U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
The mission of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is to protect human health and the environment. The EPA has Congressional authority to enforce the major federal environmental regulations: the Clean Water Act (CWA), the Clean Air Act (CAA), and the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA).
EPA works to develop and enforce regulations that implement environmental laws enacted by Congress. EPA is responsible for researching and setting national standards for a variety of environmental programs, and delegates to states and tribes the responsibility for issuing permits and for monitoring and enforcing compliance. Where national standards are not met, EPA can issue sanctions and take other steps to assist the states and tribes in reaching the desired levels of environmental quality. The EPA has delegated the State of California to issue permits and monitor and enforce compliance for the major environmental regulations:
- The California State Water Resources Control Board is authorized for the Clean Water Act
- The California State Air Resources Board is authorized for the Clean Air Act
- The California EPA Department of Toxic Substances Control is authorized to regulate the Resource Recovery Conservation Act.
