e-Edition: January 2012

EPA HAS A CLEAN AIR WATCH LIST?

According to the Center for Public Integrity, EPA has maintained lists of companies that the agency is keeping tabs on for compliance with the Clean Air Act (CAA), Clean Water Act (CWA), and the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA). The Clean Air Act watch list, composed of 464 “serious or chronic violators of the Clean Air Act that have faced no formal enforcement action for many months,” was obtained under a Freedom of Information Act request and was made available online.
  

According to an EPA data sheet published by Center for Public Integrity, the list does not identify which violations may pose the greatest risk to public health or the environment, but is comprised of a subset of violation identified under EPA enforcement response polices (ERPs). The ERPs define when a violation of environmental laws and regulations becomes significant. In the CAA enforcement program, these violations are referred to as high priority violations. The data sheet also indicates that the watch list might not include facilities that should be listed – particularly if violation data has not been reported properly to EPA by the state. The data sheet indicated that EPA will eventually make all of its watch lists available online as part of the ECHO database.


(Environmental Tip of the Week -11/21/2011)

Manufacturing