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Compliance Incentives & Auditing |  |
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Small CommunitiesThe Policy on Flexible State Enforcement Responses to Small Community Violations (also known as the Small Communities Policy) encourages states to respond to a small community's environmental violations with comprehensive compliance assistance. The state may reduce or waive penalties for a small community (a community with 2,500 or fewer residents) if the community works in good faith to identify all its environmental concerns, enters into an enforceable agreement and schedule to correct all its environmental violations, and meets its compliance commitments. EPA is considering making changes to the Small Communities Policy to expand its usefulness and provide more incentives for participation. Early in 2002, EPA published a Federal Register Notice soliciting public comment on possible revisions. (See: 67 F.R 3185, January 23, 2002). EPA expects to complete and release a draft revised Small Communities Policy for public comment in the summer of 2002. Publication of a revised policy is expected to follow in the autumn of 2002. Resources available to help local governments achieve and sustain environmental compliance include:
Local governments can find more information about these and other resources in EPA's Profile of Local Government Operations, or by visiting Web sites like EPA's Compliance Assistance Clearinghouse, the Local Government Environmental Assistance Network (LGEAN), and the Public Entity EMS Resource Center (PEER Center). State regulatory agencies and associations for government and environmental professionals also offer assistance to local governments. Policy on Flexible State Enforcement Responses to Small Community Violations (PDF, 92.2 KB, 6 pages) (Small Communities Policy) -- Effective date November 25, 1995, the policy establishes parameters for state small community comprehensive environmental compliance assistance programs. Federal Register Notice: Flexible State Enforcement Responses to Small Community Violations, EPA Policy and Guidance, (67 FR 3185, January 23, 2002) -- Summay of the Small Communities Policy, impediments to its implementation, and discusses possible revisions to increase its utility. Profile of Local Government Operations Sector Notebook, April 5, 1999 -- A comprehensive discussion of environmental requirements on an operation-by-operation basis ensures local governments know about their environmental responsibilities, and where to find additional information to build their technical, administrative, and financial capacity for compliance. National Compliance Assistance Clearinghouse -- A repository for information about compliance. assistance tools and projects. Local Government
Environmental Assistance Network Public
Entity EMS Resource Center
Some of the documents provided by EPA are Adobe Acrobat PDF (Portable Document Format) Files. They can be viewed, and printed, with the use of an Adobe Acrobat Reader.
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