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Inspection Program
Providing environmental protection is assuring compliance by the regulated community with environmental laws/regulations through effective monitoring and compliance assessment. Unless there is compliance with the requirements that are designed to provide the necessary environmental protection, the promulgation of laws and regulations have little impact.The Mid-Atlantic Inspection Program consists of actions to:
- Determine compliance with applicable laws, regulations, permit conditions, orders and settlement agreements;
- Review and evaluate the activities of the regulated community; and
- Determine whether or not conditions presenting imminent and substantial endangerment to public health and the environment may exist.
The program is staffed by inspectors who are located in the
- Regional Office, Philadelphia PA
- Environmental Science Center, Fort Meade MD
- Wheeling Office, Wheeling WV
The inspection program usually consists of pre-inspection surveillance to obtain general site information prior to actually entering the facility. Facility Inspections (on site) which may include record reviews, observations, sampling, interviews, etc., and may be single or multimedia, facility or industry sector-based, or have a geographic or ecosystem focus. Investigations which are generally more comprehensive than inspections and may be warranted when an inspection or record review suggests the potential for serious, widespread, and/or continuing civil or criminal violations. Record reviews may be conducted at EPA, state or local offices, or at the facility, and may or may not be combined with field work. Records may be derived from routine self-monitoring requirements, inspection reports, citizen/employee tips, or remote sensing.
Inspection Program Links
The following links provide information about EPA's compliance monitoring program such as inspection manuals, guides and strategies for specific regulations or for an industry sector
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Compliance Monitoring and Inspection Manuals contains Agency protocols on conducting civil inspections and/or investigations
- Enforcement and Compliance History Online (ECHO) is a new system available for public access to compliance and enforcement data, ECHO is expected to be available in late 2002. This system will allow users to view, query and search selected compliance and enforcement data.
Additional Information
- Contact Paul Dressel (dressel.paul@epa.gov) Chief, Enforcement and Compliannce Assistnce Branch, Office of Enforcement, Compliance and Environmental Justice at 215-814-2154.
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Public Information Hotline - 800-438-2474