EPA Refinery Enforcement Criticized

A national enforcement program for petroleum refineries run by EPA was criticized for a host of failings in a recent report by the EPA Office of Inspector General. The report said EPA's eight-year-old national enforcement and compliance assurance program suffers from lack of monitoring, delays, little follow-through, and other shortcomings. The program is directed at some 145 U.S. refineries with a history of high emissions. It has fallen short of its potential, the inspector general said, because of weak performance measurement and oversight by the agency. In response, EPA enforcement officials said the report will help them as they continue to implement this program but took issue with report specifics and its general thrust. They said the report unfairly criticized their "creative and innovative approach" to address difficult industry compliance issues. The inspector general disagreed. The report is available at http://www.epa.gov/oig/reports/2004/20040622-2004-P00021.pdf.