1、CRS INSIGHT Prepared for Members and Committees of Congress INSIGHTINSIGHTi i COVID-19: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Enforcement Discretion Policy Updated August 7, 2020 On June 29, 2020, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced that it would terminate its temporary policy, “
2、COVID-19 Implications for EPAs Enforcement and Compliance Assurance Program,” on August 31, 2020. EPA issued the policy on March 26, 2020, outlining how it would exercise its enforcement discretion if a facility owner or operator cannot comply with certain requirements of federal environmental laws
3、because of impacts related to the COVID-19 pandemic. The policy, retroactive to March 13, 2020, is tailored to circumstances of the pandemic that may affect staffing, physical access for monitoring and sampling, laboratory analysis, and other resources needed to fulfill routine compliance obligation
4、s. EPA also issued other related COVID-19 policies and guidance that cover pesticide imports, field work at cleanup sites under Superfund and other federal programs, a nationwide fuel waiver for summer gasoline, and emergency generator operations in Puerto Rico. Scope of EPA Policy The EPA March 26
