Current Compliance and Enforcement Activity

• January 2011 Enforcement Activity (PDF)

These documents provide a general summary of DEQ’s compliance and enforcement. Inspections and complaint response form the core of DEQ’s enforcement efforts. DEQ regularly conducts inspections of projects and facilities to determine compliance. Violations during these inspections are then the subject of enforcement. DEQ also investigates complaints received from the public and other agencies about possible violations. In some cases where actual or potential harm to the environment is small, DEQ issues a warning letter. For more serious or repeat violations, DEQ takes formal enforcement action, usually by assessing monetary civil penalties.

These statistics, drawn from DEQ’s environmental programs throughout the state, are not complete but represent the best-available data, collected by reviewing individual program databases and files. N/A indicates not applicable.  For example, the open burning program does not conduct inspections per se, but only complaint response. Technical assistance inspections include only those formally designated as such.  During an official technical assistance inspection, DEQ evaluates the facility’s compliance status and offers advice, but cannot take enforcement action on violations documented. A number of programs, such as solid waste, don’t perform official technical assistance inspections but offer technical assistance informally during compliance inspections and through other contacts.

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