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About Civil Enforcement
EPA's
civil enforcement programs help protect the environment and human
health by assuring compliance with federal environmental laws.
Civil enforcement includes the investigations and cases brought
to address the most significant violations, and includes EPA administrative
actions and judicial cases referred to the Department of Justice.
EPA works closely with states (e.g., in joint development of cases),
which share of responsibility for implementing federal programs,
as well as with tribes and federal agencies. Civil enforcement
actions serve a number of important goals, such as returning violators
to compliance, eliminating or preventing environmental harm, deterring
others from misconduct, and preserving a level playing field for
responsible companies that work hard to abide by the law. The
Agency emphasizes those actions that reduce the most significant
risks to human health or the environment, and consults extensively
with states and other stakeholders in determining risk-based priorities.
For over two decades, EPA's enforcement programs have made a measurable
contribution to reducing the amount of pollution that goes into
the air we breathe or the water we drink, and by encouraging safer
handling of hazardous waste and toxic materials.
There are several EPA Headquarters offices and their component
organizations that are charged with developing the programs and
participating in civil enforcement activities. Civil actions are
those where a formal lawsuit is filed in court against a person
or entity that has either failed to comply with a statute or regulatory
requirement that call for compliance when there is noncompliance
or a violation. The Office of Regulatory
Enforcement (ORE) has purview and overall enforcement responsibility
when noncompliance and violations are by private industry, businesses,
public utilities, organizations, and individuals (i.e., the private
and public sector). In contrast, the Federal
Facilities Enforcement Office (FFEO) has much the same responsibility
when federally-owned facilities (i.e., the government sector)
are involved and, the Office of Site
Remediation Enforcement (OSRE) when cleanup or remediation
of either private or federally-owned facilities and sites is necessary.
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