Criminal Enforcement

EPA's criminal enforcement program uses stringent sanctions, including jail sentences, to promote deterrence and help ensure compliance in order to protect human health and the environment. Criminal enforcement is often used against the most serious environmental violations as well as those which involve egregious negligence or conduct involving intentional, willful or knowing disregard of the law.

Civil Enforcement brings polluters into compliance with environmental laws without the use of criminal sanctions and Cleanup Enforcement ensures remediation or cleanup of a waste site or facility, including Superfund sites.

July 6, 2009
Captured EPA Fugitive pleas guilty to Environmental Violations and Assault on Law Enforcement Officers

• Fugitive pleads guilty to charges of Assault on Law Enforcement Officers and environmental violations (PDF)(2 pp, 36K About PDF) - July 6
• Former Indiana Water Treatment Plant Superintendent Pleads Guilty to Falsifying Reports (PDF) (2 pp, 47K About PDF) - June 30
• Former Army Corps of Engineers employee sentenced (PDF) (2 pp, 25K About PDF) - June 18

Investigations
The EPA investigates allegations of criminal wrongdoing prohibited by various environmental statutes.
EPA Fugitives | Special Agents | Remembering Our Fallen Agents | Signs of Environmental Violations | What is an Environmental Crime? | More...

Homeland Security
Interagency coordination mechanism and management structure to be employed by federal agencies in response to domestic and international terrorism.
Crisis Management | Consequence Management | Counter Terrorism | More...

Intergovernmental Partnerships
Alliances of regulatory and law enforcement organizations throughout the U.S. and Canada that promote the effective enforcement.
Environmental Crimes Task Force | National Environmental Crime Prevention Week | More...

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