Skip to main content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Here’s how you know

Dot gov

Official websites use .gov
A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.

HTTPS

Secure .gov websites use HTTPS
A lock (LockA locked padlock) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

    • Environmental Topics
    • Air
    • Bed Bugs
    • Chemicals and Toxics
    • Climate Change
    • Emergency Response
    • Environmental Information by Location
    • Environmental Justice
    • Greener Living
    • Health
    • Land, Waste, and Cleanup
    • Lead
    • Mold
    • Pesticides
    • Radon
    • Science Topics
    • Water Topics
    • A-Z Topic Index
    • Laws & Regulations
    • By Business Sector
    • By Topic
    • Compliance
    • Enforcement
    • Guidance
    • Laws and Executive Orders
    • Regulations
    • Report a Violation
    • Environmental Violations
    • Fraud, Waste or Abuse
    • About EPA
    • Our Mission and What We Do
    • EPA Administrator
    • Headquarters Offices
    • Regional Offices
    • Labs and Research Centers
    • Planning, Budget, and Results
    • Organization Chart
    • EPA History
    • Staff Directory
Enforcement
Contact Us

Use of Administrative Orders under RCRA Section 7003

Transmittal memorandum and guidance on the use of administrative orders under Section 7003 of the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA). This guidance updated, expanded, and superseded the guidance document issued in 1984. RCRA § 7003 provides EPA with broad and effective enforcement tools that can be used to abate conditions that may present an imminent and substantial endangerment to health or the environment. Issued 10/20/1997.

The 1997 guidance included a matrix to determine the appropriate penalties for violations. The Agency revises this penalty matrix for the RCRA § 7003 civil penalty policy to be consistent with the “Civil Monetary Penalty Inflation Adjustment Rule.” The rule, which is mandated by the 1990 Federal Civil Penalties Inflation Adjustment Act, requires adjustments to the maximum civil monetary penalties to keep pace with inflation and to maintain the deterrent effect.

Information on the current and past corresponding revisions to the penalty matrix, located on page 43 of the 1997 document, is available from the Penalty Matrix for RCRA Section 7003 Civil Penalty Policy web page.

  • Transmittal of Guidance on the Use of Section 7003 of RCRA (pdf) (5.03 MB)
  • Enforcement Home
  • Enforcement Basics
  • National Enforcement and Compliance Initiatives
  • Enforcement and Compliance Annual Results for FY 2022
  • Air Enforcement
  • Water Enforcement
  • Waste, Chemical and Cleanup Enforcement
  • Criminal Enforcement
  • Enforcement at Federal Facilities
  • Data and Results
  • Policy, Guidance and Publications
Contact Us to ask a question, provide feedback, or report a problem.
Last updated on January 5, 2023
United States Environmental Protection Agency

Discover.

  • Accessibility Statement
  • Budget & Performance
  • Contracting
  • EPA www Web Snapshot
  • Grants
  • No FEAR Act Data
  • Plain Writing
  • Privacy
  • Privacy and Security Notice

Connect.

  • Data.gov
  • Inspector General
  • Jobs
  • Newsroom
  • Open Government
  • Regulations.gov
  • Subscribe
  • USA.gov
  • White House

Ask.

  • Contact EPA
  • EPA Disclaimers
  • Hotlines
  • FOIA Requests
  • Frequent Questions

Follow.