Environmental Protection Agency
Protects human health and the environment
Key Regulations
National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS)
Sets limits on six common air pollutants to protect public health and the environment.
NPDES Permit Program for Water Discharge
Requires permits for any discharge of pollutants into navigable waters and sets effluent limitations.
Identification and Listing of Hazardous Waste
Defines what counts as hazardous waste and establishes cradle-to-grave management requirements.
National Oil and Hazardous Substances Pollution Contingency Plan
Establishes procedures for responding to hazardous substance releases and cleaning up Superfund sites.
National Primary Drinking Water Regulations
Sets enforceable standards for drinking water quality including maximum contaminant levels.
Premanufacture Notification for New Chemical Substances
Requires manufacturers to notify EPA before producing new chemicals and allows EPA to restrict unsafe chemicals.
Mandatory Greenhouse Gas Reporting
Requires large emitters to report their greenhouse gas emissions annually to EPA.
Hazardous Chemical Reporting: Community Right-to-Know
Requires facilities to report hazardous chemicals to local emergency planners and the public.
National Environmental Policy Act Implementation (CEQ Regulations)
Requires federal agencies to assess environmental impacts before undertaking major projects or decisions.
Enforcement Actions
EPA v. Volkswagen — Clean Air Act Violations (Dieselgate)
Respondent: Volkswagen AG
The EPA, working with the Department of Justice and the California Air Resources Board, reached a landmark settlement with Volkswagen over the company's use of defeat devices in approximately 590,000 ...
Outcome: $14.7 billion total settlement; vehicle buybacks; criminal guilty pleas by company and executives.
EPA v. Duke Energy — Coal Ash Contamination
Respondent: Duke Energy
Duke Energy pleaded guilty to nine criminal violations of the Clean Water Act related to the illegal discharge of coal ash pollutants from five power plants in North Carolina. The case was initiated f...
Outcome: Criminal guilty plea; $102M in penalties and environmental projects; mandatory excavation.
EPA v. BP — Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill
Respondent: BP Exploration & Production Inc.
BP agreed to a $20.8 billion settlement with the federal government and five Gulf Coast states to resolve claims arising from the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill, the largest environmental disaster i...
Outcome: $20.8B civil settlement; $4.5B criminal penalties; criminal guilty plea; regulatory reforms.
EPA v. Pacific Gas & Electric — Hinkley Groundwater Contamination
Respondent: Pacific Gas and Electric Company
Pacific Gas and Electric Company agreed to pay $333 million to settle claims that it contaminated groundwater in Hinkley, California with hexavalent chromium (chromium-6) from its natural gas compress...
Outcome: $333M settlement to affected residents; ongoing groundwater remediation required.
EPA v. DuPont — PFAS Contamination (GenX)
Respondent: The Chemours Company (DuPont spin-off)
The EPA reached a consent order with Chemours (a DuPont spin-off) related to PFAS contamination from its Fayetteville Works facility in North Carolina. The facility had been discharging GenX and other...
Outcome: $50M penalty; pollution controls required; environmental monitoring mandate.
EPA v. Freedom Industries — Elk River Chemical Spill
Respondent: Freedom Industries, Inc.
Freedom Industries was responsible for one of the most significant water contamination events in recent American history when approximately 10,000 gallons of crude MCHM (4-methylcyclohexanemethanol), ...
Outcome: Criminal prosecution; bankruptcy; led to state chemical storage regulations.
EPA v. Harley-Davidson — Clean Air Act Violations
Respondent: Harley-Davidson, Inc.
Harley-Davidson agreed to pay $15 million in penalties and stop selling aftermarket devices known as 'super tuners' that, when installed, caused motorcycles to emit air pollutants at levels exceeding ...
Outcome: $15M penalty; ceased sales of super tuners; buyback and destruction of inventory.