to quiz trainees on what they have learned.
This course is offered through the EPA National Enforcement Training Institute (NETI) and is open to Federal (including non-EPA), state, local, and tribal personnel after they register for an Adobe Connect account via the NETI website. The link to access the available courses is also located at this website.
This course is designed for participants who wish to gain beginning to intermediate skills in using R for manipulating, visualizing and analyzing their environmental data. R is a comprehensive statistical programming language that is cooperatively developed on the Internet as an open source project. This freely available statistical package R is a powerful tool and is projected to become the most widely used statistical software.
This training course is designed for water and wastewater employees responsible for emergency response and recovery activities. It also explains why and how to implement an all-hazards program.
EPA headquarters' NPDES Whole Effluent Toxicity (WET) online training course covers the key elements of EPA's NPDES WET permits program. These recorded web-based course modules cover most of the material presented during the live EPA NPDES WET courses provided to EPA regional offices and to the states. The online NPDES WET modules are for persons implementing or permitted under the NPDES WET permits program. The modules familiarize viewers with EPA's NPDES WET permits program and important WET technical concepts.
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Last Updated: September 20, 2023