Archive

Chemical Manufacturers, EPA Release Violations Report

July 21, 1999

It's little surprise that 18- to 34-year-olds are at the heart of a nationwide increase in illegal drug use, and the manufacturing industry traditionally draws heavily from this pool of job seekers.

Gregg LaBar

A report that examines underlying causes of environmental violations in 47 federal civil enforcement cases between 1990 and 1995 has been released by EPA and the Chemical Manufacturers Association.

"EPA/CMA Root Cause Analysis Pilot Project Report" indicates that 94 percent of respondents identified multiple causes for a single noncompliance event. Among the leading causes of noncompliance were individual responsibility and lack of awareness of regulatory requirements.

The report includes how an environmental management system (EMS) can promote compliance. EMSs serve to control and minimize environmental effects of a company's activities.

The report also indicates that adjustments by government and industry could help improve compliance performance. For example, EPA could provide technical assistance and compliance assistance tools that better conform to industry needs, while more emphasis should be placed by manufacturers on developing and maintaining comprehensive, well-integrated and clearly articulated EMSs.

To download the report, go to www.epa.gov/oeca/ccsmd/.