Managers may wonder why an inspector employed by a state or local agency is showing up to check compliance with federal regulations, according to a recent article in Business & Legal Report's Environmental Ezine. According to the article, the majority of federal environmental statutes allow states to inspect on behalf of the EPA, with the notable exceptions of EPCRA and NEPA.

On Wednesday, the EPA's Office of Compliance issued guidance that covers the criteria and process for EPA regions to issue federal inspector credentials to authorize state/tribal government employees to conduct civil inspections.

The guidance said that credentials may be provided to allow them to:

• Inspect for federal provisions not covered by state law.
• Conduct inspections at EPA's request.
• Inspect across state/tribal boundaries.