Basic Information
Compliance Monitoring Program OfficesEPA's national compliance monitoring program is responsible for maximizing compliance with federal environmental statutes dealing with prevention and control of air pollution, water pollution, hazardous waste, toxic substances and pesticides. Under these statutes, EPA and its regulatory partners monitor activities under 44 separate statutory programs. The statutory and regulatory requirements of these programs apply to approximately 41 million regulated entities, such as sewage treatment plants, gas stations and hospitals.
EPA regulates chemicals and monitors compliance with environmental laws and regulations designed to reduce pollution to protect public health and the environment. Without compliance with the environmental requirements, the promulgation of laws and regulations has little impact. Compliance monitoring consists of a variety of activities including:
- Conduct of compliance inspections, civil investigations, and evaluations under the air program
- Determination of facility/site compliance status
- Entry of results of activities into national data systems
- Response to citizen complaints
- Participation in development of rules to ensure they are enforceable
- Development of compliance monitoring tools such as inspection checklists/guides
- Procurement and dissemination of new compliance monitoring technologies such as remote sensing and hand-held computers
- Development and delivery of training for compliance monitoring personnel
- Support in the development of enforcement cases
- Development of state, tribal, local and international compliance monitoring capacity
- Funding and oversight of regional, state and tribal compliance monitoring programs
The Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance (OECA) is the national lead for compliance monitoring activities. OECA's Office of Compliance (OC) develops effective compliance monitoring programs to support inspections and self-reporting. The Compliance Assessment and Media Programs Division of OC ensures effective monitoring and assessment of compliance of many of the environmental statutes. In addition, OC's Agricultural Division and Compliance Assistance and Sector Programs Division also have responsibility for some statutes. OECA's Office of Civil Enforcement and Office Federal Activities are also involved in compliance monitoring activities.
Every EPA regional office is involved with compliance monitoring.
Region 1 - (ME, NH, VT, MA, RI, CT) | Region 6 - (NM, TX, OK, AR, LA) | ||
Region 2 - (NY, NJ, PR, VI) | Region 7 - (NE, KS, IA, MO) | ||
Region 3 - (PA, DE, DC, MD, VA, WV) | Region 8 - (MT, ND, WY, SD, UT, CO) | ||
Region 4 - (KY, TN, NC, SC, MS, AL, GA, FL) | Region 9 - (CA, NV, AZ, HI) | ||
Region 5 - (MN, WI, IL, MI, IN, OH) | Region 10 - (WA, OR, ID, AK) |