Missouri Water Seminar, September 10-11, 2015, Columbia, MO

1. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
EPA Enforcement and Next Generation
Compliance
David Cozad, Regional Counsel
US EPA Region 7
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2. Compliance Challenges
 Pollution
 Noncompliance
 Information gaps
 Larger universe
 Budgets declining
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U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

3. The World is Changing
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U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

4. Technology Paradigm Change
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
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5. EPA Region 7’s KCWaterBug
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
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Mobile app providing real-time water quality data in the Kansas City area
using USGS innovative approach for estimating bacteria concentrations
based on basic water quality parameters.

6. Technology Opportunities
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 Advances in information and monitoring technologies:
 “make the invisible visible”
 inform industry, government, and the public
 enhance ability to prevent, reduce, treat or avoid pollution
 drive compliance through transparency and accountability
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

7. Next Gen Compliance Tools
 Advanced monitoring
 E-reporting
 Transparency
 Third party verification
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
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8. Advanced Monitoring Technologies
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 Real-time monitoring –
knowing about pollution
as it’s happening
 Facility feedback loops –
preventing pollution
before it happens
 Fenceline monitoring
 Community monitoring
 Remote sensing
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Monitoring buoy in Charles River
collects and transmits data

9. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

10. Advanced Water Monitoring: E-Flow
 E-flow monitors
 Flow detection/notification
 Flow height
 Flow depth/velocity
 Examples:
 City of Seattle NPDES Permit
 City of Harrisburg CSO Consent Decree
 Washington DC CSO Consent Decree
 St Louis CSO/SSO Consent Decree
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
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11. Advanced Monitoring: Real-time Ambient WQ Monitoring
 Mostly screening level/indicator technology to date
 Rapid advances and emerging technology
 Well developed technology exists for continuous, real time monitoring for BOD, TSS,
temperature, pH
 Microbial Source Tracking
 Examples:
 Logan Airport NPDES Permit: Real-time, continouos monitoring required during winter (deicing runoff)
 Middle Rio MS4 Permit: Continuous monitoring for DO, temp at select locations; endangered species concerns
 San Antonio Consent Decree: microbial source monitoring required
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
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12. Real-time Monitoring
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
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13. Advanced Monitoring
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An example from flaring enforcement
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

14. Electronic reporting
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 Ohio NPDES e-
reporting success
story
 NPDES e-
reporting rule
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
0
2000
4000
6000
8000
10000
Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun
Reporting Month
NPDES DMR Compliance in Ohio
FY 2009 - 7/08-6/09
% eDMR usage
PermitViolations
FacilitiesusingeDMR

15. Increased Transparency
 Evidence that effective
transparency drives
performance
 SDWA Consumer
Confidence Reports
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
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Study on effect of mailing
compliance reports

16. Transparency Examples
 Web posting of data and documents:
 Logan Airport NPDES Permit
 Middle Rio Grande MS4 permit
 St Louis Consent Decree
 City of Seattle NPDES Permit
 CSO email/text alerts:
 New York Sewage Pollution Right-to-Know Act
 Chicago NPDES Permits (notification of CSO diversion to Lake Michigan)
 City of Cambridge NPDES Permit
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
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17. Next Gen in Civil Settlements
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
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Since January 2015, EPA
civil enforcement staff
must consider Next
Generation Compliance
tools in all cases and
include them in
settlements when
appropriate

18. Next Gen in Settlementss: Region 7 Examples
 St Louis/MSD: E-flow monitoring, web posting
 Coastal Energy: Leak detection monitoring/remote notification
 Doe Run: Third Party Verification
 Roquette: Third Party Verification
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
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19. EPA Proposed Rule for Petroleum Refineries
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 Refineries must conduct
ambient fenceline
monitoring
 Data available to public
 Action level exceedances
require corrective
measures
U.S. Environmental Protection Agen

20. Coal Ash Rule
 Transparency
 Third Party Certifications
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
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