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Enforcement and Compliance
Top Tasks
Compliance and Enforcement is an important part of environmental protection. Compliance with environmental laws is the objective, but enforcement is a vital part of encouraging governments and businesses to meet environmental obligations. The goal of the Region 5 enforcement program is to promote compliance with federal environmental laws. Successful implementation of the federal enforcement program provides a deterrent to non-compliance and contributes to the Region 5 mission of protecting human health and preserving natural resources.
Results and Case Summaries
Region 5’s enforcement program evaluates and determines a facility’s compliance with the following environmental laws: Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act, Safe Drinking Water Act, Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (commonly known as Superfund), Resource Conservation and Recovery Act, Residential Lead-Based Paint Hazard Reduction Act, Asbestos Hazard Emergency Response Act, Federal Insecticide Fungicide and Rodenticide Act, Emergency Planning and Community Right to Know and Toxic Substances Control Act.
If a company is found to be breaking the law or in noncompliance, Region 5 can compel the company to come into compliance and assess injunctive relief, penalties and restoration of damaged and contaminated resources and property. Region 5 can also determine whether there was criminal conduct by a company or person that threatens people’s health and environment.
Region 5 works on EPA’s National Enforcement Initiatives, with a regional emphasis on:
- Air Enforcement - improving air quality and reducing air toxics reductions in disproportionately impacted areas
- Water Enforcement - protecting and restoring Region 5’s water quality from sewage, animal waste and contaminated stormwater
- Abating lead pollution through enforcing lead rules.
- Removing impairments in Great Lakes Areas of Concern and restoring Great Lakes river systems