National Enforcement and Compliance Initiative: Reducing Air Toxics in Overburdened Communities
Problem
EPA is committed to reducing air pollution in communities across the country, but communities already overburdened by air pollution deserve specific attention. These communities suffer disproportionate impacts from higher levels or multiple sources of toxic air pollution, including hazardous air pollutants. Many of these pollutants are known or suspected to cause cancer or other serious neurological, reproductive, developmental, and respiratory health effects when breathed in or ingested through the food chain.
Goals
The Reducing Air Toxics in Overburdened Community National Enforcement and Compliance Initiative (NECI) aims to provide cleaner air to overburdened communities harmed by companies that violate Clean Air Act’s (CAA) air toxics regulations. These regulations are specifically designed to protect public health and reduce exposure to toxic air emissions.
EPA Regions will identify overburdened communities for focused attention. Regions will target pollution sources of concern in these communities, investigate them for noncompliance, and bring enforcement actions as necessary.
FY 2024 PARTIAL YEAR RESULTS:
EPA regional offices have already identified 25 communities of focus and are using advanced monitoring tools to identify inspection targets.
As of the 3rd quarter of the fiscal year, EPA has conducted 109 inspections, issued 3 Notices of Violations, and concluded 3 administrative enforcement actions:
Best Petroleum: In January 2024, EPA finalized a settlement with Best Petroleum Pollution for failure to properly operate and maintain control equipment at a gasoline storage and loading facility in Guaynabo, Puerto Rico in accordance with CAA requirements. Best petroleum paid a penalty of $316,721. The settlement reduces 525 tons per year of volatile organic compounds. As a result of EPA’s action, Best Petroleum undertook extensive upgrades to its gasoline vapor recovery unit, installed new emission monitoring equipment, repaired damaged pollution control equipment at its internal floating roof and external floating roof gasoline storage tanks. (Press release)
Petroleum Recovery and Remediation Management, Inc. (PMI): In April 2024, EPA finalized a settlement with PMI, a Baltimore, Maryland oil recycling facility, for violations related to processing, recycling, and disposal of waste oil material including operation of bulk storage tanks, with concomitant risks of emissions of hazardous air pollutants, among other risks to human health and the environment. PMI paid a penalty of $230,000. The settlement reduces 111 tons per year of volatile organic compounds and 95 tons per year of hazardous air pollutants. (Press release)
East Side Plating (ESP): In March 2024, EPA finalized a settlement against ESP, a nickel-plating company in Portland, Oregon, for failure to install controls on several nickel-plating tanks and to maintain and submit reports. ESP paid a penalty of $139,505. As a result of EPA’s action, ESP has installed the required lids on the plating tanks, thereby reducing harmful nickel emissions. (East Side Plating (ESP) Consent Agreement)
To encourage information sharing, some EPA regional offices are developing websites to increase community awareness about EPA’s enforcement actions and to provide easy access to final enforcement documents. EPA is also working to apply the federal government’s plain language guidelines and standards to its publicly available fact sheets and press releases to make them easier for the public to read, understand, and use.
The attached map shows the location of the selected communities as of the 3rd quarter of the fiscal year. The brighter the color of an area, the more inspections that have taken place in that area.
