New Enforcement?
According to Granta Nakayama, assistant EPA administrator for compliance and enforcement, criminal enforcement is expected to increase. As reported in the BNA, Environment Reporter (Vol. 38 No. 3, Friday, January 19, 2007), the EPA’s criminal enforcement activities will continue to focus on “high-impact” cases expected to most benefit human health and the environment.
Additionally, the EPA is developing guidance outlining what EPA means by “high-impact” cases. Some of the factors in determining what is a “high impact” case include whether the environmental or health problem is national in scope, if it leaves a significant ‘environmental footprint, and if there is widespread noncompliance.
In 2007, the enforcement office will wrap up its three-year cycle of priorities for 2005 through 2007: air toxics, water pollution from wet weather events, new source review, financial responsibility, mineral processing, protecting tribal lands, and environmental justice.
The EPA has and will continue to rely heavily on its website that allows anyone to report potential violations of environmental laws. The website is at http://www.epa.gov/compliance/complaints/index.html
The EPA expects public participation with the website to increase in 2007. The EPA intends to conduct a stepped up outreach to make the public more aware of the website.
More later.
As always, feel free to call me or e-mail me with any questions at walter.james@jamespllc.com.
WDJiii