Enforcement

Enforcement Annual Results Numbers at a Glance for Fiscal Year 2016

Accomplishments

The following is a list of key results of compliance and enforcement activities.

Civil Enforcement Results
Results Concluded Cases
Pollution Reduced, Treated or Eliminated (Pounds) 2 324,000,000
Hazardous Waste Treated, Minimized, or Properly Disposed of (Pounds) 2 61,938,000,000
Contaminated Soil to be Cleaned Up (Cubic Yds) 2 17,000,000
Contaminated Water to be Cleaned Up (Cubic Yds) 2 174,000,000
Stream Miles Restored or Created (Linear Feet) 48,342
Wetlands Restored or Created (Acres) 409
People Protected by Safe Drinking Water Act Enforcement (# of People) 3 650,000
Toxic Material Abated (# Housing Units, Schools, Buildings) 63
Volume (gallons) of Untreated Discharge Eliminated 1 1,140,000,000
Hazardous Waste Prevented from Release (Pounds) 2 2,000,000
Liquid in Underground Storage Tanks Prevented from Release (Gallons) 2 3,000,000
Underground Injection Wells Prevented from Leaking (# of Wells) 4
Toxic Substance Contamination Prevented (# of Housing Units, Schools, Buildings) 0
Volume of Oil Spills Prevented (in Gallons) 1 610,000,000
Toxic Chemicals and Pesticides Prevented from Misuse/Environmental Release (Pounds) 2 7,000,000
Stream Miles Preserved (Linear Feet) 14,913
Wetlands Preserved (Acres) 300
Civil Enforcement Monetary Commitments
Monetary Commitments from Concluded Cases Committment
Estimated Value of Complying Actions to be Taken in Response to EPA's Concluded Enforcement Actions (Injunctive Relief) 2 $13,700,000,000
Estimated Investments in Projects that Benefit the Environment and Public Health (Supplemental Environmental Projects) 2 $32,000,000
Administrative Penalties Assessed2 $44,000,000
Judicial Penalties Assessed2 $5,746,000,000
State/Local Judicial Penalties Assessed From Joint Federal-State/Local Enforcement Actions2 $17,000,000
Stipulated Penalties Paid2 $14,000,000
Superfund Cleanup Enforcement
Superfund Cleanup Committment
Amount Committed by Liable Parties to Clean up Superfund Sites 2 $1,002,000,000
Amount Committed by Liable Parties to Pay for Government Oversight of Superfund Cleanups 2 $92,000,000
Amount Committed by Liable Parties to Reimburse the Government for Money Spent Cleaning up Superfund Sites 2 $55,000,000
** See Cleanup Enforcement Program Accomplishments
Civil Enforcement and Compliance Activities
Activities Results
Referrals of Civil Judicial Enforcement Cases to Department of Justice (DOJ) 152
Supplemental Referrals of Civil Judicial Enforcement Cases to DOJ 16
Civil Judicial Complaints Filed with Court 93
Civil Judicial Enforcement Case Conclusions 94
Administrative Penalty Order Complaints 1,369
Final Administrative Penalty Orders 1,372
Administrative Compliance Orders 893
Cases with Supplemental Environmental Projects 107
Inspections/Evaluations 4 13,500
Civil Investigations 125
Criminal Enforcement Program
Activities Results
Environmental Crime Cases Opened 170
Defendants Charged 184
Years of Incarceration 93
Fines and Restitution 2 $207,000,000
Value of Court Ordered Environmental Projects 2 $775,000
** See Criminal Enforcement Major Case Highlights

** National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) Program - See NEPA Program Annual Results

Where necessary to reflect EPA's understanding of the precision of the data, numbers in this document and elsewhere on this Web site have been rounded to two or three significant digits.

The primary source for the data displayed in this document are the official databases of record which are:

  • Integrated Compliance Information System (ICIS)
  • Criminal Case Reporting System
  • Resource Conservation and Recovery Act Information (RCRAInfo)
  • Compass (the Agency’s official accounting system.)
  • Manual Data Submission

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