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
    • Cancer
    • Chemicals, Toxics, and Pesticide
    • Emergency Response
    • Environmental Information by Location
    • Health
    • Land, Waste, and Cleanup
    • Lead
    • Mold
    • Radon
    • Research
    • Science Topics
    • Water Topics
    • A-Z Topic Index
    • Laws & Regulations
    • By Business Sector
    • By Topic
    • Compliance
    • Enforcement
    • Laws and Executive Orders
    • Regulations
    • Report a Violation
    • Environmental Violations
    • Fraud, Waste or Abuse
    • About EPA
    • Our Mission and What We Do
    • Headquarters Offices
    • Regional Offices
    • Labs and Research Centers
    • Planning, Budget, and Results
    • Organization Chart
    • EPA History

Breadcrumb

  1. Home
  2. News Releases

EPA Announces FY 2020 Enforcement and Compliance Achievements

January 13, 2021

Contact Information
EPA Press Office (press@epa.gov)

WASHINGTON (January 13, 2021) — In Fiscal Year (FY) 2020, the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) enforcement and compliance assurance program achieved tremendous results for the public and the environment, increasing the environmental benefits of its cases despite the COVID-19 public health emergency.  EPA’s Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance (OECA) achieved these results by adapting quickly and focusing resources on priority matters during a global pandemic.

“In FY 2020, EPA enforcement and compliance assurance staff demonstrated extraordinary resilience, creativity, and perseverance as they continued to assure compliance with environmental laws,” said Assistant Administrator for Enforcement and Compliance Assurance Susan Bodine. “I am very proud of the work we accomplished this year.”

 Highlights of EPA’s FY 2020 enforcement and compliance achievements include:

  • Commitments to reduce, treat, or eliminate over 426 million pounds of pollution, the most in a single year since 2015.
  • Proper treatment, minimization, or disposal of 1.6 billion pounds of hazardous and non-hazardous waste, more than all but two of the past eight years.
  • Clean up of 104 million cubic yards of contaminated soil and water, more than in FY 2019.
  • Prevention of 18.2 million pounds of air pollutants by preventing, reducing, treating, or eliminating emissions from vehicle and engine air sources through resolution of 31 civil enforcement cases for tampering and aftermarket defeat devices—the most for any one year in the agency’s history.
  • 247 new criminal cases opened, 77 more than in FY 2019 and the most since 2014.
  • Superfund response and cash-out settlements of over $636 million for cleanup work, $65 million more than FY 2019, as well as $178.4 million for EPA’s costs.

To see EPA’s FY 2020 Annual Environmental Enforcement Results, including case highlights, visit:    https://www.epa.gov/enforcement/enforcement-annual-results-fiscal-year-2020

Members of the public can help protect our environment by identifying and reporting environmental violations. Learn more here.

Related Links

  • Headquarters
  • Read other EPA News Releases about Compliance and Enforcement
Contact Us about News Releases
Contact Us to ask a question, provide feedback, or report a problem.
Last updated on February 21, 2024
  • Assistance
  • Spanish
  • Arabic
  • Chinese (simplified)
  • Chinese (traditional)
  • French
  • Haitian Creole
  • Korean
  • Portuguese
  • Russian
  • Tagalog
  • Vietnamese
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
  • Inspector General
  • Jobs
  • Newsroom
  • Regulations.gov
  • Subscribe
  • USA.gov
  • White House

Ask.

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

Follow.