Penalty maximums soar for EPA

Based on inflation, EPA raised its civil penalties by 6.222 percent for violations of EPA-administered statutes and regulations, according to a final rule in the January 12 Federal Register. The new maximum and minimum penalty levels, listed at 40 CFR 19.4, apply to all civil penalties assessed on or after Jan. 12, 2022. As an example, many Resource Conservation and Recovery Act violations now cost up to $109,024 per day, rather than $102,638. Most Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act violations now carry a $62,689 penalty per violation or per day (depending on the violation), up from $59,017.