Waste, Chemical and Cleanup Enforcement Policy, Guidance and Publications

This section provides policy and guidance documents related to the enforcement related to pollution by waste, chemical, and cleanup sites.

On this page:

• Newsletter
• Waste Policy & Guidance Documents
• Chemical Policy & Guidance Documents
• Cleanup Enforcement Policy & Guidance, Models, and Publications

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Newsletter

• EPA Enforcement Efforts Focus on Prevention of Chemical Accidents

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Waste - Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA)

Administrative Authorities

• Ecological Rights Foundation v. Pacific Gas and Electric Company Regarding the RCRA Definition of Solid Waste - 6/12/14

• Redelegation of Authority and Guidance on Headquarters Involvement in Regulatory Enforcement Cases  - 07/11/94

• Individual Liability of Corporate Officers as Operators Under RCRA  - 12/12/90

• Effect on EPA Enforcement of Enforcement Action Taken by State with Approved RCRA Program - 05/09/88

• Use of RCRA Section 3008(a) and 3013 Authorities in the Corrective Action Process and Off-Site Disposal Requirements of Section 121 of SARA (PDF)  - 08/31/87

• Criteria for Elimination of Headquarters' Concurrence on Selected RCRA Section 3008(h) Orders - 06/26/87

• Guidance concerning EPA Involvement in RCRA Section 7002 Citizens Suits (PDF) - 10/1/86

• Inspection Authority under Section 3007 of RCRA - 04/17/86

• Policy on Enforcing Information Requests in Hazardous Waste Cases, dated September 10, 1984, OSWER Dir. 9834.4 - 09/10/84

• Interpretation of Section 3008(h) of the Solid Waste Disposal Act - 12/16/85

• Issuance of Administrative Orders under Section 3013 of RCRA - 09/26/84

• EPA Enforcement of RCRA-Authorized State Hazardous Waste Laws and Regulations - 03/15/82

• 3M RCRA 3013 (pdf) (3.49 MB)  - 01/17/2025

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Civil/Criminal Enforcement

• Coordinated Settlement of Parallel Proceedings: Interim Policy and Procedures - 06/09/97

• OECA/Regional Procedures for Civil Judicial and Administrative Enforcement Case Redelegation - 11/09/94

• RCRA State Oversight Inspection Guide (OSWER Dir. 9946.1) - 12/31/87

• Guidance concerning EPA Involvement in RCRA Section 7002 Citizens Suits - 10/01/86

• Guidance on RCRA Overfilling - 05/19/86

• Policy on Enforcing Information Requests in Hazardous Waste Cases, dated September 10, 1984, OSWER Dir. 9834.4 - 09/10/84

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Financial

• Enforcement of Applicable RCRA Regulations at Facilities with Pending Delisting Petitions - 07/20/87

• Enforcement of Financial Responsibility Requirements for RCRA Treatment, Storage, and Disposal Facilities that are Closing - 04/20/87

Groundwater

• Applicability of RCRA Section 3020 to In-Situ Treatment of Ground Water - 12/27/00

• Waste Management Area (WMA) and Supplemental Well (SPW) Guidance - 06/28/93

• Ground Water Monitoring at Clean Closing Surface Impoundment and Waste Pile Units - 03/31/88

• Operation and Maintenance Inspection Guide (in RCRA Ground-Water Monitoring Systems) - 03/01/88

• RCRA Ground Water Monitoring Technical Enforcement Guidance Document (TEGD) - 07/01/87

• Final RCRA Comprehensive Ground Water Monitoring Evaluation (CME) Guidance Document (in RCRA  - 12/19/86

• RCRA Regulatory Status of Contaminated Ground Water - 11/13/86

• RCRA Ground Water Monitoring Compliance Order Guidance - 08/01/85

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Interim Status

• Interim Status Groundwater Monitoring Requirements - 04/09/91

• Accepting Nonhazardous Waste after Losing Interim Status - 05/30/86

• RCRA Loss of Interim Status Enforcement Strategy - 10/16/85

• Applicability of Interim Status Standards, 40 CFR Part 265 to Small Quantity Generators Who Have Been Notified and Filed a Part A Permit Application - 10/04/82

• Guidance on Developing Compliance Orders under Section 3008 of RCRA; Enforcement of Ground Water Monitoring Requirements at Interim Status Facilities - 01/22/82

• Interim Status Under Section 3005(e) of RCRA - 03/14/81

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Land Disposal Requirements

• Land Disposal Restrictions: Summary of Requirements - 08/01/01

• RCRA Policy Statement: Clarification of the Land Disposal Restrictions' Dilution Prohibition - 05/23/94

Miscellaneous (RCRA)

• Tribal Underground Storage Tank Compliance Protocols

• Hazardous Waste Management Practices at Mineral Processing Facilities under Scrutiny by U.S. - 11/01/00

• Implementation Guidance for Off-Site Waste and Recovery Operations (OSWRO) NESHAP - 09/01/00

• Guidance for Implementation of the General Duty Clause Clean Air Act Section 112(r)(1) - 03/01/00

• Sludges and Wastewater Mixtures - 09/13/99

• Revised Implementation Strategy for City of Chicago v. EDF Municipal Waste Combustion (MWC) Ash Supreme Court Decision - 03/22/95

• Interpretation of the Seventh Circuit's Decision in United States v. Bethlehem Steel Corp. - 11/21/94

• Individual Liability of Corporate Officers as Operators Under RCRA - 12/12/90

• F006-Criteria for Evaluating Whether A Waste is Being Recycled  - 04/26/89

• Policy on Enforcing Information Requests in Hazardous Waste Cases, OSWER Dir. 9834.4 - 09/10/84

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Penalty

• 2021 RCRA Expedited Settlement Agreement Pilot - September 15, 2021 (pdf) (359.33 KB, September 15, 2021)
• Revision to Adjusted Penalty Policy Matrices Package issued November 16, 2009 - (04/6/10)

• Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) Civil Penalty Policy - 06/23/03 

• Revised Penalty Matrices for the RCRA Civil Penalty Policy - 01/11/05

• Revised Consolidated Enforcement Penalty Policy for Underground Storage Tank (UST) Regulations and Revised Field Citation Program and ESA (pdf) (940.56 KB) - 10/05/23

• Technical Correction to UST Penalty Inflation Memo February 2024 (pdf) (401.94 KB)  - 02/07/24

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Chemical Policy and Guidance Documents

Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA)

• Expedited Settlement Agreement Pilot Program Under the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (pdf) (630.32 KB, 01/17/2025)

• Revised Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act Section 7(c) Expedited Settlement Agreement Program -Penalty Matrix Table (Section VII) - 08/19

• FIFRA Section 7(c) Enforcement Response Policy - 05/10

• FIFRA Enforcement Response Policy, 12/09

• Interim Final Penalty Policy for the FIFRA Worker Protection Standard (WPS) - 05/18

• Enforcement Response Policy For The Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act Good Laboratory Practice (GLP) Regulations - 09/30/91

• Enforcement Response Policy for the FIFRA Container/Containment Regulations (Appendix H) - (3/9/12)

Chemical Accident Prevention [CAA Section 112 (r)]

• Final Combined Enforcement Policy for CAA Sections 112(r)(1),112(r)(7) - (6/20/12)

• Use of Expedited Settlements in Addressing Violations of the Clean Air Act Chemical Accident Prevention Provisions - 01/05/04

Emergency Planning and Community Right to Know (EPCRA)

• Enforcement Response Policy for EPCRA Sections 304, 311, and 312 and Section 103 of CERCLA

• Enforcement Response Policy for EPCRA Sections 313 - 04/12/01

• Penalty Adjustments based on 2004 Penalty Inflation Adjustments

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Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA)

General

New and Existing Chemicals

• Interim Consolidated Enforcement Response and Penalty Policy (CERPP) for the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) New and Existing Chemicals Program (pdf) (860.38 KB, 01/17/2025)

• Reporting and recordkeeping rules and requirements: TSCA sections 8, 12 AND 13 - 03/31/99

• Enforcement Response Policy for TSCA Section 4 Test Rules - 05/28/86

• Amended TSCA Section 5 Enforcement Response Policy - 07/1/93

Lead

• Lead-based Paint Graduated Penalty Approach Policy - 09/20/19

• Lead-Based Paint Expedited Settlement Agreement Policy - 09/19/15

• Revised Interim Final Consolidated Enforcement Response and Penalty Policy for the Pre-Renovation Education Rule; Renovation, Repair and Painting Rule; and Lead-Based Paint Activities Rule - 04/05/13

• Transmittal of the Interim Final Lead-Based Paint Consolidated Enforcement - 08/19/10

• Section 1018 Disclosure Rule Enforcement Response and Penalty Policy - 12/01/07

• Revisions to the 2000 Section 1018 - Disclosure Rule Enforcement Response -12/20/2007

• Penalty Policy Supplements Pursuant to the 2004 Civil Monetary Penalty Inflation Adjustment Rule - 06/05/06

• Supplemental Environmental Projects In Administrative Enforcement Matters Involving Section 1018 Lead-Based Paint Cases - 11/23/2004

• Interim Guidance for Enforcing the TSCA Section 402 Abatement Rule - 03/08/00

Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs)

• Guidelines for Assessment of Civil Penalties Under Section 16 of the Toxic Substances Control Act; PCB Penalty Policy  - 09/10/80

• Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCB) Penalty Policy - 04/09/90

Asbestos

• Interim Final Enforcement Response Policy (ERP) for the Asbestos Hazard Emergency Response Act - 01/31/89

• Asbestos Model Accreditation Plan (MAP) Enforcement Response Policy - 03/09/98

Good Laboratory Practice

• Final TSCA GLP Enforcement Response Policy - 4/9/85

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Cleanup Enforcement Policy and Guidance, Models, and Publications

Agency policy and guidance on the federal authority to implement the cleanup and corrective action enforcement programs for the following statutes:

Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA, commonly referred to as Superfund)

• Superfund Enforcement Policy and Guidance Documents  - collection of policy and guidance documents on enforcement, liability, negotiation, and settlement procedures under the Superfund statute.
• Cleanup Enforcement Model Language and Sample Documents Database  - collection of model language and sample documents developed under the authority of the Superfund and RCRA statutes available for downloading in Word format.
• Superfund Enforcement reports and publications - collection of reports, manual, factsheets, and training videos  on enforcement, liability, potentially responsible parties, negotiations, and Superfund alternative approach under the Superfund statute.

Resource Conservations and Recovery Act

• Policy and Guidance Documents - collection of enforcement guidance on the use of the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) authority to conduct corrective action and to address cleanup of leaking underground storage tanks.
• Cleanup Enforcement Model Language and Sample Documents Database  - collection of model language and sample documents developed under the authority of the RCRA and Superfund statutes available for downloading in Word format.
• Reports and publications - collection of reports on corrective action enforcement under RCRA.

Addressing Liability Concerns to Support Cleanup and Reuse of Contaminated Lands

• Policy and Guidance Documents - access to liability, prospective purchaser, contaminated aquifers, and other policy and guidance documents associated with addressing liability concerns to support cleanup and reuse of contaminated lands.
• Reports and publications - collection of reports, manuals, and factsheets on landowner liability protections, state and local government acquisition of contaminated property, and enforcement tools to promote cleanup and reuse of contaminated lands
• Cleanup and Reuse Success Stories: Cleanup Enforcement Benefit Communities - success stories highlight the cleanup enforcement program's efforts to clean up contaminated sites and work with responsible parties, communities, state and local governments, and other stakeholders to protect human health and the environment and bring about economic, recreational, and habitat improvements.