Essay topic:

Critically evaluate the enforcement strategy adopted by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) when seeking to ensure compliance with environmental law.  Your analysis should include an assessment of the National Priority Sites System

Enforcing environmental laws is a central part of EPA’s Strategic Plan to protect human health and the environment. EPA works to ensure compliance with environmental requirements. When warranted, EPA will take civil or criminal enforcement action against violators of environmental laws. Learn more about our enforcement goals.

One of EPA’s top priorities is to protect communities disproportionately affected by pollution through our environmental justice (EJ) work. EPA is integrating EJ into areas such as:

• enforcement and compliance program planning and implementation,
• identifying cases to pursue and
• developing solutions to benefit overburdened communities. 

Learn more about the Environmental Justice 2020 Action Agenda

This section provides basic information on EPA’s enforcement and compliance programs, actions, activities, reports and data.

Enforcement Programs

Many of the nation’s environmental statutes contain both civil and criminal revisions to address pollution violations. 

• What is the difference between Criminal and Civil Enforcement?