Enforcement at Federal Facilities
Federal agencies and their facilities must comply with environmental laws and requirements in the same manner and to the same extent as any other regulated facility.
Federal facilities include lands and improvements to lands (buildings, structures, and equipment) owned by, constructed or manufactured for the purpose of leasing to, the federal government. (See the definition of all types of federal facilities.)
On this page:
- Environmental Laws
- Enforcement and Compliance Resources
- Policy and Guidance
- Cleanup & Waste Information
Environmental Laws & Federal Facilities
EPA has explicit authority to enforce the law and assess fines at federal facilities violating environmental statutes including the:
Federal facilities must also clean up environmental contamination at their facilities, and federal facilities that are significantly contaminated may be listed on the National Priorities List (NPL). Cleanup is required by presidential Executive Orders, and the environmental statutes listed below, which also give EPA authority to enforce these requirements:
- Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA or Superfund)
- Resource Conservation And Recovery Act (RCRA), including the Underground Storage Act (UST) program
- Oil Pollution Act (OPA)
- Clean Water Act (CWA)
Find a federal facilities’ compliance history with the Clean Water Act, Clean Air Act, and hazardous waste laws. Search ECHO (Enforcement and Compliance History Online)
Federal Facility Enforcement and Compliance Resources:
- EPA’s Guide to Enforcement and Compliance at Federal Facilities explains the federal government’s responsibilities under the environmental statutes, and the enforcement and compliance process used by EPA at federal facilities (Formerly known as The Yellow Book: Guide to Environment and Compliance at Federal Facilities”
- FedCenter, is an inter-agency environmental stewardship and compliance assistance center for federal facilities.
Federal Facility Enforcement Policy and Guidance
- EPA Enforcement Policy for Government Owned, Contractor Operated (GOCO) Facilities (January 7, 1994)
Federal Facility Cleanup & Waste Information
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Hastings Naval Ammunition Depot
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Tyndall Air Force Base
- Letter to Mr. Gerald F. Pease, US Air Force and Ms. Maureen Sullivan US DOD regarding contamination and cleanup at Tyndall AFB, FL (January 22, 2013)
- Letter from EPA Assistant Administrator, to Mr. Terry Yonkers, Asst. Sec. for Installations, Environment, and Logistics, USAF, regarding the memorandum on Environmental Restoration Program (ERP) at Tyndall AFB, FL (September 13, 2010)