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Environmental Crimes Case Bulletins

The Environmental Crimes Case Bulletins summarize monthly publicized investigative activity and adjudicated cases by EPA's Criminal Enforcement special agents, forensic specialists, and legal support staff.  Sign up to get notified via email when new bulletins become available.

Data and Search Tools

The Summary of Criminal Prosecutions database provides information on concluded criminal enforcement cases.  Searchable fields include dates, district court, state, defendant, statute and text searches.

Use EPA's Enforcement and Compliance History Online website to search for facilities in your community to assess  their complince with environmental regulations.  You can also investigate pollution sources, examine and create enforcement-related maps, or explore your states performance.

Pamphlets and Brochures:

• Criminal Enforcement Pamphlets and Brochures
  These 5 documents provide background information on the criminal enforcement program and the National Enforcement Investigations Center (NEIC).

Publications

Articles:

• Disarm the EPA?

Article published in Bloomberg BNA Daily Environment Report. Author: Michael R. Fisher

Reports:

• Management Review of the Office of Criminal Enforcement, Forensics and Training

A management review of the Office of Criminal Enforcement, Forensics and Training (OCEFT), which was intended to analyze the management practices of the office and to recommend improvements that would further the mission of the organization.

Alerts

• Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations, Volume 1, Issue 3, July 2013
  Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs) are a subset of livestock and poultry Animal Feeding Operations (AFOs) that meet the regulatory thresholds of number of animals for various animal types. These operations generate significant volumes of animal waste which, if improperly managed, can result in environmental and human health risks such as water quality impairment, fish kills, algal blooms, contamination of drinking water sources, and transmission of disease‐causing bacteria and parasites associated with food and waterborne diseases.

• False Vehicle Emissions, Volume 1, Issue 2, Nov. 2011
  Fraudulent vehicle emissions test schemes have been around for many years but have been difficult to detect and enforce against because inspectors had to be "caught in the act." New vehicle testing technology makes inspection fraud easier to detect and spurs increased EPA Criminal Enforcement.

• Lead Based Paint, Volume 1, Issue 1, Sept. 2011
  Exposure to lead based paint endangers the health of all citizens, but especially young children. The cases included in this enforcement alert involve licensed inspectors and building managers who failed to meet their responsibilities under lead based paint regulations.

Policies and Guidance

• The Exercise of Investigative Discretion, January 12, 1994.
  Authored by: Earl E. Devaney, Director of Criminal Enforcement.
  This document establishes case selection criteria for cases investigated by EPA's Office of Criminal Enforcement, Criminal Investigation Division.

• OECA Parallel Proceeding Policy, September 24, 2007.
  This policy reaffirms and clarifies the earlier policies, while adding procedural mechanisms to enhance effective communications between the Agency's civil and criminal enforcement programs.

• Compliance-Focused Environmental Management System - Enforcement Agreement Guidance, June 2005
  This document presents key elements for a compliance focused EMS and how these elements may be incorporated into environmental enforcement investigations

• Process-Base investigation Guide, March, 1997 - EPA-330/9-97-001
  This guide provides information on process-based investigations.

Papers

Environmental Criminal Forensics – Tri-Annual Interpol Forensics Conferences

• Guidelines and Resources for Conducting An Environmental Crime Investigation in the United States; Environmental Forensics (2002) 3, 91-113  Exit
• Environmental Crime; 14th International Forensic Science Symposium (2004)
• Environmental Crime; 15th International Forensic Science Symposium (2007)
• Environmental Crime: 16th International Forensics Science Symposium (2010)

International Network for Environmental Compliance and Enforcement Conference

• Case Studies: Use of Remote Sensing and Other Investigatory Techniques; Lubieniecki; 8th International Conference on Environmental Compliance and Enforcement, Cape Town, South Africa, 2009  Exit
• Laboratory Analysis of Catalytic Converters Leads to Better Enforcement Results; Smith, Suggs, Isin; 9th International Conference on Environmental Compliance and Enforcement, Whistler, British Columbia, 2011 Exit
• Port of Huntington Geographic Enforcement/Compliance Initiative: A Case Study in Inter- and Intra-Agency Cooperation; Lubieniecki; 9th International Conference on Environmental Compliance and Enforcement, Whistler, British Columbia, 2011  Exit