EPA 305-F-08-001
I sjy? i Over 3 Million Entities Reached with
% PRtX° Compliance Assistance
In Fiscal Year (FY) 2007, EPA reached
a record high of over 3 million regulated
entities and assistance providers, with
compliance assistance (CA) designed to
increase understanding of environmental
requirements, improve environmental
management practices and reduce pollution.1
Entities Reached in FY 2007
(in millions)
How did the Agency reach over 3 million
entities with assistance? EPA-led CA activities
reached more than 1.28 million entities, an
increase of 47% compared to FY 2006. EPA
reached 80% of these entities through targeted
outreach such as the distribution of sector-
specific or regulation-specific compliance
guides and brochures.
Also, fifteen (15) EPA-sponsored, web-based
Compliance Assistance Centers (Centers)
hosted more than 1.87 million user sessions.
These Centers represent unique partnerships
between EPA, industry and other stakeholders;
they provide compliance information tailored to
the needs of industries, such as auto recyclers,
construction, health care, and groups such as
local governments and Indian Tribes.
(http://www.assistancecenters.net/).
In addition, EPA provided CA to regulated
facilities during 13,516 on-site compliance
inspections/evaluations in FY 2007.
How did EPA and the Centers measure the
impact ofCA provided? The primary method
used by EPA and the Centers was to survey
recipients or users by asking whether,
as a result of CA provided, the regulated entity
increased their understanding of regulatory
requirements, improved environmental
management practices (EMPs), or reduced/
eliminated/treated pollution. Their responses
depended in part on the goal(s) of the CA
activity and the problem being addressed.2
Did recipients ofCA increase their under-
standing of environmental requirements?
More than 80% of those who responded to
Centers' surveys answered "Yes" to this
question. The percentage that answered
"Yes" in EPA's surveys was even higher.
Increased Understanding in FY2007
EPA-led
Activities
Centers
Did regulated entities take action to improve
their environmental management practices?
The percentages of "Yes" responses to the
survey question about "improved EMPs" were
also high.
Improved EMPs in FY 2007
£ «
3 ^
w £
- 2
0 &
*
100%-,
80%
60%
40%
20%
0%
EPA-led
Activities
Centers
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Examples of improved EMPs included getting
a permit, performing an environmental self-
audit, or changing a process or practice.
What other benefits resulted from EPA
assistance? At least half of all survey
respondents reported that they reduced,
eliminated or treated pollution as a result of
the CA provided.
Reduced Pollution in FY2007
80%
60%
40%
20%
0%
EPA-led
Activities
Centers
How did CA support national priorities for
enforcement and compliance assurance?
In FY 2007, EPA's Office of Enforcement and
Compliance Assurance (OECA) focused on ten
national priorities that targeted significant
environmental risks and noncompliance
patterns. About 12% of all reported CA
(4,279 activities) addressed these priorities.
CA was a specific component of some but not
all OECA priorities. The priorities with the
most CA reported were Tribal (including
Drinking Water, Schools, and Solid Waste);
Stormwater under the Clean Water Act; and
New Source Review/Prevention of Significant
Deterioration under the Clean Air Act.
Top 3 OECA National Priorities with CA
2,500 n
2,000
1,500
1,000
•5 500
* r,
Tribal
Stormwater NSR/PSD
For more information about the OECA national
priorities for FY 2005 through FY 2007, see
http://epa.gov/compliance/resources/policies/da
ta/planning/npmguidance2005 .pdf
Are there other end-of-year results for CA?
For additional highlights about EPA's assistance
to Tribes, Federal Facilities and selected
Regional initiatives, refer to the activities
described in Compliance and Enforcement
Annual Results: FY 2007 Compliance Assistance
Activities Highlights, (November 15, 2007):
http ://www .epa .gov/compliance/re source s/repo
rts/endofyear/eoy2007/2007cahighlights.html
For more information, contact: Ms. Rebecca A. (Becky)
Barclay, Program Analyst, U.S. EPA, Office of Enforcement
and Compliance Assurance (OECA), Office of Compliance
(OC), 202 564-7063, barclay.rebecca@epa.gov.
1 What is "compliance assistance? " EPA's compliance
assistance includes activities, tools or technical assistance
that provides clear and consistent information to help
regulated entities understand and meet their obligations under
environmental regulations; or to help compliance assistance
providers aid the regulated community in complying with
environmental regulations. EPA's compliance assistance
may also help regulated entities find cost effective ways to
comply with regulations and/or go "beyond compliance"
through the use of pollution prevention, environmental
management practices, and innovative technologies, thus
improving their environmental performance. To be counted
as a compliance assistance project or activity, at least one
objective must be related to achieving or advancing
regulatory compliance.
2 Who responded to surveys! EPA did not collect these
outcome data from a representative sample of the regulated
entity universe. Rather, the percentages are based, in part on
the number of regulated entities or Centers' users that
answered "Yes" to these questions on voluntary surveys.
The percentages do not account for the number of survey
respondents who either chose not to answer these questions
or did not respond to the survey.
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