Audit Protocols

Audit protocols assist the regulated community in developing programs at individual facilities to evaluate their compliance with environmental requirements under federal law. The protocols are intended solely as guidance in this effort. The regulated community's legal obligations are determined by the terms of applicable environmental facility-specific permits, as well as underlying statutes and applicable federal, state and local law.

Environmental audit reports are useful to a variety of businesses and industries, local, state and federal government facilities, as well as financial lenders and insurance companies that need to assess environmental performance. The audit protocols are designed for use by persons with various backgrounds, including scientists, engineers, lawyers and business owners or operators.

The following protocols provide detailed regulatory checklists and are provided in an easy to understand question format for evaluating compliance:

Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability (CERCLA)

• Protocol for Conducting Environmental Compliance Audits and the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (12/1/98)

Clean Water Act (CWA)

• Protocol for Conducting Environmental Compliance Audits under the Stormwater Program (1/15/05) Guidance including detailed regulatory checklists to to assess environmental performance in the stormwater program.
• Protocol for Conducting Environmental Compliance Audits for Municipal Facilities under US EPA's Wastewater Regulations (12/1/00).

Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act (EPCRA)

• Protocol for Conducting Environmental Compliance Audits under the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act and CERCLA Section 103 (3/1/01)

Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA)

• Protocol for Conducting Environmental Compliance Audits under the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) (9/1/00) 

Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA)

• Protocol for Conducting Environmental Compliance, Audits of Facilities Regulated under Subtitle D of RCRA (3/1/00) 
• Protocol for Conducting Environmental Compliance, Audits of Storage Tanks under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (3/1/00) 
• Protocol for Conducting Environmental Compliance, Audits of Treatment, Storage and Disposal Facilities under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (12/1/98) 

Safe Drinking Water Act (SWDA)

• Protocols for Conducting Environmental Compliance, Audits of Public Water Systems under the Safe Drinking Water Act (3/1/00) 

Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA)

• Protocol for Conducting Environmental Compliance Audits of Facilities with PCBs, Asbestos, and Lead-based Paint Regulated under TSCA (3/1/00) 

Federal Facilities

• Environmental Audit Program Design Guidelines for Federal Agencies (EPA 300-B-96-011) (4/30/97) 

In addition, there is a "how to" manual on designing and implementing environmental compliance auditing programs for federal agencies and facilities.