EPA Issued Draft National Program Guidance for FY 2023-2024, Including Model Documents with EJ Requirements

EPA’s Office of Enforcement and Compliance (OECA) issued new draft program guidance for FY 2023-2024 for regions and states, including new model cleanup documents with EJ-oriented requirements. For example, the model language requires potentially responsible parties (PRPs) to provide information to the public in the dominant language of the community. As part of OECA’s programmatic priority, “Key Enforcement and Compliance Activities to Advance Environmental Justice”, OECA plans to rely on injunctive tools in civil enforcement, strengthen civil and criminal enforcement in communities with EJ concerns, and proactively investigate threatened pollution under CERCLA and RCRA in EJ communities.