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Basic Information
Goal
The goal of the Region 5 enforcement program is to promote compliance with federal environmental laws. Successful implementation of the federal enforcement program provides a deterrent to non-compliance and contributes to the Region 5 mission of protecting human health and preserving natural resources.
Partners
Region 5 works in concert with state programs in order to achieve the purpose of its enforcement program. Region 5 states are authorized to operate most federal regulatory programs. However, a vigorous federal enforcement presence, in both delegated and non-delegated programs, is essential to creating an atmosphere in which compliance can be sustained.
Responsibility
Within Region 5, responsibility for managing the enforcement program is shared by
- the enforcement personnel of the media programs
- the Enforcement and Compliance Assurance Team
- the Office of Regional Counsel
- Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance (OECA)
under the direction and guidance of the Regional Administrator.
Functions
The functions of Region 5's enforcement program include the following:
- Maintaining a consistent federal enforcement presence, as a deterrent to non-compliance and in support of state enforcement activities.
- Implementing non-delegated, partially-delegated, or non-delegable programs.
- Pursuing prompt injunctive relief, where required.
- Collecting penalties which deprive a violator entity of the economic benefit gained through noncompliance and which adequately redress the harm caused by the violation, as well as the severity of the violation.
- Pursuing restoration of damaged or contaminated resources or property.
- Maintaining national consistency in the enforcement of federal environmental laws across state and regional boundaries.
- Assuring equal environmental protection for disadvantaged or sensitive communities.
- Undertaking enforcement actions to redress interstate and international pollution.
- Insuring compliance with federal consent decrees, consent agreements, interagency agreements, judgments and orders.
- Investigating and prosecuting criminal violations.
- Addressing compliance issues at federal facilities.
- Supporting use of compliance assistance to facilitate understanding of new laws or regulatory requirements, with a focus on small businesses and governmental entities.
- Providing incentives to use of comprehensive compliance audits, self-disclosure of discovered violations, and swift remediation of such violations.
- Insuring the public's right to know, and access to, environmental data.
- Promoting pollution prevention and other environmentally beneficial activities through use of supplemental environmental projects to resolve enforcement actions.
Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance (OECA)
Alan Walts, Director
Alan Walts (walts.alan@epa.gov) 312-353-8894
- coordinates enforcement, compliance assistance and environmental justice issues among national, regional programs and the states,
- enforces against violators of more than one law
- promotes equal public health and environmental protection for all in Region 5.
- participates with states and other regional programs in developing enforcement and compliance goals, strategies and policies.