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Basic Information
An "environmental permit" refers to a permit required by an environmental law in order to emit or discharge a pollutant or engage in certain regulated activities. For example, the Clean Air Act (CAA) and Clean Water Act (CWA) require facilities to obtain a permit to discharge certain pollutants to the air or water. Permits also are used by EPA and state agencies to translate general requirements in environmental laws into specific provisions tailored to the operations of individual facilities.
Agencies at both federal and state levels are increasingly using innovative permitting techniques, seeking to improve environmental outcomes while reducing the costs and other burdens of the permitting system. These innovative approaches take a variety of forms, and are being used in many locations and for a number of business sectors. EPA has collected information on these innovations within this website.
Permitting is one of the fundamental tools regulators use to protect human health and the environment. It is through permits that agencies specify and enforce many of the requirements that govern regulated facilities. In a sense, permits represent the "contract" establishing the relationship between a facility and its surrounding community.
Therefore, permits are of great importance both to facilities and their communities. It is in the interests of both to find ways of drafting and implementing permits that achieve the greatest environmental benefit possible while lowering the cost of doing so.
EPA's work on innovative permitting takes many forms from analysis to pilot projects to full-scale rule changes. Virtually all of these efforts are done in partnership with the States, who issue most of the permits. Some of EPA's efforts currently under way include:
- Changes to permitting regulations
- Research and analysis, such as that reflected in the EMS Strategy, and EPA's international effort to learn about Integrated Permitting in the UK and EU.
- Support for state pilot projects
- Funding for states through the State Innovation Grant program as well as the Office of Solid Waste and Emergency Response Innovation Initiative
Most environmental permits are issued by states (or in some cases local governments). Some of the innovative permitting efforts that are underway across the nation are summarized in the following links:
EPA welcomes partners in the effort to continuously improve our permitting system, and would like to know more about what others are doing in this field. States, facilities, and communities can all bring valuable experience and insights to bear on these issues. Please contact us if you would like to participate, or to let us know about initiatives underway that we may have not included on this web site. We also invite suggestions about other directions where you'd like to see innovative permitting go in the future.