EPA Adopts New Enforcement Approach Prioritizing Compliance Assistance And Communication

Highlights

• The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance issued a Dec. 5, 2025, memorandum that establishes a "compliance first" focus for all EPA enforcement and compliance assurance staff.
• The memorandum represents an enforcement policy shift that emphasizes swift resolution and compliance, clear interpretation of the law and consistency across the agency over prolonged investigations, and a need to identify violations.
• The memorandum rescinds Biden-era guidance that encouraged the use of broad relief mechanisms such as monitoring and reporting and pauses the use of supplemental environmental projects as a component of settlement agreements.