Compliance and Enforcement

Supplemental Environmental Projects (SEPs)
Beneficial environmental projects as part of settlement

Region 9 Compliance and Enforcement Newsroom

The Pacific Southwest region encompasses diverse landscapes and cultures and includes some of the nation’s fastest-growing metropolitan areas as well as the world’s most diverse agricultural economy. Its industries include numerous oil refineries, military bases and mining operations. EPA works with local, state, and tribal governments and other federal agencies to achieve compliance with our nation's environmental laws through enforcement actions and compliance assistance efforts. To combat environmental crime, several environmental crimes task forces for the Pacific Southwest work out of the Criminal Investigation Division.

Environmental Enforcement Results, 2011 »
Introduction to Enforcement and Compliance Assistance »

Features

Hefty Fine for Nano Pesticide Violations

EPA fined Monterey Park, Calif.-based Kinetic Solutions Inc. - doing business as Rabbit Air - $82,400 for allegedly selling unregistered and misbranded pesticides and making unproven claims about their effectiveness. EPA maintains that Kinetic Solutions Inc. made illegal public health claims for its air purifier branded “Nano Silver Pre filter” and the filter’s ability to control over 650 types of bacteria, a violation of federal pesticide rules.

US Ecology to Pay Nearly $500,000 for Hazardous Waste Violations

EPA recently fined US Ecology $497,982 for 18 counts of hazardous waste violations at its commercial hazardous waste treatment, storage and disposal facility in Nye County, Nevada, on the outskirts of Beatty. EPA inspectors found numerous violations at a hazardous waste unit designed to thermally treat contaminated materials, like soils, to remove the hazardous components. On two occasions, US Ecology reports showed that the unit was “smoking,” releasing hazardous components to the air. The treatment unit has been permanently shut down by US Ecology.