Bernd Müller/Pixabay” alt=”The number of violations under the Clean Water Act reported by the Environmental Protection Agency has dropped significantly because of an interstate compliance agreement, the agency said on Tuesday. Photo by Bernd Müller/Pixabay“/>
The number of violations under the Clean Water Act reported by the Environmental Protection Agency has dropped significantly because of an interstate compliance agreement, the agency said on Tuesday. Photo by Bernd Müller/Pixabay
Nov. 22 (UPI) — The number of violations under the Clean Water Act reported by the Environmental Protection Agency has dropped significantly because of an interstate compliance agreement, the agency said on Tuesday.
The EPA said it has seen a reduction in the number of noncompliance reports from 20.3% in 2018, to 9% at present day.
In 2018, the EPA reached an agreement with 47 states to cut noncompliance cases by 50% over the next five years. Tuesday’s statement means the EPA has reached its goal ahead of schedule.
The initiative applies to approximately 46,000 facilities across the United States, which are subject to regulation under the Clean Water Act. The goal of the program was to help ensure clean and safe drinking water for all communities.
“Five years ago, EPA set an ambitious goal for cutting the rate of significant noncompliance with Clean Water Act permits in half,” EPA Acting Assistant Administrator Larry Starfield said in a statement.
“Today I’m pleased to announce that we have met and exceeded that target achieving a historically low rate of 9 percent. This notable achievement speaks to what EPA and the states can accomplish together to improve compliance and reduce Clean Water Act violations.”
Reaching the targeted threshold reduced the number of permitted facilities with SNC-level violations by roughly 4,000 fewer facilities. It also lowered the number of illegal discharges of water pollution by 23.7 million pounds through enforcement cases concluded over the past three years.
The EPA is also now increasing attention on the remaining non-compliant facilities.
The agency said improved data has led to greater public transparency, helping communities understand what pollutants are being discharged into local waterways and where violations are occurring.
