EPA Audit Policy Now Available to Post-Acquisition Compliance Audits by New Owners of Regulated Facilities

In an effort to broaden the use of its 1990 Audit Policy (Audit Policy), the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has expanded the applicability of the policy to include post-acquisition compliance audits of newly acquired facilities. As of August 1, 2008, EPA will be providing incentives such as penalty forgiveness or reductions to new owners of existing regulated facilities under its Interim Approach to Applying the Audit Policy to New Owners (Interim Approach). EPA intends to motivate new owners to conduct compliance audits of the newly acquired facilities and “to disclose, correct and prevent the recurrence of violations.”

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