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The EPA on Thursday released the results of its enforcement
and compliance program, which concluded civil and criminal enforcement actions
requiring regulated entities to spend an estimated $11.8 billion on pollution
controls, cleanup and environmental projects, a record for the agency.
Among the actions were included record settlements with American Electric Power, and Taiwanese manufacturing giant Jenn Feng Industrial. Massey Energy Company, a coal power producer in the Eastern United States, and British Petroleum (Alaska), a subsidiary of BP, were also among those who faced significant enforcement actions.
However, the numbers are bit skewed by these larger actions, and by counting the costs of projected effects and actions within the settlement, according to environmental groups. The EPA conducted only 20,000 on-site inspections and investigations nationwide, and instigated 222 civil and administrative actions during the fiscal year. For comparison, in 1999, the agency instigated nearly 4,000 civil and administrative actions. The shift mirrors a change in EPA enforcement focus between the Clinton and Bush administrations, toward an emphasis on settlement and agreements rather than litigation, concurrent with a sizeable reduction in independent investigation by the agency.
Among the actions were included record settlements with American Electric Power, and Taiwanese manufacturing giant Jenn Feng Industrial. Massey Energy Company, a coal power producer in the Eastern United States, and British Petroleum (Alaska), a subsidiary of BP, were also among those who faced significant enforcement actions.
However, the numbers are bit skewed by these larger actions, and by counting the costs of projected effects and actions within the settlement, according to environmental groups. The EPA conducted only 20,000 on-site inspections and investigations nationwide, and instigated 222 civil and administrative actions during the fiscal year. For comparison, in 1999, the agency instigated nearly 4,000 civil and administrative actions. The shift mirrors a change in EPA enforcement focus between the Clinton and Bush administrations, toward an emphasis on settlement and agreements rather than litigation, concurrent with a sizeable reduction in independent investigation by the agency.
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