EPA Expands Environmental Compliance Audit Incentives to Owners of Newly Acquired Facilities

The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has announced tailored incentives to encourage owners of newly acquired facilities to discover, self-disclose, correct and prevent recurrence of environmental violations. The “Interim Approach to Applying the Audit Policy to New Owners” (“Interim Approach”) was released by EPA on August 1, 2008.¹ It is an expansion of the EPA Audit Policy issued in 2000 (“Incentives for Self-Policing: Discovery, Disclosure, Correction and Prevention of Violations”).² The Interim Approach is effective immediately on an interim basis, and EPA will be accepting comments until October 30, 2008.