Updated EPA Audit Guide Signals Biden Support For Compliance Policy

摘要

EPA has released new guidance outlining the process for facility self-audits, drawing praise from industry attorneys who see the move as a sign that the Biden administration will continue to back the compliance policy after its use grew dramatically during the Trump era, even as the agency looks to ramp up enforcement. The agency on Feb. 5 posted an updated frequently-asked-questions (FAQs) document for the audit program, which allows facilities to voluntarily report environmental law violations in return for lighter penalties. The document is dated January 2021, and notes that it supplants past guides issued in 1997, 2007 and 2015.