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Protecting New England's Environment
2006 Office of Environmental Stewardship Year in Review
National Annual
Results 2006
EPA
puts significant effort into protecting people’s health and the
environment in New England by ensuring compliance with environmental laws. As
a result of enforcement actions taken in Fiscal Year (FY) 2006 (October
1, 2005 – September 30, 2006), we project that more than 2.6 million
pounds of pollutants will be reduced in New England’s six states (Connecticut,
Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Vermont), primarily
as a result of our enforcement actions under Superfund and the Clean Water
Act.
Injunctive Relief (work required to bring facilities into compliance) – The estimated dollar value of cleanup or corrective action required by EPA New England in FY2006 will total more than $436 million, the highest total ever achieved by the Region. A major portion of this work will include improvements in combined sewer overflows and sanitary sewer overflows in Massachusetts and Connecticut, as well as remediation as a result of an order at the Beede Waste Oil Superfund Site in New Hampshire.
Supplemental Environmental Projects – In FY2006, supplemental environmental projects were included in a number of the enforcement cases we settled, for a total value of more than $1.6 million. As part of a settlement, a violator may voluntarily agree to undertake an environmentally beneficial project, also known as a supplemental environmental project, related to the violation in exchange for mitigation of the penalty to be paid.
Protecting the environment is a shared responsibility, requiring effort
by all segments of society to ensure clean and healthy air, water and land
for people to enjoy. EPA is proud of our work, both to ensure that
New Englanders understand our country's environmental laws, and to ensure
that our environmental standards are upheld.
Audit Disclosures – As a result of facility self-audits last year, the Region resolved more than 60 disclosures of violations that were submitted in accordance with the Agency’s Audit Policy or Small Business Compliance Policy. As a result of these disclosures, the companies avoided paying more that $3.1 million in penalties. The majority of these disclosures related to violations under the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act.
Inspections – The Region completed 1,125 on-site inspections, up more than 70 percent from last year, nearly equaling the highest total in the past 10 years. Storm water, diesel-idling, oil pollution prevention, and disclosure of lead paint hazards were the leading categories for inspections in FY2006.
Administrative Penalty Complaints – In FY2006, we issued 93 administrative penalty complaints, which represent a 50 percent increase over last year.
Referrals – In FY2006, we referred 26 enforcement cases to the US Department of Justice, double the number from FY2005.
Compliance Assistance Activities – Over the past year, the Region held 141 workshops and/or training sessions, and along with one-on-one assistance, we were able to reach more than 34,000 individuals within the regulated community. In terms of our regional enforcement and compliance assistance web site, we recorded close to 426,000 hits or page requests from the site.
FY2006 Enforcement and Compliance Assistance Highlights
- Marinas
- Superfund Enforcement
- Lead Paint Hazards
- Wet Weather
- Drinking Water Security
- Air Quality
- Performance Track
- Alternative Dispute Resolution
Compliance and Enforcement Annual Results
Numbers at a Glance
Region 1
Estimated Environmental Benefits of Enforcement
Actions |
||
|---|---|---|
| Pollutants Reduced (Pounds) | 2.6 Milllion Pounds | |
| Injuctive Relief | $436 Million | |
| Value of Supplemental Environmental Projects (SEPs) | $1.6 Million | |
| On-site Inspections | 1,125 | |
| Number of Workshops | 141 | |
| Total Entities Reached by Compliance Assistance | 34,000 | |
| EPA Civil Judicial Referrals | 26 | |