EPA focuses its enforcement and compliance resources on the most serious environmental violations by developing and implementing national program priorities, previously called National Enforcement Initiatives (NEIs). As part of EPA’s ongoing efforts to increase the environmental law compliance rate and reduce the average time from violation identification to correction, EPA’s Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance has adjusted and renamed the NEI program. The improved program is named the National Compliance Initiatives (NCI) program, a name that better conveys the overarching goal of increased compliance and the use of not only enforcement actions, but the full range of compliance assurance tools. The NCIs are in addition to EPA’s core enforcement work, including protecting clean and safe water, reducing air pollution, and protecting safe and healthy land.

In the transition from NEIs to NCIs, EPA has made these important adjustments: (1) modifying our selection criteria for the FY2020–2023 NCI cycle to better align with Agency Strategic Plan measures and priorities; (2) engaging more fully with states and tribes in the selection and development of the initiatives; (3) enhancing EPA’s use of the full range of compliance assurance tools in an NCI; and (4) extending the priorities cycle from three to four years (FY2020–2023) to better to align with the Agency’s National Program Guide cycle. For additional information about the transition to National Compliance Initiatives, see EPA’s August 21, 2018, memorandum titled “Transition from National Enforcement Initiatives to National Compliance Initiatives.”

In 2016, EPA selected the eight initiatives listed below for the FY2017–2019 cycle. As described in EPA’s August 21, 2018, memorandum, in FY2019 the initiatives have changed somewhat in the transition to NCIs, and EPA will initiate the next cycle of NCIs for FY2020–2023. The links below connect to information about the status of these initiatives and what changes we are contemplating for the FY2020–2023 cycle.

Air

• Reducing Air Pollution from the Largest Sources
• Cutting Hazardous Air Pollutants 

Energy Extraction

• Ensuring Energy Extraction Activities Comply with Environmental Laws

Hazardous Chemicals

• Reducing Risks of Accidental Releases at Industrial and Chemical Facilities 
• Reducing Hazardous Air Emissions from Hazardous Waste Facilities 

Water

• Keeping Raw Sewage and Contaminated Stormwater Out of Our Nation’s Waters 
• Preventing Animal Waste from Contaminating Surface and Ground Water

• Keeping Industrial Pollutants Out of the Nation’s Waters