The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance recently released its annual Environmental Enforcement Results report for 2022.
The report highlighted OECA's increased inspections following the pandemic, reductions in significant Clean Water Act noncompliance "and aggressive actions to target the most serious water, air, land and chemical violations that impact communities across the country," according to a Dec. 16 news release.
"In FY 2022, EPA's enforcement and compliance program used a range of tools and best practices to hold polluters accountable and protect communities from environmental and health hazards," Acting Assistant OECA Administrator Larry Starfield said in the release. "Our FY 2022 accomplishments show that we have targeted the most serious and impactful environmental violations, and particularly violations that affect vulnerable and overburdened communities."
OECA's criminal, civil and administrative enforcement worked through its case to reduce, treat or eliminate pollutants by about 95 million pounds and issued more than $300 million in penalties, fines and restitution for violators, according to the news release.
Keeping in mind EPA's Strategic Plan for the fiscal year, OECA's focus was on mitigating climate change effects and advancing environmental justice in its enforcement program, the release reported.
Other 2022 accomplishments included protecting vulnerable communities through a full range of compliance monitoring and enforcement tools. Those tools included inspections, technical assistance that used advanced technologies and early actions and innovative remedies aimed at ensuring high levels of compliance with federal environmental laws and regulations, the release reported.
