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Compliance Assistance and Incentives
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Compliance Assistance
We believe that with awareness, education and reasonable options, regulated businesses and federal facilities (regulated communities) will choose to be proactive in voluntary efforts to comply with pollution control regulations. Compliance Assistance programs provide information about pollution regulations, training in how to identify and report pollution violations and cost-effective means of preventing or correcting them. This is done through written guidance and informational documents, business-government partnerships, seminars, workshops and community meetings.
Region 4 College and University Initiatives
- College and University Compliance Incentive Initiative 2007 to Present
- College and University Compliance Assistance Initiative 2002 to 2006
Region 4 Hospital and Healthcare Initiative
Compliance Assistance Workshops for Colleges/Universities and Hospitals/Healthcare facilities are complete. Compliance Assistance Workshops for Prisons are under development.
Compliance Assistance (CA) Compass and Listserv
The CA Compass is EPA's newsletter for compliance assistance (CA) providers. Each edition is designed to focus on a theme or topic of interest to the compliance assistance provider community. You will find articles on EPA's compliance assistance activities, voluntary programs, available tools, and regional successes in using compliance assistance to improve environmental performance.
Subscribe to e-mail notifications of updates and notifications for compliance assistance activities.
Compliance Assistance Programs and Resources
Compliance assistance means helping businesses, federal facilities, local governments and tribes meet their requirements under environmental regulations. EPA partners with compliance assistance providers to develop and deliver compliance assistance resources such as Web sites, compliance guides, fact sheets and training materials. These Web pages describe compliance assistance materials for industry sectors and by statute.
Compliance Assistance works in conjunction with Compliance Incentives and Auditing, Compliance Monitoring and Enforcement. More...
Compliance Assistance by Sector
EPA provides compliance assistance on a sector-by-sector basis in order to efficiently reach facilities with similar operations, processes or practices.
A sector is a distinct part of the economy that shares:
- Similar operations, processes or practices
- Similar environmental problems and impacts
- Similar compliance issues and either distributes goods or performs services More...
Additional information that may affect your sector can be found in compliance assistance by statute.
The Sector Notebook series is a unique set of profiles containing information for specific industries and governments. Unlike other resource materials, which are organized by air, water and land pollutants, the Notebooks provide a holistic approach by integrating processes, applicable regulations and other relevant environment information.
Compliance Assistance by Statute
For compliance information by statute (e.g., the Clean Air Act (CAA), the Clean Water Act (CWA), the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA), and others), please visit EPA’s Compliance Assistance by Statute. These pages provide access to statute-specific environmental compliance assistance information. They provide links to documents, tools and information about complying with environmental requirements.
Compliance Assistance Resources Locator
Compliance Assistance Centers
EPA, working with industry, academic institutions, environmental groups, and other agencies, sponsors Compliance Assistance Centers that address the requirements of specific sectors. Each Web-based Center provides businesses, local governments, and federal facilities with information and guidance on environmental requirements and ways to save money through pollution prevention techniques. The Centers use Web sites, telephone assistance lines, and e-mail discussion groups that offer easy access to plain-language materials and other resources on environmental compliance.
Compliance Assistance Guide for the Construction Industry: MYER Guide
EPA’s Office of Compliance has published the Managing Your Environmental Responsibilities: A Planning Guide for Construction and Development (the MYER Guide) This assistance tool reflects significant input from stakeholders and is a product of joint effort by the industry, states, other federal agencies, non-governmental organizations and EPA.
The MYER Guide contains two different sets of checklists and detailed discussion/case studies on major environmental areas (including stormwater) affecting the construction industry. It is designed to help the construction industry understand which environmental regulations apply to them, and it can be used during different phases of a construction project. The industry can use the Guide at the Pre-Bid phase to learn about the applicable environmental requirements, so appropriate costs can be taken into consideration early. The industry can also use the responsibility-assignment checklist during the Pre-Construction phase to facilitate allocation of environmental responsibilities to all parties before breaking ground. In addition, the readers will find answers to many environmental questions and can conduct self audits by using the self-audit checklists, included in Part II of the Guide, during the Construction phase.
The MYER Guide is designed so that each of the checklists and chapters can be pulled out and used in the field. Visit the MYER Guide) to obtain an electronic copy or a hard copy at no cost from the National Service Center for Environmental Publications (NSCEP) at (800) 490-9198 or visit the EPA catalog search. Please specify document number EPA305-B-04-003 when you request a copy.
Environmental Management System (EMS)
An Environmental Management System (EMS) is a set of processes and practices that enable an organization to reduce its environmental impacts and increase its operating efficiency. The EPA Environmental Management System web site provides information and resources related to EMS for businesses, associations, the public, and state and federal agencies.
Federal Facilities Compliance Assistance
Federal facilities, like other regulated facilities, must comply with environmental laws and regulations. Additionally, federal facilities must comply with Presidential Executive Orders. Part of EPA's mission is to ensure that Federal facilities comply with all environmental regulations and to assist federal facilities in complying with these requirements. This page contains compliance assistance and pollution prevention information specifically designed for federal facilities.
Financing for Compliance Assistance
Private Sector: One of the major challenges of the 21st century is obtaining funds for environmental programs. However, knowledge about how to fund these programs is often limited. As a result, there is an unprecedented demand for information on financing environmental facilities and services at the local level. To fill this gap in knowledge/skill, EPA has provided seed money for the creation of a network of university-based programs providing financial outreach services to regulated communities; collectively called Environmental Financial Centers (EFCs).
The Network consists of nine EFCs that share information and expertise on finance issues and engage jointly in projects. The EFCs educate State and Local officials and small businesses on lowering costs of compliance and pollution prevention, increasing investments in environmental protection, improving financial capacity to own/operate environmental systems, encouraging the full cost pricing of environmental services, and identifying and evaluating financing tools and options.
Public Sector: In the next twenty years cities, counties and tribes will need to spend billions of dollars to improve capital assets and remain in compliance with federal environmental laws. New technologies and asset management techniques may help local governments create a plan to finance major capital assets, ensure compliance with environmental statutes and regulations and minimize health and environmental risks. For more information on how to fund for compliance, please visit Financing for Environmental Compliance.
National Priorities for Enforcement and Compliance Assistance
EPA's national enforcement and compliance assurance program is characterized by its multi-media scope and breadth. The national program is responsible for maximizing compliance with 10 distinct federal environmental statutes dealing with prevention and control of air pollution, water pollution, hazardous waste, toxic substances, and pesticides. The Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance (OECA) carries out compliance and enforcement activities in 28 separate program areas.
The national program is organized into two major components:
- A limited number of national program priorities, which focus on significant environmental risks and noncompliance patterns
- Core program activities that implement the requirements of all environmental laws and programs
OECA established National Priorities for Fiscal Years 2008 - 2010 and announced these priorities through the FY2008 National Program Managers' (NPM) Guidance (PDF) (85pp, 1.2M, About PDF) in May 2007.
Small Business
For compliance assistance help tailored for small businesses, please visit the following websites:
Tribal Compliance Assistance Center ("Tribal Portal")
The EPA Tribal Portal was created as a gateway to EPA environmental information specifically related to tribal governments, such as environmental policies, practices and laws. This site also serves as a gateway to other tribal resources around the web, and in some instances, links will take users off of the EPA site.
Key Documents for EPA Compliance Assistance Providers
- Compliance Assistance Measurement (including sample tools)
- Guide for Measuring Compliance Assistance Outcomes
- Government Performance Results Act (GPRA) measures for Compliance Assistance
- Compliance Assistance Conclusion Data Sheet (CACDS)
- Integrated Strategies Guide (PDF) (115pp, 5.3M)
Compliance Assistance Contact
Wesley Hardegree
Region 4 Compliance Assistance Coordinator
Phone: (404) 562-9629
Fax: (404) 562-9598
e-mail: Wes Hardegree (hardegree.wes@epa.gov )
Compliance Incentives
These are actions and programs designed to provide specific rewards or opportunities to regulated communities for voluntary compliance efforts.
- EPA Audit Policy
- Region 4 brochure entitled "The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Audit Policy" PDF (2 PP, 106 K)
- EPA Small Business Compliance Policy
- Compliance Incentives and Auditing
- Region 4 Self-Disclosure of Violations
Compliance Incentives Contact
Wesley Hardegree
Region 4 Compliance Assistance Coordinator
Phone: (404) 562-9629
Fax: (404) 562-9598
e-mail: Wes Hardegree (hardegree.wes@epa.gov)