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Basic Information
EPA's civil enforcement programs help protect the environment and human health by assuring compliance with federal environmental laws. Civil enforcement includes the investigations and cases brought to address the most significant violations, and includes EPA administrative actions and judicial cases referred to the Department of Justice. EPA works closely with states (e.g., in joint development of cases), which share of responsibility for implementing federal programs, as well as with tribes and federal agencies. Civil enforcement actions serve a number of important goals, such as returning violators to compliance, eliminating or preventing environmental harm, deterring others from misconduct, and preserving a level playing field for responsible companies that work hard to abide by the law. The Agency emphasizes those actions that reduce the most significant risks to human health or the environment, and consults extensively with states and other stakeholders in determining risk-based priorities. For over two decades, EPA's enforcement programs have made a measurable contribution to reducing the amount of pollution that goes into the air we breathe or the water we drink, and by encouraging safer handling of hazardous waste and toxic materials.