Learn about EPA enforcement actions that reduce air pollution from sources ranging from power plants to vehicle engines. The Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance (OECA) is the enforcement agency of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). It consists of lawyers, special agents, scientists and other collaborators. Some CID special agents have special duties, such as those who protect the EPA administrator and those who seize digital evidence and conduct forensic investigations of that evidence. In addition, there are special constables within the CID assigned to specialized teams, such as our National Criminal Response Team (NCERT), which assists in chemical, biological, or radiological hazard investigations and evidence, and specialized law enforcement agencies to support EPA investigations and emergency response. Many special constables also have secondary responsibilities such as firearms instructor, defensive tactics instructor, or fitness coordinator. The Federal Office of Facilities Enforcement (FFEO) is responsible for ensuring that federal facilities (e.g., military bases, national parks, government buildings) take all necessary measures to prevent, control and reduce pollution. OBFF facilitates compliance through inspections and enforcement of all environmental laws and remediation at federal facilities. [6] EPO Special Agents investigate the most significant and egregious violations of environmental laws that pose a significant threat to human health and the environment.
Your safety comes first – never try to do your own research – report what you see to www.epa.gov/tips. Criminal investigations can be triggered by reports from victims or affected citizens, or by violations that cause significant harm. The Compliance Office (CB) identifies, prevents and reduces non-compliance and environmental risks by implementing enforcement initiatives and ensuring effective monitoring and assessment of compliance. OC provides compliance support and data and ensures the effectiveness of compliance and enforcement staff through training. Environmental enforcement is a central part of EPA`s strategic plan to protect human health and the environment. EPA strives to ensure compliance with environmental requirements. If necessary, EPA will take civil or criminal action against violations of environmental laws. Learn more about our enforcement objectives. EPA`s criminal law enforcement program has formed strong partnerships with many other federal, state, tribal, and international law enforcement agencies.
These partnerships support the enforcement of environmental criminal laws as well as related laws such as mail fraud, referral fraud, conspiracy, money laundering and RICO (Racketeer Influence and Corrupt Organization). Partnerships and agency coordination provide broad support to organizations and individuals pursuing prosecutions. This is achieved through a combination of resources, technical expertise and coordination of investigative approaches and activities. At the international level, EPA`s criminal law enforcement program works with international law enforcement organizations to identify and apprehend refugee victims of environmental crimes and obtain witnesses for investigations. The geographical jurisdiction of some offices is based on an area of jurisdiction of the federal district courts. In this case, we have provided a link to these district courts to determine which office covers which part of a particular state. Civil administrative measures are extrajudicial enforcement measures taken by CEPOL or a State under its own responsibility. These lawsuits do not involve litigation.
An administrative action taken by the EPA or a government agency may take the form of: The Criminal Investigations Division (CID) of the EPA is the enforcement division within the EPA. CID Special Agents are highly qualified, law enforcement sworn officers authorized to carry weapons and make arrests for federal violations of environmental and other federal laws of the country, as directed by the U.S. Attorney General (18 U.S.C. Chapter 3063). Typical areas of law enforcement we examine include illegal dumping of hazardous waste, illegal discharges into U.S. waters, illegal emissions into the air, and other related common crimes such as misrepresentation, fraud, and conspiracy. Special Constables come from different backgrounds and professional backgrounds. Examples of education and career include environmental sciences, engineering, technology and other STEM fields, criminal justice and criminology, law, accounting, humanities, military, and local law enforcement. Throughout the investigation process, these different backgrounds and professional fields complement each other and contribute significantly to the success of the results. The Office of Site Remediation Enforcement administers the implementation of EPA`s national hazardous waste disposal programs.
The cleanup program protects human health and the environment by requiring hazardous waste dump officials to clean up or compensate the EPA for its cleanup. EPA uses a number of cleanup agencies independently and in combination to address specific remediation situations, including the Superfund Act, the RCRA, and the Oil Pollution Act. Find closed enforcement cases on the 2021 annual results map. Regional Environmental Enforcement Associations Regional Environmental Enforcement Associations are alliances of regulatory and enforcement agencies in the United States and Canada that promote effective law enforcement Promote state and local environmental laws and regulations, with a focus on enforcement. CID Special Constables receive twelve weeks of basic law enforcement and criminal investigator training at the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center in Glynco, Georgia. In addition to basic enforcement training, CID specialized officers also receive nine-week training on conducting criminal investigations against U.S. environmental laws. There are also regular on-the-job training courses as well as ongoing training in various investigative techniques. [5] The map highlights Superfund locations where cleanups are performed as part of the EPA`s enforcement program.
The Office of Administration and Policy (OAP) recommends national policies on enforcement and compliance issues. OAP provides a range of administrative support services, including: human resources, industrial relations, budget, finance, contracts, grants, records management, and management of compliance and enforcement information on the organization`s website. The EPA`s enforcement program focuses on criminal behavior that threatens human health and the environment. It was created in 1982 and received full implementation of the law of Congress in 1988. We enforce the laws of the land by investigating cases, gathering evidence, conducting forensic analysis and providing legal advice to assist law enforcement. Click on the appropriate links below for more information on reporting environmental violations, viewing and reporting EPO refugee information, and subscribing to law enforcement bulletins and alerts. The EPA`s enforcement program prosecutes individual and corporate defendants who have committed serious environmental crimes by: The Office of Civil Enforcement (OCE) develops and prosecutes civil and judicial administrative cases and provides legal support for cases and investigations initiated in the EPO`s regional offices. OCE directly implements and enforces federal programs (i.e., programs for which there are no government programs authorized by the EPA).