SAN FRANCISCO - The E.P.A. (EPA) today released its yearly enforcement and compliance results reflecting a focus on large cases driving industry compliance and that have a high impact on protecting public health and the environment.
"By taking on large, high impact enforcement cases, E.P.A. is helping to level the playing field for companies that play by the rules, while maximizing our ability to protect the communities we serve across the country," said Cynthia Giles, Assistant Administrator for EPA's Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance. "Despite challenges posed by budget cuts and a government shutdown, we secured major settlements in key industry sectors and brought criminal violators to justice. This work resulted in critical investments in advanced technologies and innovative approaches to reduce pollution and enhance compliance."
In fiscal year 2014, E.P.A. enforcement actions required companies to invest in excess of $9.7 billion in actions and equipment to control pollution and clean up contaminated sites. EPA's cases resulted in $163 million in combined federal administrative, civil judicial penalties, and criminal fines. Other results include:
· Reductions of an estimated 141 million pounds of air pollutants, including 6.7 million pounds of air toxics.
· Reductions of approximately 337 million pounds of water pollutants.
· Clean up of an estimated 856 million cubic yards of contaminated water/aquifers.
E.P.A. pursues high impact cases that drive compliance across industries:
· Lowe's Home Centers agreed to a corporate-wide compliance plan ensuring contractors nation-wide follow laws to protect children from dangerous lead paint exposure.
· The nation's 2nd biggest natural gas producer,
Chesapeake Appalachia, agreed to restore streams and wetlands damaged from its operations and implement a comprehensive project to comply with water protection laws.
E.P.A. holds criminal violators accountable that threaten the health and safety of Americans, while directing funds to affected communities:
· EPA's criminal plan generated $63 million in fines and restitution, secured $16 million in court-ordered environmental plans and sentenced defendants to a combined 155 years of incarceration.
· After E.P.A. pursued the case,
Tonawanda Coke was found guilty and required to pay a $12.5 million criminal penalty and to fund $12.2 million in community service in New York, for releasing benzene from its facility into neighboring communities.
E.P.A. enforcement work reduces pollution in the sectors that impact American communities the most:
· Settlements with
Minnesota Power and
Wisconsin Electric Power Company are cutting coal fired power plants emissions, requiring companies to control pollution and conduct innovative mitigation plans that promote renewable energy development and protect clean air for local communities.
· We're reducing dangerous air toxics released from industrial flares at refineries and chemical plants, requiring companies like
Shell and
DuPont to implement monitoring and pollution control technologies. These efforts are equipping minority and low-income communities with monitoring data, while reducing toxic air pollution for residents living near the facilities.
· E.P.A. is working closely with cities such as
East Bay MUD (California),
Metropolitan Water Reclamation District (Illinois) and
Miami-Dade Co. (Florida) to cut discharges of raw sewage and contaminated stormwater through integrated planning, green infrastructure and other innovative approaches.
E.P.A. ensures companies and federal facilities take responsibility and clean up toxic pollution they create:
· Polluted sites across the country are being
cleaned up while E.P.A. conserves and recovers federal funds. This year, settlements will result in in excess of $453.7 million in commitments from responsible parties to clean up Superfund sites, and return $57.7 million to the Superfund trust.
· When abandoned munitions posed an imminent and substantial endangerment at the
Camp Minden, Louisiana site, E.P.A. acted to ensure proper cleanup and accountability by the U.S. Army.
Major cases developed in 2014, but not included in fiscal year 2014 statistics demonstrate EPA's ongoing commitment to tough enforcement:
· A settlement with
Hyundai-Kia netted a $100 million fine, forfeiture of emissions credits and in excess of $50 million invested in compliance measures helps level the playing field for car companies that follow the law, and helps reduces greenhouse gas emissions fueling climate change.
· The biggest cleanup settlement in American history, with
Anadarko and Kerr McGee, will put in excess of $4.4 billion into toxic pollution cleanup, improving water quality and removing dangerous materials in tribal and overburdened communities.
· A settlement with
Alpha Natural Resources, one of the country's biggest coal companies, requires it to protect water quality in communities near their coal mining operations in 5 states.
More information about EPA's Fiscal Year 2014 enforcement results:
http://www2.epa.gov/enforcement/enforcement-annual-results-fiscal-year-fy-2014
