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Enforcement Economic Models
The enforcement economic models are used to analyze the financial aspects of enforcement actions. Five models currently are available:
- ABEL - Evaluates a corporation's or partnership's ability to afford compliance costs, cleanup costs or civil penalties.
- BEN - Calculates a violator's economic savings from delaying or avoiding pollution control expenditures.
- PROJECT - Calculates the real cost to a defendant of a proposed supplemental environmental project.
- INDIPAY - Evaluates an individual's ability to afford compliance costs, cleanup costs or civil penalties.
- MUNIPAY - Evaluates a municipality's or regional utility's ability to afford compliance costs, cleanup costs or civil penalties.
The Models:
Click
here to install any or all of the following five
models:
About the Models
Each model provides a comprehensive help system you can access by clicking on the help icon or using the F1 key. Please note that these enhanced help systems replace the previously available printed user's manuals. Also, all programs include a web-update feature that notifies users when newer versions are released as long as the user is connected to web when he or she opens up the model.
If you are a representative of a state, tribal, local or national government and need help installing, using, or understanding the models' outputs, please call the EPA Enforcement Economic Models Help line, staffed by an Agency contractor, at 888-ECONSPT (888-326-6778). This is an international toll-free line. Users can also access the help line via e-mail at benabel@indecon.com. For further information, contact Jonathan Libber of EPA's Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance. He can be reached at (202) 564-6102 or by e-mail at libber.jonathan@epa.gov.
Illegal Competitive Advantage (Beyond BEN Benefit)
Illegal competitive advantage (ICA) is not addressed by any of the above models. ICA is economic benefit that goes beyond the simplifying paradigm of delayed or avoided pollution control expenditures that BEN addresses. The EPA Science Advisory Board issued an Advisory (PDF) (55 pp, 228 KB, About pdf) on September 7, 2005 regarding some suggested changes in how EPA looks at this issue. EPA responded to the Advisory and is in the process of implementing the changes to the ICA approach that the SAB recommended. In the meantime, EPA will continue to seek benefit recapture based on this type of economic gain while the Agency is implementing those changes. Note that one of these changes is that the name of this type of economic gain will now be referred to as Beyond BEN Benefit instead of ICA.