Pollution Prevention 101

Writing regulations is one of EPA's most significant tools to protect the environment. Regulatory requirements help put environmental laws passed by Congress into effect, and can apply to individuals, businesses, state or local governments, non-profit institutions, or others. This page outlines the steps in the regulatory process.

Enforcing environmental laws is a central part of EPA's Strategic Plan to protect human health and the environment. EPA works to ensure compliance with environmental requirements. When warranted, EPA will take civil or criminal enforcement action against violators of environmental laws. This page provides basic information on EPA’s enforcement and compliance programs, actions, activities, reports and data.

This guide provides background information on Environmental Impact Statements, and provides tools for locating statements and related documents.

An excellent beginners guide to legal research compiled by the University of Illinois' Law librarians.

Each Center addresses real world issues faced by a specific industry or government sector.

This gateway provides you easy access to a wide variety of very powerful State Resource Locator tools. State Resource Locators (SRLs) allow you to generate customized reports for a wide range of environmental compliance topics for your state. Included are complete listings of state and Federal regulations impacting selected environmental topics along with individual state contacts, information, and permits for downloading, all at your fingertips.

Under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA), EPA has broad authority to issue regulations designed to gather health/safety and exposure information on, require testing of, and control exposure to chemical substances and mixtures. Drugs, cosmetics, foods, food additives, pesticides, and nuclear materials are exempt from TSCA.

The Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) annual edition is the codification of the general and permanent rules published in the Federal Register by the departments and agencies of the Federal Government. It is divided into 50 titles that represent broad areas subject to Federal regulation. The 50 subject matter titles contain one or more individual volumes, which are updated once each calendar year, on a staggered basis. The annual update cycle is as follows: titles 1-16 are revised as of January 1; titles 17-27 are revised as of April 1; titles 28-41 are revised as of July 1; and titles 42-50 are revised as of October 1. Each title is divided into chapters, which usually bear the name of the issuing agency. Each chapter is further subdivided into parts that cover specific regulatory areas. Large parts may be subdivided into subparts. All parts are organized in sections, and most citations to the CFR refer to material at the section level.

Congress.gov is a government website which contains information about current bills before congress.

The Electronic Code of Federal Regulations (e-CFR) is a currently updated version of the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR). It is not an official legal edition of the CFR. The e-CFR is an editorial compilation of CFR material and Federal Register amendments produced by the National Archives and Records Administration's Office of the Federal Register (OFR) and the Government Printing Office. The OFR updates the material in the e-CFR on a daily basis.

Use EPA's Enforcement and Compliance History Online website to search for facilities in your community to assess their compliance with environmental regulations. You can also investigate pollution sources, examine and create enforcement-related maps, or explore your state's performance.

Published by the Office of the Federal Register, National Archives and Records Administration (NARA), the Federal Register is the official daily publication for rules, proposed rules, and notices of Federal agencies and organizations, as well as executive orders and other presidential documents.

List of NESHAP (MACT) Standard Source Categories, the corresponding CFR citations, and links to further information for each source.

Submit your comments on proposed regulations and related documents published by the U.S. Federal government. You can also use this site to search and review original regulatory documents as well as comments submitted by others.

RCRA gives EPA the authority to control hazardous waste from the "cradle-to-grave." This includes the generation, transportation, treatment, storage and disposal of hazardous waste. To achieve this, EPA develops regulations, guidance and policies that ensure the safe management and cleanup of solid and hazardous waste, and programs that encourage source reduction and beneficial reuse.

Includes links to summaries of major environmental laws, Executive Orders, and DOE orders pertaining to the environment.

A number of laws serve as EPA's foundation for protecting the environment and public health. However, most laws do not have enough detail to be put into practice right away.EPA is called a regulatory agency because Congress authorizes us to write regulations that explain the critical details necessary to implement environmental laws. In addition, a number of Presidential Executive Orders (EOs) play a central role in their activities.

EPA is called a regulatory agency because Congress authorizes us to write regulations that explain the technical, operational, and legal details necessary to implement laws. Regulations are mandatory requirements that can apply to individuals, businesses, state or local governments, non-profit institutions, or others. EPA provides a number of tools for you to keep track of and participate in the development of new EPA regulations, and to learn how to comply with existing regulations.

Find EPA regulatory information by sector.

The database can be searched by state, region, status (e.g., enacted, proposed, and failed), policy category (e.g., pollution prevention, single chemical restriction, etc.), chemical, and product type (e.g., children's products, cleaning products, etc.).

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) currently issues over 100 letters or memoranda per year on Clean Air Act (CAA) applicability or monitoring issues under the New Source Performance Standards (NSPS, 40 CFR Part 60) and the National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants (NESHAP, 40 CFR Parts 61 and 63) programs. These written responses are broadly termed “applicability determinations”. To ensure national consistency in implementing the NSPS and NESHAP programs, EPA Headquarters has maintained a compilation of such letters and memoranda since they were first issued. This compilation is currently available on the Applicability Determination Index (ADI) database Web site.

Control Techniques Guidelines (CTGs) are used to help determine VOC RACT while Alternative Control Techniques (ACTs) describe available control technologies and their respective cost effectiveness.

Each Center addresses real world issues faced by a specific industry or government sector.

These compliance manuals were developed by the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection to help companies in specific industries comply with the New Jersey Air Pollution Control Act. The set includes the general manual as well as guidance for: asphalt pavement production plants; bakeries; boilers and process heaters; commercial sterilizers and fumigators using ethylene oxide; graphic arts industry; municipal solid waste landfills; POTWs; paint, ink, and adhesive manufacturing industries; pharmaceutical/chemical manufacturing; surface coating industry and others.

Each year, certain industrial facilities submit Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) data to EPA. The data are due by July 1 and cover waste management activities that occurred during the previous calendar year. EPA makes these data publicly available. This page links to resources for companies required to report under TRI.

The compliance assistance program provides businesses, federal facilities, local governments and tribes with tools to help meet environmental regulatory requirements. Compliance assistance tools and methods include one-to-one counseling, online resource centers, fact sheets, guides and training.

Compliance and enforcement is how EPA ensures that governments, businesses and industry understand and follow our nation's environmental laws and regulations. Compliance helps organizations or individuals meet their obligations under environmental laws and regulations. Enforcement takes legal action against an organization or industry when they do not comply with the law.

Portal for all EPA guidance documents that meet the definition of “guidance document” in Section 2(b) of Executive Order 13891.

EPA develops and enforces regulations that span many environmental topics, from acid rain reduction to wetlands restoration. Each topic may include related laws and regulations, compliance and enforcement information, and policies and guidance.

The Sector Notebook series is a unique set of profiles containing information for specific industries and governments. Unlike other resource materials, which are organized by air, water and land pollutants, the Notebooks provide a holistic approach by integrating processes, applicable regulations and other relevant environment information. EPA is not actively maintaining this series.

The Significant New Alternatives Policy (SNAP) Program is EPA's program to evaluate and regulate substitutes for the ozone-depleting chemicals that are being phased out under the stratospheric ozone protection provisions of the Clean Air Act (CAA).The SNAP program has reviewed substitutes for the following industrial sectors: Refrigeration & Air Conditioning; Foam Blowing Agents; Cleaning Solvents; Fire Suppression and Explosion Protection; Aerosols; Sterilants; Tobacco Expansion; Adhesives, Coatings & Inks.

Under Title VI of the Clean Air Act, the SNAP program identifies and evaluates substitutes in end-uses that have historically used ozone-depleting substances (ODS). SNAP listings of acceptable alternatives can also help sectors transition away from high global warming potential hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) addressed under the American Innovation and Manufacturing (AIM) Act including its Technology Transitions Program.

The Congressional Research Service, a component of the Library of Congress, conducts research and analysis for Congress on a broad range of national policy issues.

The Environmental Data & Governance Initiative (EDGI) is a research collaborative and network of diverse professionals promoting evidence-based policy-making and public interest science that advances the Environmental Right-to-Know (ERTK).

The Environmental Law & Policy Center is the Midwest’s leading environmental legal advocacy organization.

ELI’s Mission is to foster innovative, just, and practical law and policy solutions to enable leaders across borders and sectors to make environmental, economic, and social progress.

We deploy innovative and pragmatic legal analyses to improve environmental and climate outcomes and support clean energy. Maintains a regulatory tracker and a federal environmental justice tracker, as well as resources related to deregulation at the federal level.

The Impact Project is a nonpartisan data and research initiative that makes government data more transparent and accessible, and produces actionable insights to help reimagine how government, private industry, nonprofits, and civil society can better work together to build more resilient communities.

Apportionments are legally binding plans issued by the White House Office of Management and Budget that set the pace at which federal agencies may spend appropriated funds. OpenOMB's database makes apportionments easy to find and track.

The Sabin Center develops legal techniques to combat the climate crisis and advance climate justice, and train the next generation of leaders in the field. They maintain a federal climate change regulation database and a climate deregulation tracker.

The Office of Environmental Policy and Compliance (OEPC) is responsible for providing leadership and program evaluation in implementing the Department of the Interior’s (Department/DOI/Interior) environmental policy. The OEPC provides a coordinated and unified enterprise-wide approach for compliance with the full range of environmental statutes and assists the Department’s leadership in responding to environmental issues that affect multiple Bureaus/Offices.

National policy, guidance and publications relating to EPA's enforcement of environmental laws.

The U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) is an independent, nonpartisan agency that works for Congress. Often called the "congressional watchdog," GAO investigates how the federal government spends taxpayer dollars. Join their mailing list to receive a daily update of reports released by the agency.

WRI is a global research organization that spans more than 60 countries, with offices in the United States, China, India, Brazil, Indonesia and more. Our more than 1,000 experts and staff work closely with leaders to turn big ideas into action to sustain our natural resources—the foundation of economic opportunity and human well-being. Our work focuses on seven critical issues at the intersection of environment and development: climate, energy, food, forests, water, cities and the ocean.