Hazardous Waste Dashboard Help

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Overview 

The EPA/State Hazardous Waste Dashboard presented on the ECHO website allows users to track both facility and environmental oversight agencies’ performance as it relates to administration of and compliance with environmental standards established by the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) Subtitle C (Hazardous Waste) program. This document describes the compliance information and classifications presented on the RCRA Dashboard.

The EPA/State Hazardous Waste Comparative Map provides a quick interactive way to review national trends and compare states and territories using the same metrics presented on the Hazardous Waste Dashboard.


Data Sources 

The Resource Conservation and Recovery Act Information (RCRAInfo) system is the EPA database containing data for compliance and enforcement activities conducted under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act for hazardous waste handlers. RCRAInfo is used by authorized state and local agencies, tribes and EPA. A secondary data source for the dashboard is EPA’s Facility Registry Service (FRS) from which the FRS Registry ID, Federal Facility Flag, and Tribal Names(s) are obtained. 

The Hazardous Waste Dashboard presents data for the ten most recent federal fiscal years, which run from October 1 to September 30. Because the federal fiscal year differ from the fiscal years of individual states, users should take care when comparing results from the EPA/State Dashboards with state specific summaries of similar compliance and enforcement information. The dashboard data is updated weekly to show the latest available data from RCRAInfo and FRS. Information about ECHO data sources and refresh dates can be found on the About the Data page.

The goal of the dashboard is to enable users to explore a variety of compliance and program metrics for facilities regulated under RCRA. While the lead regulatory agency may have additional details regarding a facility and regulatory oversight activities, the dashboard presents information that each regulatory agency is required to submit to EPA’s data system of record – RCRAInfo. Over time, EPA's compliance and enforcement programs change in response to new sources of data, monitoring technologies, and compliance tracking methods.

About the Data and Assessing State Performance

State performance is a complex and difficult matter to analyze and explain. Data alone cannot provide a complete picture of performance. Many states have issues with data completeness and accuracy, and without investigation and program knowledge, data can be misleading or misinterpreted. Often, there is important context around data that must be taken into account to provide an accurate picture. For example, not all activities and violations may be reported, some states are not authorized to run programs, current year data may still be in the process of being reported, and states may have alternative compliance monitoring plans. EPA uses data, like the information here, as a starting point for assessing state performance, but not as the sole measure of performance. More in-depth program reviews (see State Review Framework Reports) are used to identify needed state program improvements. While file reviews and management discussions can add to our understanding, the many layers of context and information make it difficult to portray performance in a consistent and transparent way.

Caveats

Activities and Violations

Data shown in the State Dashboards and Comparative Map are based on data reported to EPA and may not reflect all compliance monitoring, enforcement or the full extent of noncompliance within a state. State environmental agencies may have more information on activities and noncompliance within their state on their agency websites. Links to state agency websites can be found on the Health and Environmental Agencies of U.S. States and Territories page. 

Authorization

Some states/territories do not have authorization/delegation to enforce any or all regulations implemented under the Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act, and Resource Conservation and Recovery Act. In these instances, when State is selected as the implementing Agency, it may appear that no activity was conducted. Activity in these states/territories may be displayed when EPA is selected as the implementing Agency. For more information about state authorization, please visit the following pages:

Alternative Compliance Monitoring Plans 

EPA sets national goals for how frequently facilities should be evaluated by the authorized enforcement agency. EPA develops Compliance Monitoring Strategies (CMSs) to ensure that the regulated facilities across the country are evaluated for compliance on a regular basis. EPA offers flexibility to the states for many of the compliance monitoring frequency goals. Some states take advantage of this flexibility by submitting alternative compliance monitoring plans that provide for compliance monitoring frequencies that are aligned with other priorities within the specific state. As of June 2020, the following states have RCRA alternative compliance monitoring plans: Arkansas, Connecticut, Illinois, Indiana, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New Hampshire, Ohio, Oklahoma, Texas, Virginia, and Wisconsin.

Current Year

The most recent federal fiscal year may not show a complete dataset because the year is not completed.

Additional data caveats are explained on the ECHO Known Data Problems page. 


Using the Dashboard 

Chart Functionality

The dashboard is organized in a structure logical to scope and activities of federal compliance and enforcement programs. To learn more about these programs, visit EPA's Basic Information on Enforcement page. There are six chart types, described in the chart types section below. Select the pulldown menu at the top of each chart to see a list of available chart metric views. 

For the best user experience with the dashboard, we recommend setting the browser zoom level between 80 and 90%. If you are having trouble viewing parts of the dashboard, you can try experimenting with this zoom level.

Expand any chart to full screen by clicking the crossed arrows iconExpand iconat the top right of the chart. 

Download the underlying data from each chart view in Excel format by selecting the download arrow iconDownload iconat the top right of the chart. 

View underlying data for any chart by selecting "Details" from the pulldown menu to display a preview table of the selected data. Note that this table preview is interactive and data fields can be sorted and searched on. We suggest expanding this view to full screen to best view the data table. Also note that the table can be slower to load than the other charts.

Filters 

The dashboard defaults to show nationwide activity and performance metrics for the most recent ten federal fiscal years. Six filters are available at the top of the dashboard, which allow users to create many possible customizations of the charts.

Click on any of the filters to see the list of values. Note that after selecting a filter, a search bar will appear that allows users to search for their value of interest. Multiple values may be selected by clicking on multiple selection options. Current selections will be highlighted in green. The charts dynamically update as the user selects value(s) from the dropdown list.

Confirm selection iconFilter selection changes will be saved either by clicking away from the filter dropdown or by clicking the green Confirm Selection button.

Cancel iconIf a user selects or de-selects filter options but does not want to save the changes, they can be canceled by clicking the red Cancel Selection button.

Note that the Cancel Selections button does not clear filter selections. An individual filter can be cleared of all selections by clicking the Clear Selections Clear selections iconbutton to the left in the filter dropdown. There is also a Clear All Selections button at the top left of the dashboard page. 

Additionally, the dashboard charts are interactive, and users can click directly on data within the charts (e.g., the bars on the chart and the items in the chart legend) to change/add filters.

Current filter selections will appear as tabs at the top of the screen, above the page title. Clicking on the "x" button on the filter tab will remove the filter.

Filters available on the Hazardous Waste Dashboard include:

Facility State

Filter the dashboard data by facilities based in the selected state and their associated activities, regardless of the state they occurred in. 

Activity State

Filter the dashboard by activities which occurred in the selected state, which may be associated with facilities that are based in other states. 

EPA Region

Filter the dashboard data by EPA Region.

Universe

Filter the dashboard using six universe types: Treatment, Storage and Disposal Facility (TSDF); Large Quantity Generator (LQG); Small Quantity Generator (SQG); Very Small Quantity Generator (VSQG); Transporter; and Other. Note that facilities may belong to more than one universe. Facilities with the primary universe of "Other" do not belong to another universe. 

Federal Facility

Filter the dashboard data by Federal Facilities (Yes/No). A “Yes” indicates that the facility is owned or operated by the U.S. Federal Government.

Tribe Name

Filter the dashboard data by a specific Tribe Name. The association of a facility to a tribe is based on comparing the best available spatial location of the facility to the U.S. Census Bureau’s tribal boundary layer. Some tribal areas may overlap, so a facility may be associated with more than one tribe. This is a geographic distinction and is not based on who has permitted the facility.

Lead Agency

Filter the dashboard data by lead agency, i.e., EPA, State. Local agencies activities are included in the State category. Note that the lead agency refers to the agency that led the compliance or enforcement action, not to the permitting agency. Selections here will filter results to facilities which have been subject to any compliance or enforcement action from the agency selected, regardless of which agency permitted the facility.


Using the Comparative Map 

Map Functionality

The comparative map presents the same information as the dashboard in a format that allows users to compare national trends across different states and territories for a specific fiscal year. The comparative map defaults to show the total number of regulated facilities nationally by Facility State for the most recent complete fiscal year.

For the best user experience with the dashboard, we recommend setting the browser zoom level between 80 and 90%. If you are having trouble viewing parts of the dashboard, you can try experimenting with this zoom level.

Users may select a Map View to view the map by either Facility State or Activity State.

  • Facility State displays facilities based in the selected state and their associated activities regardless of the state they occurred in.
  • Activity State displays activity data that occurred in the selected state, which may be associated with facilities that are based in other states.

Select a Fiscal Year to view the comparative map for the specified federal fiscal year (i.e. October 1 - September 30)

Select a Metric View to update the data displayed in the map and the corresponding Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) directly above the map. The metric views available in the comparative map are the same data available in the dashboard. Please note that the comparative map does not break data down by lead agency or primary universe where noted in the documentation. However, users may filter on these values using the filters above the comparative map.


Users may filter on the selected metric with a subset of filters from the dashboard. Filter functionality is the same as the dashboard.

Above the map, Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) display national values for the selected filter/metric.

  • The left KPI displays the Number of Selected Facilities Nationwide in Federal Fiscal Year. This value reflects any selected filters and the selected federal fiscal year.
  • The right KPI displays the national count or average percentage for the selected metric. This value reflects any selected filters and the selected federal fiscal year.

Users may expand the map to full screen by clicking the crossed arrows icon Expand icon at the top right of the map. Users can download the underlying map data in Excel format by selecting the download arrow icon Download icon.

The Other Areas table displays American territories, tribal areas, and jurisdictions under EPA regional purview.


Dashboard Chart Types and Map Metric Views 

The following describes the charts available within each of the six sections of the RCRA Dashboard and Comparative Map metric views.

Facilities 

This section displays information about facilities regulated under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act Subtitle C (hazardous waste) program.  More information about RCRA is available on the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) Overview page. 

RCRA Subtitle C handlers tracked for compliance and enforcement purposes are:

EPA has established minimum data requirements for the states, territories, District of Columbia, and EPA regional offices that administer the RCRA program to report handler universes and track RCRA compliance and enforcement activities at all facilities, regardless of size. For more details on required data, see the summary of compliance and enforcement data entry requirements and known data problems in ECHO. Two types of RCRA facility classifications are used on the dashboard:

  • For RCRA, "Active" site designation is an indication there has been a RCRA compliance or oversight activity at a site. This designation has no legal significance and does not constitute a legally enforceable or binding determination about the status of a particular site or the obligations of an owner or operator.
  • A ”Universe” designation (e.g., TSDF, LQG, SQG, VSQG, Transporter) indicates the type of waste activities (i.e., waste generation and storage vs. treatment and disposal vs transport) and amount of waste handled/generated in the peak month. A “Primary Universe” is assigned to a site for display purposes based on the hierarchy presented in the table below. For example, if a facility has one operation that generates more than 1,000 kg of hazardous waste a month, that operation would qualify as an LQG; if the facility also is a hazardous waste transporter, their assigned primary universe would be LQG. Because the data about changes to a site’s universe designation are not mandatory and may not be current, it is not appropriate to compare one state's data with another. Although these numbers represent the active universe in the national database, RCRAInfo, or state agencies may have more current information.
 Facilities by Primary Universe
Description of Metrics

Definition

Count of active facilities, by primary RCRA Subtitle C universe in the selected fiscal year. As facility operations may belong to more than one universe, the primary universe is assigned using the following hierarchy:

  • TSDF (Treatment, Storage, and Disposal Facility)
  • LQG (Large Quantity Generator)
  • SQG (Small Quantity Generator)
  • VSQG (Very Small Quantity Generator)
  • Transporter
  • Other

For example, if a facility has one operation that generates more than 1,000 kg of hazardous waste a month, that operation would qualify as an LQG; if the facility also is a hazardous waste transporter or VSQG, their assigned primary universe would be LQG. The Details table displays a list of all universes to which each facility belongs.

Facility

A facility that generates, treats, stores, or disposes of hazardous waste regulated under RCRA Subtitle C. 

Additional details for the following terms can be found in the Data Dictionary:

Notes

  • This metric avoids double counting of facilities with operations that belong to multiple universes.
  • "Facilities" charts are based on the location of the facility and ignore the [Lead Agency] and [Activity State] filters.

 

 Facilities by Universe
Description of Metrics

Definition

Count of active facilities in the selected federal fiscal year, by RCRA Subtitle C universe.

Facility

A facility that generates, treats, stores, or disposes of hazardous waste regulated under RCRA Subtitle C.

Additional details for the following terms can be found in the Data Dictionary:

Notes

  • In this chart, facilities that have multiple RCRA designations will be counted in each universe.
  • "Facilities" charts are based on the location of the facility and ignore the [Lead Agency] and [Activity State] filters.
  • In the Comparative Map, use the [Universe] filter to visualize the count of active facilities in the selected federal fiscal year, by the selected RCRA Subtitle C universe.

 


Compliance Monitoring Activities 

These charts display information about compliance monitoring activities at regulated facilities. On-site compliance monitoring activities, along with reviews of any information EPA or states require to be submitted, help EPA and states ensure that facilities comply with environmental laws/regulations. This area focuses on how frequently regulated facilities are monitored by EPA and state environmental agencies.

RCRA requires that TSDFs be inspected at least every two years, while EPA policy requires that LQGs be inspected every five years (with 20% of universe inspected each year).

To meet the requirements, compliance monitoring activities at TSDFs must be RCRAInfo data system evaluation types CEI, GME, or OAM, while compliance monitoring activities at LQGs must be CEI. For other facility types, all "on-site" compliance monitoring activities are counted. Activities included in the on-site compliance monitoring activity grouping are those most likely to take place on-site, but may not have been. The list of RCRAInfo compliance monitoring activity types are available in Appendix B.

 Facilities with On-Site Compliance Monitoring Activities by Lead Agency
Description of Metrics

Definition

Count of facilities with one or more on-site compliance monitoring activities in the selected federal fiscal year, by lead agency.

Facility

A facility that generates, treats, stores, or disposes of hazardous waste regulated under RCRA Subtitle C.

Lead Agency

Describes the regulatory agency undertaking the compliance monitoring activity, either EPA or State. State includes Tribal, local and other agencies with delegated authority for RCRA compliance evaluations.

Additional details for the following terms can be found in the Data Dictionary:

Notes

  • In the Comparative Map, use the [Lead Agency] filter to visualize the count of facilities with one or more on-site compliance monitoring activities in the selected federal fiscal year, by the selected lead agency.

 

 Facilities with Compliance Monitoring Activity by Lead Agency
Description of Metrics

Definition

Count of facilities with one or more compliance monitoring activities in the selected federal fiscal year, by lead agency.

Facility

A facility that generates, treats, stores, or disposes of hazardous waste regulated under RCRA Subtitle C.

Lead Agency

Describes the regulatory agency undertaking the compliance monitoring activity, either EPA or State. State includes Tribal, local and other agencies with delegated authority for RCRA compliance evaluations.

Additional details for the following terms can be found in the Data Dictionary:

Notes

  • In the Comparative Map, use the [Lead Agency] filter to visualize the count of facilities with one or more compliance monitoring activities in the selected federal fiscal year, by selected lead agency.

 

 On-Site Compliance Monitoring Activity by Lead Agency
Description of Metrics

Definition

Count of on-site compliance monitoring activities in the selected federal fiscal year, by lead agency.

Lead Agency

Describes the regulatory agency undertaking the compliance monitoring activity, either EPA or State. State includes Tribal, local and other agencies with delegated authority for RCRA compliance evaluations.

Additional details for the following terms can be found in the Data Dictionary:

Notes

  • In the Comparative Map, use the [Lead Agency] filter to visualize the count of on-site compliance monitoring activities in the selected federal fiscal year, by selected lead agency.

 

 On-Site Compliance Monitoring Activity by Primary Universe
Description of Metrics

Definition

Count of facilities with on-site compliance monitoring activities in the selected fiscal year, by primary RCRA universe.

Additional details for the following terms can be found in the Data Dictionary:

Notes

  • In the Comparative Map, use the [Universe] filter to visualize the count of facilities with on-site compliance monitoring activities in the selected federal fiscal year, by selected RCRA universe.

 

 % Operating TSDFs with Compliance Evaluations by Lead Agency
Description of Metrics

Definition

Percent of operating Treatment, Storage, and Disposal Facilities (TSDFs) with compliance evaluations in the selected federal fiscal year, by lead agency.

Lead Agency EPA Bar (Green):

 Number of Operating TSDFs with Compliance Evaluations Conducted by EPA / Total Operating TSDFs

  • Numerator: The number of operating TSDFs with compliance evaluations conducted by EPA in the selected federal fiscal year.
  • Denominator: The number of operating TSDFs in a selected federal fiscal year.

Lead Agency State Bar (Blue):

 Number of Operating TSDFs with Compliance Evaluations Conducted by State / Total Operating TSDFs 

  • Numerator: The number of operating TSDFs with compliance evaluations conducted by state regulatory authorities in the selected federal fiscal year.
  • Denominator: The number of operating TSDFs in a selected federal fiscal year.

View more detail to replicate metric

Lead Agency

Describes the regulatory agency undertaking the compliance monitoring activity, either EPA or State. State includes Tribal, local and other agencies with delegated authority for RCRA compliance evaluations.

Additional details for the following terms can be found in the Data Dictionary:

Notes

  • In the Comparative Map, use the [Lead Agency] filter to visualize the percent of operating Treatment, Storage, and Disposal Facilities (TSDFs) with compliance evaluations in the selected federal fiscal year, by selected lead agency.

 

 Replication of metric for % Operating TSDFs with Compliance Evaluations by Lead Agency using Details Table downloads
Source Data for DownloadMetric ComponentNumerator (Count of records where...)Denominator (Count of records where...)
Facilities DetailLead Agency = EPA"All Universes" contains "TSDF" and "EPA Compliance Evaluation Flag" is "Yes""All Universes" contains "TSDF"
Facilities DetailLead Agency = State"All Universes" contains "TSDF" and "State Compliance Evaluation Flag" is "Yes""All Universes" contains "TSDF"

 

 % Active LQGs with Compliance Evaluations by Lead Agency
Description of Metrics

Definition

Percent of active Large Quantity Generators (LQGs) with compliance evaluations in the selected federal fiscal year, by lead agency.

Lead Agency EPA Bar (Green):

 Number of Active LQGs with Compliance Evaluations Conducted by EPA / Total Active LQGs

  • Numerator: The number of active LQGs with compliance evaluations conducted by EPA in the selected federal fiscal year.
  • Denominator: The number of active LQGs in a selected federal fiscal year.

Lead Agency State Bar (Blue):

 Number of Active LQGs with Compliance Evaluations Conducted by State / Total Active LQGs

  • Numerator: The number of active LQGs with compliance evaluations conducted by state regulatory authorities in the selected federal fiscal year.
  • Denominator: The number of active LQGs in a selected federal fiscal year.

Metric Replication

Lead Agency

Describes the regulatory agency undertaking the compliance monitoring activity, either EPA or State. State includes Tribal, local and other agencies with delegated authority for RCRA compliance evaluations.

Additional details for the following terms can be found in the Data Dictionary:

Notes

  • In the Comparative Map, use the [Lead Agency] filter to visualize the percent of active Large Quantity Generators (LQGs) with compliance evaluations in the selected federal fiscal year, by selected lead agency.

 

 Replication of metric for % Active LQGs with Compliance Evaluations by Lead Agency using Details Table downloads
Source Data for DownloadMetric ComponentNumerator (Count of records where...)Denominator (Count of records where...)
Facilities DetailLead Agency = EPA"All Universes" contains "LQG" and "EPA Compliance Evaluation Flag" is "Yes""All Universes" contains "LQG"
Facilities DetailLead Agency = State"All Universes" contains "LQG" and "State Compliance Evaluation Flag" is "Yes""All Universes" contains "LQG"

 

 % Active LQGs with Compliance Evaluations vs. National Average
Description of Metrics

Definition

Percent of active Large Quantity Generators (LQGs) with compliance evaluations in the selected federal fiscal year, compared to the national average.

Bar Chart:

Number of Active LQGs in Selected State(s) with Compliance Evaluations / Active LQGs in Selected State(s)

  • Numerator: The number of active LQGs with compliance evaluations conducted by EPA in the selected federal fiscal year.
  • Denominator: The number of active LQGs in a selected federal fiscal year.

Line Chart (National Average):

Number of Active LQGs in the Nation with Compliance Evaluations / Active LQGs in the nation

  • Numerator: The number of active LQGs with compliance evaluations conducted by state regulatory authorities in the selected federal fiscal year.
  • Denominator: The number of active LQGs in a selected federal fiscal year.

Metric Replication

Lead Agency

Describes the regulatory agency undertaking the compliance monitoring activity, either EPA or State. State includes Tribal, local and other agencies with delegated authority for RCRA compliance evaluations.

Additional details for the following terms can be found in the Data Dictionary:

Notes

  • If no specific states are selected, the state average and national averages will be the same. Select one or more states to compare to the national average.
  • In the charts that display percentages for selected state(s) versus the national average, note that the “National Average” line ignores the filters [Facility State], [Activity State], [Lead Agency], and [EPA Region], while the “Selected State(s)” bars—which reflect the state(s) where facilities are located—ignore the filters [Activity State] and [Lead Agency].
  • In the Comparative Map the national average is shown in the Key Performance Indicator above the map, the geographic areas are colored by quartile, and hovering your cursor over a state shows the percentage.

 

 Replication of metric for % Active LQGs with Compliance Evaluations vs. National Average using Details Table downloads
Source Data for DownloadMetric ComponentNumerator (Count of records where...)Denominator (Count of records where...)
Facilities DetailSelected State(s)"All Universes" contains "LQG" and ("EPA Compliance Evaluation Flag" is "Yes" or "State Compliance Evaluation Flag" is "Yes) and "Facility State" is {Selected State(s)}"All Universes" contains "LQG" and "Facility State" is {Selected State(s)}
Facilities DetailNational Average"All Universes" contains "LQG" and ("EPA State Compliance Evaluation Flag" is "Yes" or "State Compliance Evaluation Flag" is "Yes)"All Universes" contains "LQG"

 

 % BR LQGs with Compliance Evaluations by Lead Agency
Description of Metrics

Definition

Percent of Large Quantity Generators (LQGs) that also submitted information to the most recent RCRA Hazardous Waste Biennial Report (BR) with compliance evaluations in a selected federal fiscal year, by lead agency.

Lead Agency EPA Bar (Green): 

Number of Active BR LQGs with Compliance Evaluations conducted by EPA / Active BR LQGs 

  • Numerator: The number of active BR LQGs with compliance evaluations conducted by EPA in the selected federal fiscal year.
  • Denominator: The number of active BR LQGs in a selected federal fiscal year.

Lead Agency State Bar (Blue):

Number of Active BR LQGs with Compliance Evaluations conducted by State / Active BR LQGs 

  • Numerator: The number of active BR LQGs with compliance evaluations conducted by state or local regulatory authorities in the selected federal fiscal year.
  • Denominator: The number of active LQGs according to the most recently issued National Hazardous Waste Biennial Report in a selected federal fiscal year.

Metric Replication

Lead Agency

Describes the regulatory agency undertaking the compliance monitoring activity, either EPA or State. State includes Tribal, local and other agencies with delegated authority for RCRA compliance evaluations.

Additional details for the following terms can be found in the Data Dictionary:

Notes

  • In the Comparative Map, use the [Lead Agency] filter to visualize the percent of Large Quantity Generators (LQGs) that also submitted information to the most recent RCRA Hazardous Waste Biennial Report (BR) with compliance evaluations in a federal fiscal year, by selected lead agency.

 

 Replication of metric for % BR LQGs with Compliance Evaluations by Lead Agency using Details Table downloads
Source Data for DownloadMetric ComponentNumerator (Count of records where...)Denominator (Count of records where...)
Facilities DetailLead Agency = EPA"BR LQG" is "Yes" and "EPA Compliance Evaluation Flag" is "Yes""BR LQG" is "Yes"
Facilities DetailLead Agency = State"BR LQG" is "Yes" and "State Compliance Evaluation Flag" is "Yes""BR LQG" is "Yes"

 

 % BR LQGs with Compliance Evaluations vs. National Average
Description of Metrics

Definition

Percent of Large Quantity Generators (LQGs) that also submitted information to the most recent RCRA Hazardous Waste Biennial Report (BR) with compliance evaluations in a selected federal fiscal year compared to the national average.

Bar Chart: 

Number of Active BR LQGs in Selected State(s) with Compliance Evaluations / Active BR LQGs in Selected State(s)

  • Numerator: The number of active BR LQGs in the selected state(s) with compliance evaluations in the selected federal fiscal year.
  • Denominator: The number of active BR LQGs in the selected state(s) in a selected federal fiscal year.

Line Chart (National Average):

Number of Active BR LQGs in the nation with Compliance Evaluations / Active BR LQGs in the nation

  • Numerator: The number of active BR LQGs in the entire nation with compliance evaluations in the selected federal fiscal year.
  • Denominator: The number of active BR LQGs in the entire nation in the selected federal fiscal year.

Metric Replication

Additional details for the following terms can be found in the Data Dictionary:

Notes

  • If no specific states are selected, the state average and national averages will be the same. Select one or more states to compare to the national average.
  • In the charts that display percentages for selected state(s) versus the national average, note that the “National Average” line ignores the filters [Facility State], [Activity State], [Lead Agency], and [EPA Region], while the “Selected State(s)” bars—which reflect the state(s) where facilities are located—ignore the filters [Activity State] and [Lead Agency].
  • In the Comparative Map the national average is shown in the Key Performance Indicator above the map, the geographic areas are colored by quartile, and hovering your cursor over a state shows the percentage

 

 Replication of metric for % BR LQGs with Compliance Evaluations vs. National Average using Details Table downloads
Source Data for DownloadMetric ComponentNumerator (Count of records where...)Denominator (Count of records where...)
Facilities DetailSelected States"BR LQG" is "Yes" and ("EPA Compliance Evaluation Flag" is "Yes" or "State Compliance Evaluation Flag" is "Yes") and "Facility State" is {Selected State(s)}"BR LQG" is "Yes" and "Facility State" is {Selected State(s)}
Facilities DetailNational Average"BR LQG" is "Yes" and ("EPA Compliance Evaluation Flag" is "Yes" or "State Compliance Evaluation Flag" is "Yes")"BR LQG" is "Yes"

 

 States with Alternative Compliance Monitoring Activity Plans
Description of Metrics

Definition

List of the federal fiscal years where state(s) utilized alternative compliance monitoring plans. The chart only displays states that have indicated in RCRAInfo that an alternative compliance monitoring activity plan was in place; additional states may have alternative compliance monitoring plans not reflected on the dashboard.

Alternative Compliance Monitoring Activity Plans

EPA sets national goals for how frequently facilities should be evaluated by the authorized enforcement agency. EPA develops Compliance Monitoring Strategies (CMSs) to ensure that the regulated facilities across the country are evaluated for compliance on a regular basis. EPA offers flexibility to the states for many of the compliance monitoring frequency goals. Some states take advantage of this flexibility by submitting alternative compliance monitoring plans that provide for compliance monitoring frequencies that are aligned with other priorities within the specific state.

Additional details for the following terms can be found in the Data Dictionary:

Violations 

This section displays information about violations of environmental regulations noted at regulated facilities. This section focuses on how often violations are found.

A violation at a facility means the facility has been noted as out of compliance with an environmental requirement set forth by the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act and its respective regulations. EPA learns of violations by several means, including reviewing regulated facility reports and EPA or state compliance monitoring activities. Examples of violations of RCRA requirements include: the facility did not follow procedures to maintain safe and secure storage of wastes (e.g., top of waste container not in place) and inaccurate record-keeping related to completing the manifest accompanying a transfer of RCRA wastes to an off-site treatment, storage or disposal facility.

A user can interpret the data in several ways. For example, a state with a high noncompliance rate may have more stringent requirements than the federal program, or the state is actively identifying problems that need enforcement attention. A low noncompliance rate could be interpreted as meaning that facilities within the state do a good job complying with the RCRA regulations so violations are not widespread. Further, the state or EPA may have previously focused attention on facilities, and compliance rates are reflective of such outreach, or in rare instances, it is possible that noncompliance hasn't been reported to the national database.

Violation, noncompliance, significant noncompliance, high priority violation, and enforcement priority are all terms used by the ECHO site to describe the facility status in regard to compliance with the law. In many cases, these terms reflect determinations made by EPA or states when conducting compliance monitoring activities or reviewing facility self-reports. These determinations assist the government in tracking resolution of violations through the enforcement process and do not necessarily represent a final adjudication by a judicial or administrative body. In such cases, these characterizations should be considered alleged violations.

 Facilities with New Violations in Federal Fiscal Year by Lead Agency
Description of Metrics

Definition

Count of facilities with new violations in the selected federal fiscal year, by lead agency.

Facility

A facility that generates, treats, stores, or disposes of hazardous waste regulated under RCRA Subtitle C.

Additional details for the following terms can be found in the Data Dictionary:

Note: 

  • For this metric, the violation must be associated with a specific compliance monitoring activity in the selected federal fiscal year.
  • In the Comparative Map, use the [Lead Agency] filter to visualize the count of facilities with new violations in the selected federal fiscal year by selected lead agency.

 

 Facilities with Violations by Lead Agency
Description of Metrics

Definition

Count of facilities with violations in the selected fiscal year, by lead agency.

Facility

A facility that generates, treats, stores, or disposes of hazardous waste regulated under RCRA Subtitle C.

Lead Agency

Describes the regulatory agency undertaking the initial compliance monitoring activity and determining the violation, either EPA or State. State includes Tribal, local and other agencies with delegated authority for RCRA compliance evaluations.

Additional details for the following terms can be found in the Data Dictionary:

Note: 

  • In the Comparative Map, use the [Lead Agency] filter to visualize the count of facilities with violations in the selected federal fiscal year by selected lead agency.

 

 Facilities with Violations by Primary Universe
Description of Metrics

Definition

Count of facilities with violations in a selected federal fiscal year, by primary universe.

Facility

A facility that generates, treats, stores, or disposes of hazardous waste regulated under RCRA Subtitle C.

Lead Agency

Describes the regulatory agency undertaking the initial compliance monitoring activity and determining the violation, either EPA or State. State includes Tribal, local and other agencies with delegated authority for RCRA compliance evaluations.

Additional details for the following terms can be found in the Data Dictionary:

Note: 

  • In the Comparative Map, use the [Universe] filter to visualize the count of facilities with violations in a federal fiscal year by selected lead agency.

 

 % Facilities with Violations from On-Site Compliance Monitoring Activity by Lead Agency
Description of Metrics

Definition

Percent of on-site monitored facilities in the selected federal fiscal year with violations, by lead agency.

Lead Agency EPA Bar (Green):

Facilities with Onsite Compliance Monitoring Activities conducted by State Resulting in Violations / Facilities with Onsite Compliance Monitoring Activities conducted by State

  • Numerator: The number of facilities with on-site compliance monitoring activities conducted by EPA that resulted in violations in the selected federal fiscal year.
  • Denominator: The number of facilities with on-site compliance monitoring activities conducted by EPA in the selected federal fiscal year.

Lead Agency State Bar (Blue):

Facilities with Onsite Compliance Monitoring Activities conducted by EPA Resulting in Violations / Facilities with Onsite Compliance Monitoring Activities conducted by EPA

  • Numerator: The number of facilities with on-site compliance monitoring activities conducted by State and Local regulatory authorities that resulted in violations in the selected federal fiscal year.
  • Denominator: The number of facilities with on-site compliance monitoring activities conducted by State and Local regulatory authorities in the selected federal fiscal year.

Metric Replication

Facility

A facility that generates, treats, stores, or disposes of hazardous waste regulated under RCRA Subtitle C.

Lead Agency

Describes the regulatory agency undertaking the compliance monitoring activity, either EPA or State. State includes Tribal, local and other agencies with delegated authority for RCRA compliance evaluations.

Additional details for the following terms can be found in the Data Dictionary:

Note: 

  • In the Comparative Map, use the [Lead Agency] filter to visualize the percent of on-site monitored facilities in the federal fiscal year with violations by lead agency.

 

 Replication of metric for % Facilities with Violations from On-Site Compliance Monitoring Activity by Lead Agency using Details Table downloads
Source Data for DownloadMetric ComponentNumerator (Count of records where...)Denominator (Count of records where...)
Facilities DetailLead Agency = EPA"On-Site EPA Violation Flag" is "Yes""EPA On-Site Compliance Monitoring Activity Flag" is "Yes"
Facilities DetailLead Agency = State"On-Site State Violation Flag" is "Yes""State On-Site Compliance Monitoring Activity Flag" is "Yes"

 

 % Facilities with Violations from On-Site Compliance Monitoring Activity vs. National Average
Description of Metrics

Definition

Percent of on-site monitored facilities with violations in the selected federal fiscal year, compared to the national average.

Bar Chart:

Facilities with Onsite Compliance Monitoring Activities in Selected State(s) Resulting in Violations / Facilities with Onsite Compliance Monitoring Activities in Selected State(s) 

  • Numerator: The number of facilities with on-site compliance monitoring activities in the selected state(s) that resulted in violations in the selected federal fiscal year.
  • Denominator: The number of facilities with on-site compliance monitoring activities in the selected state(s) in the selected federal fiscal year.

Line Chart (National Average):

Total Facilities with Onsite Compliance Monitoring Activities Resulting in Violations / Total Facilities with Onsite Compliance Monitoring Activities 

  • Numerator: The number of facilities in the nation with on-site compliance monitoring activities that resulted in violations in the selected federal fiscal year.
  • Denominator: The number of facilities in the nation with on-site compliance monitoring activities in the selected federal fiscal year.

Metric Replication

Facility

A facility that generates, treats, stores, or disposes of hazardous waste regulated under RCRA Subtitle C.

Lead Agency

Describes the regulatory agency undertaking the compliance monitoring activity, either EPA or State. State includes Tribal, local and other agencies with delegated authority for RCRA compliance evaluations.

Additional details for the following terms can be found in the Data Dictionary:

Notes

  • If no specific states are selected, the state average and national averages will be the same. Select one or more states to compare to the national average.
  • In the charts that display percentages for selected state(s) versus the national average, note that the “National Average” line ignores the filters [Facility State], [Activity State], [Lead Agency], and [EPA Region], while the “Selected State(s)” bars—which reflect the state(s) where facilities are located—ignore the filters [Activity State] and [Lead Agency].
  • In the Comparative Map, use the [Lead Agency] filter to visualize the percent of on-site monitored facilities with violations in the selected federal fiscal year by lead agency. The national average is shown in the Key Performance Indicator above the map, the geographic areas are colored by quartile, and hovering your cursor over a state shows the percentage.

 

 Replication of metric for % Facilities with Violations from Compliance Monitoring Activity vs. National Average using Details Table downloads
Source Data for DownloadMetric ComponentNumerator (Count of records where...)Denominator (Count of records where...)
Facilities DetailSelected State(s)("On-Site EPA Violation Flag" is "Yes" or "On-Site State Violation Flag" is "Yes") and "Facility State" is {Selected State(s)}("EPA On-Site Compliance Monitoring Activity Flag" is "Yes" or "State On-Site Compliance Monitoring Activity Flag" is "Yes") and "Facility State" is {Selected State(s)}
Facilities DetailNational Average"On-Site EPA Violation Flag" is "Yes" or "On-Site State Violation Flag" is "Yes""EPA On-Site Compliance Monitoring Activity Flag" is "Yes" or "State On-Site Compliance Monitoring Activity Flag" is "Yes"

Significant Noncompliers (SNCs) 

This section displays information about serious violations of environmental regulations determined at regulated facilities. This section focuses on how often facilities are designated as significant noncompliers.

The RCRA hazardous waste program uses the term Significant Noncomplier (SNC) to indicate facilities that have caused actual exposure or a substantial likelihood of exposure to hazardous waste or hazardous waste constituents; are chronic or recalcitrant violators; or deviate substantially from the terms of a permit, order, agreement or from RCRA statutory or regulatory requirements. A determination to classify a site as a SNC is made using the guidelines set forth in the December 2003 Hazardous Waste Civil Enforcement Response Policy. The SNC is addressed by EPA/State through formal enforcement that mandates compliance and initiates an administrative or civil action that results in an enforceable agreement or order and imposes sanctions. Violations remain open in RCRAInfo until the facility returns to full physical compliance with the regulatory and/or statutory requirements.

According to the Enforcement Response Policy, a determination of whether a facility is an SNC must be made by 150 days after the first date of a compliance monitoring activity.

As with violations, a user can interpret the SNC data in several ways. A state with a high SNC rate may be actively identifying significant problems that need formal enforcement attention to achieve the desired result of returning a facility to compliance. A low SNC rate may mean the facilities within the state do a good job complying with the RCRA regulations so violations are not widespread, or in rare instances, it is possible that SNC is not properly identified or reported by the state or EPA. Information about EPA's evaluation of SNC discovery rates at states is available in individual State Review Framework reports.

Violation, noncompliance, significant noncompliance, and high priority violation are all terms used by the ECHO site to describe the facility status in regard to compliance with the law. In many cases, these terms reflect determinations made by EPA or states when conducting compliance monitoring activities or reviewing facility self-reports. These determinations assist the government in tracking resolution of violations through the enforcement process and do not necessarily represent a final adjudication by a judicial or administrative body. In such cases, these characterizations should be considered alleged violations.

 Significant Noncompliers by Lead Agency
Description of Metrics

Definition

Count of facilities designated as being significant noncompliers at any time in the selected federal fiscal year, by lead agency.

Facility

A facility that generates, treats, stores, or disposes of hazardous waste regulated under RCRA Subtitle C.

Lead Agency

Describes the regulatory agency undertaking the compliance monitoring activity, either EPA or State. State includes Tribal, local, and other agencies with delegated authority for RCRA compliance evaluations.

Additional details for the following terms can be found in the Data Dictionary:

Notes:

  • In the Comparative Map, use the [Lead Agency] filter to visualize the count of facilities designated as being significant noncompliers at any time in the selected federal fiscal year by lead agency.

 

 Significant Noncompliers by Primary Universe
Description of Metrics

Definition

Count of facilities designated as being significant noncompliers at any time in the selected federal fiscal year, by primary universe.

Facility

A facility that generates, treats, stores, or disposes of hazardous waste regulated under RCRA Subtitle C.

Additional details for the following terms can be found in the Data Dictionary:

Notes:

  • In the Comparative Map, use the [Universe] filter to visualize the count of facilities designated as being significant noncompliers at any time in the selected federal fiscal year, by primary universe.

 

 % Determinations for SNCs made within 150 Days by Lead Agency
Description of Metrics

Definition

Percent of Significant Noncomplier (SNC) Determinations made within 150 days of the initiating compliance monitoring activity in the selected federal fiscal year, by Lead Agency.

Lead Agency EPA Bar (Green):

Facilities Designated SNC by EPA within 150 Days of Compliance Monitoring / Facilities Designated SNC by EPA

  • Numerator: The number of facilities with compliance monitoring activities conducted by EPA that resulted in violations and were subsequently designated as significant noncompliers within 150 days of said compliance monitoring activity in the selected federal fiscal year.
  • Denominator: The number of facilities with compliance monitoring activities conducted by EPA that resulted in violations and were subsequently designated as significant noncompliers in the selected federal fiscal year.

Lead Agency State Bar (Blue):

Facilities Designated SNC by State within 150 Days of Compliance Monitoring / Facilities Designated SNC by State

  • Numerator: The number of facilities with compliance monitoring activities conducted by State and Local regulatory authorities that resulted in violations and were subsequently designated as significant noncompliers within 150 days of the first day of said compliance monitoring activity in the selected federal fiscal year.
  • Denominator: The number of facilities with compliance monitoring activities conducted by State and Local regulatory authorities that resulted in violations and were subsequently designated as significant noncompliers in the selected federal fiscal year.

Metric Replication

Lead Agency

Describes the regulatory agency undertaking the compliance monitoring activity, either EPA or State. State includes Tribal, local and other agencies with delegated authority for RCRA compliance evaluations.

Additional details for the following terms can be found in the Data Dictionary:

Notes: 

  • According to EPA’s Enforcement Response Policy, a determination of whether a facility is an SNC must be made by 150 days after the first date of a compliance monitoring activity.
  • In the Comparative Map, use the [Lead Agency] filter to visualize the percent of Significant Noncomplier (SNC) Determinations made within 150 days of the initiating compliance monitoring activity in the federal fiscal year by selected Lead Agency.

 

 Replication of metric for % SNC Determinations made within 150 Days by Lead Agency using Details Table downloads
Source Data for DownloadMetric ComponentNumerator (Count of records where...)Denominator (Count of records where...)
SNC DetailLead Agency = EPA"Lead Agency" is "EPA" and "SNC Determined within 150 Days" is "Yes""Lead Agency" is "EPA"
SNC DetailLead Agency = State""Lead Agency" is "State" and "SNC Determined within 150 Days" is "Yes""Lead Agency" is "State"

 

 % SNCs Addressed within 360 Days by Lead Agency
Description of Metrics

Definition

Percent of Significant Noncomplier (SNC) Determinations Addressed within 360 days of the initial compliance monitoring activity, by Lead Agency. Selection of federal fiscal year relates to date of initial compliance monitoring activity that led to SNC determination.

Lead Agency EPA Bar (Green):

SNC Addressed by EPA within 360 Days of Designation / Total SNC Addressed or more than 36 Days Since Designation by EPA

  • Numerator: The number of facilities with SNC determinations made by EPA in the selected federal fiscal year that have subsequently been addressed within 360 days.
  • Denominator: The number of facilities with SNC determinations made by EPA in the selected federal fiscal year.

Lead Agency State Bar (Blue):

SNC Addressed by State within 360 Days of Designation / Total SNC Addressed or more than 36 Days Since Designation by State

  • Numerator: The number of facilities with SNC determinations made by State and Local regulatory authorities in the selected federal fiscal year that have subsequently been addressed within 360 days.
  • Denominator: The number of facilities with SNC determinations made by State and Local regulatory authorities in the selected federal fiscal year.

Metric Replication

Facility

A facility that generates, treats, stores, or disposes of hazardous waste regulated under RCRA Subtitle C. 

Lead Agency

Describes the regulatory agency undertaking the compliance monitoring activity, either EPA or State. State includes Tribal, local and other agencies with delegated authority for RCRA compliance evaluations.

Addressed

In the case of a SNC, the lead agency has issued a formal enforcement action that compels compliance (i.e., initial or unilateral orders) or referred the violator to the State Attorney General offices, EPA, or the Department of Justice) and imposes appropriate sanctions. If the SNC violations are addressed with an action such as an order issued under RCRA §§ 3013 or 7003 or State equivalent authority, then the implementing agency should follow-up with an action imposing sanctions.

Additional details for the following terms can be found in the Data Dictionary:

Notes: 

  • In the Comparative Map, use the [Lead Agency] filter to visualize the percent of Significant Noncomplier (SNC) Determinations Addressed within 360 days of the initial compliance monitoring activity by selected Lead Agency.

 

 Replication of metric for % SNC Addressed within 360 Days by Lead Agency using Details Table downloads
Source Data for DownloadMetric ComponentNumerator (Count of records where...)Denominator (Count of records where...)
SNC DetailLead Agency = EPA"Lead Agency" is "EPA" and "SNC Determined within 360 Days" is "Yes""Lead Agency" is "EPA"
SNC DetailLead Agency = State""Lead Agency" is "State" and "SNC Determined within 360 Days" is "Yes""Lead Agency" is "State"

 

 % SNC Facilities with On-Site Compliance Monitoring Activity by Lead Agency
Description of Metrics

Definition

Percent of on-site monitored facilities designated as significant noncompliers in the selected federal fiscal year, by Lead Agency.

Lead Agency EPA Bar (Green):

Facilities Designated SNC by EPA / Facilities with Onsite Compliance Monitoring Activities Conducted by EPA

  • Numerator: The number of facilities with on-site compliance monitoring activities conducted by EPA that resulted in violations and were subsequently designated as being significant noncompliers in the selected federal fiscal year.
  • Denominator: The number of facilities with on-site compliance monitoring activities conducted by EPA in the selected federal fiscal year.

Lead Agency State Bar (Blue):

Facilities Designated SNC by State / Facilities with Onsite Compliance Monitoring Activities Conducted by State

  • Numerator: The number of facilities with on-site compliance monitoring activities conducted by State and Local regulatory authorities that resulted in violations and were subsequently designated as being significant noncompliers in the selected federal fiscal year.
  • Denominator: The number of facilities with on-site compliance monitoring activities conducted by State and Local regulatory authorities in the selected federal fiscal year.

Metric Replication

Facility

A facility that generates, treats, stores, or disposes of hazardous waste regulated under RCRA Subtitle C.

Lead Agency

Describes the regulatory agency undertaking the compliance monitoring activity, either EPA or State. State includes Tribal, local and other agencies with delegated authority for RCRA compliance evaluations.

Additional details for the following terms can be found in the Data Dictionary:

Notes: 

  • In the Comparative Map, use the [Lead Agency] filter to visualize the Percent of on-site monitored facilities designated as significant noncompliers in the selected federal fiscal year by selected Lead Agency.

 

 Replication of metric for % SNC Facilities with On-Site Compliance Monitoring Activity by Lead Agency using Details Table downloads
Source Data for DownloadMetric ComponentNumerator (Count of records where...)Denominator (Count of records where...)
Facilities DetailLead Agency = EPA"EPA SNC from On-Site Flag" is "Yes""EPA On-Site Compliance Monitoring Activity Flag" is "Yes"
Facilities DetailLead Agency = State"State SNC from On-Site Flag" is "Yes""State On-Site Compliance Monitoring Activity Flag" is "Yes"

 

 % SNC Facilities with Compliance Monitoring Activity vs. National Average
Description of Metrics

Definition

Percent of on-site monitored facilities designated as being significant noncompliers in the selected federal fiscal year, compared to the national average.

Bar Chart:

Facilities with Onsite Compliance Monitoring Activity Designated SNC in the Selected State(s) / Facilities with Onsite Compliance Monitoring Activity in the Selected State(s)

  • Numerator: The number of facilities with on-site compliance monitoring activities conducted in the selected state(s) that resulted in violations and were subsequently designated as being significant noncompliers in the selected federal fiscal year.
  • Denominator: The number of facilities with on-site compliance monitoring activities in the selected state(s) in the selected federal fiscal year.

Line Chart (National Average):

Facilities with Onsite Compliance Monitoring Activity Designated SNC / Facilities with Onsite Compliance Monitoring Activity 

  • Numerator: The number of facilities with on-site compliance monitoring activities conducted nationally that resulted in violations and were subsequently designated as being significant noncompliers in the selected federal fiscal year.
  • Denominator: The number of facilities with on-site compliance monitoring activities nationally in the selected federal fiscal year.

Metric Replication

Facility

A facility that generates, treats, stores, or disposes of hazardous waste regulated under RCRA Subtitle C.

Lead Agency

Describes the regulatory agency undertaking the compliance monitoring activity, either EPA or State. State includes Tribal, local and other agencies with delegated authority for RCRA compliance evaluations.

Additional details for the following terms can be found in the Data Dictionary:

Notes

  • If no specific states are selected, the state average and national averages will be the same. Select one or more states to compare to the national average.
  • In the charts that display percentages for selected state(s) versus the national average, note that the “National Average” line ignores the filters [Facility State], [Activity State], [Lead Agency], and [EPA Region], while the “Selected State(s)” bars—which reflect the state(s) where facilities are located—ignore the filters [Activity State] and [Lead Agency].
  • In the Comparative Map the national average is shown in the Key Performance Indicator above the map, the geographic areas are colored by quartile, and hovering your cursor over a state shows the percentage.

 

 Replication of metric for % SNC Facilities with Compliance Monitoring Activity vs. National Average using Details Table downloads
Source Data for DownloadMetric ComponentNumerator (Count of records where...)Denominator (Count of records where...)
SNC DetailSelected State(s)("EPA SNC from On-Site Flag" is "Yes" or "State SNC from On-Site Flag" is "Yes") and "Facility State" is {Selected State(s)}("EPA On-Site Compliance Monitoring Activity Flag" is "Yes" or "State On-Site Compliance Monitoring Activity Flag" is "Yes") and "Facility State" is {Selected State(s)}
SNC DetailNational Average"EPA SNC from On-Site Flag" is "Yes" or "State SNC from On-Site Flag" is "Yes""EPA On-Site Compliance Monitoring Activity Flag" is "Yes" or "State On-Site Compliance Monitoring Activity Flag" is "Yes"

Enforcement Actions 

There are many tools available to EPA enforcement and compliance assurance programs. Some tools are used to notify regulated entities regarding potential violations (e.g., Warning Letter, Notice of Non-Compliance). Others are used to advise regulated entities of an impending enforcement action and invite settlement (e.g., Notice of Violation, Show Cause Letter, Pre-Filing Notice Letter, and Notice of Intent to File an Administrative Complaint). Others are the actual enforcement action (e.g., Administrative Penalty Order, Administrative Compliance Order). 

This section displays information about EPA and state enforcement activity at regulated facilities.

If violations are detected during compliance monitoring activities or are reported to the government by regulated facilities, several paths may be taken to return a facility to compliance. In some situations, violations are minor. Many of these violations are corrected by the facility without the need for an enforcement action. Other violations may require an "informal" notice to the facility that an enforcement proceeding may occur if the violation is not quickly resolved. More serious or continuing violations that are not corrected quickly by the facility may warrant formal enforcement actions. 

Per the December 2003 Hazardous Waste Civil Enforcement Response Policy, RCRAInfo enforcement action types 200-219, 250-259, 300-319, 350-359, 380, 385, 400-519, 530-539, 560-589, 600-699, and 800-899 address significant noncompliers (SNC) and are counted in the charts. The list of enforcement action types is available in Appendix B.

According to the Enforcement Response Policy, 80 percent of SNCs must be addressed in a timely manner (by 360 days after the first day of the associated compliance monitoring activity). A ceiling of 20 percent per year that exceed this standard has been established for consideration of cases involving unique factors.

Informal Action : Typically used to address less serious violations, an informal action must meet all the following criteria: 

  1. Is issued by the regulatory agency in writing (paper or electronic) to the regulated entity, 
  2. Is issued as a result of a “potential finding of violation” or a finding of violation, 
  3. Contains a description of the legal and factual basis for the possible action and states with reasonable specificity the nature of the potential finding of violation or finding of violation, 
  4. Includes: 
    1. A statement that the regulated entity should take whatever action(s) is necessary to correct the potential finding of violation or finding of violation, 
    2. A recommended reasonable timeframe for completing and/or reporting, as appropriate, either any necessary actions to correct the potential finding of violation or finding of violation expressed in specific terms (e.g., within 45 days of receipt of this action or prior to the next permit reporting deadline), or a demonstration by the recipient that there is no such violation; and 
    3. A statement describing the steps the regulatory agency “may” take or “is prepared to” take with respect to the potential finding of violation or finding of violation, 
  5. Is not independently enforceable, 
  6. Is not an action established by law or regulation by which the regulatory agency may itself impose or seek through a court or other tribunal, the imposition of a sanction (e.g., a penalty) or injunctive relief for the identified violation, obtain compliance or abate the endangerment, or resolve liability, and 
  7. Includes, for self-disclosures where there is a potential finding of violation, acknowledgment that the discloser has certified that the violation has been corrected (e.g., Acknowledgement Letter).

Formal Action : Typically used to address more serious violations and may be independently enforceable, a formal action must meet all the following criteria: 

  1. Is issued by the regulatory agency in writing (paper or electronic) to the regulated entity,
  2. Is issued as a result of a “finding of violation”, a “finding of endangerment”, or a self-disclosure, 
  3. Contains a description of the legal and factual basis for the action and states with reasonable specificity the nature of the finding of violation, 
  4. Is an action established by law or regulation by which the regulatory agency may itself impose or seek through a court or other tribunal, the imposition of a sanction (e.g., a penalty) or injunctive relief for the identified finding of violation, obtain compliance or abate the endangerment, or use to resolve liability (e.g., FIFRA Notices of Warning, Federal Facility Compliance Agreement), and 
  5. For self-disclosures where there is a finding of violation, includes notice that the discloser has certified that the violation has been corrected (e.g., electronic Notice of Determination).
 Facilities with Enforcement Actions by Lead Agency
Description of Metrics

Definition

Count of facilities with new enforcement actions in the selected federal fiscal year, by lead agency.

 

Facility

A facility that generates, treats, stores, or disposes of hazardous waste regulated under RCRA Subtitle C.

Lead Agency

Describes the regulatory agency undertaking the compliance monitoring activity, either EPA or State. State includes Tribal, local and other agencies with delegated authority for RCRA compliance evaluations.

Additional details for the following terms can be found in the Data Dictionary:

Notes:

  • In the Comparative Map, use the [Lead Agency] filter to visualize the count of facilities with new enforcement actions in the federal fiscal year by selected lead agency.

 

 Facilities with Formal Actions by Lead Agency
Description of Metrics

Definition

Count of facilities with formal enforcement actions in the selected federal fiscal year, by lead agency.

Facility

A facility that generates, treats, stores, or disposes of hazardous waste regulated under RCRA Subtitle C.

Lead Agency

Describes the regulatory agency undertaking the compliance monitoring activity, either EPA or State. State includes Tribal, local and other agencies with delegated authority for RCRA compliance evaluations.

Additional details for the following terms can be found in the Data Dictionary:

Notes:

  • In the Comparative Map, use the [Lead Agency] filter to visualize the count of facilities with formal enforcement actions in the federal fiscal year by selected lead agency.

 

 Formal Enforcement Actions by Lead Agency
Description of Metrics

Definition

Count of formal enforcement actions in the selected federal fiscal year, by lead agency.

Lead Agency

Describes the regulatory agency undertaking the compliance monitoring activity, either EPA or State. State includes Tribal, local and other agencies with delegated authority for RCRA compliance evaluations.

Additional details for the following terms can be found in the Data Dictionary:

Notes:

  • In the Comparative Map, use the [Lead Agency] filter to visualize the count of facilities with formal enforcement actions in the federal fiscal year by selected lead agency.

 

 % Facilities with FEAs vs. National Average
Description of Metrics

Definition

Percent of facilities with formal enforcement actions (FEAs) in the selected federal fiscal year, compared to the national average.

Bar Chart:

Facilities with FEAs in Selected State(s) / Facilities with Violations in Selected State(s)

  • Numerator: The number of facilities with formal enforcement actions in the selected state(s) in the selected federal fiscal year.
  • Denominator: The number of facilities with violations in the selected state(s) in the selected federal fiscal year.

Line Chart (National Average):

Total Facilities with FEAs / Facilities with Violations 

  • Numerator: The number of facilities in the nation with formal enforcement actions in the selected federal fiscal year.
  • Denominator: The number of facilities in the nation with violations in the selected federal fiscal year.

Metric Replication

Facility

A facility that generates, treats, stores, or disposes of hazardous waste regulated under RCRA Subtitle C.

Additional details for the following terms can be found in the Data Dictionary:

Notes

  • If no specific states are selected, the state average and national averages will be the same. Select one or more states to compare to the national average.
  • In the charts that display percentages for selected state(s) versus the national average, note that the “National Average” line ignores the filters [Facility State], [Activity State], [Lead Agency], and [EPA Region], while the “Selected State(s)” bars—which reflect the state(s) where facilities are located—ignore the filters [Activity State] and [Lead Agency].
  • In the Comparative Map, use the [Lead Agency] filter to visualize the percent of facilities with formal enforcement actions (FEAs) in the federal fiscal year by selected lead agency. The national average is shown in the Key Performance Indicator above the map, the geographic areas are colored by quartile, and hovering your cursor over a state shows the percentage.

 

 Replication of metric for % Facilities with FEAs vs. National Average using Details Table downloads
Source Data for DownloadMetric ComponentNumerator (Count of records where...)Denominator (Count of records where...)
Facilities DetailSelected State(s)("EPA Formal Enforcement Flag" is "Yes" or "State Formal Enforcement Flag" is "Yes") and "Facility State" is {Selected State(s)}("EPA Violation Flag" is "Yes" or "State Violation Flag" is "Yes") and "Facility State" is {Selected State(s)}
Facilities DetailNational Average"EPA Formal Enforcement Flag" is "Yes" or "State Formal Enforcement Flag" is "Yes""EPA Violation Flag" is "Yes" or "State Violation Flag" is "Yes"

 

 Facilities with Informal Actions by Lead Agency
Description of Metrics

Definition

Count of facilities with informal actions in the selected federal fiscal year, by lead agency.

 

Facility

A facility that generates, treats, stores, or disposes of hazardous waste regulated under RCRA Subtitle C.

Lead Agency

Describes the regulatory agency undertaking the compliance monitoring activity, either EPA or State. State includes Tribal, local and other agencies with delegated authority for RCRA compliance evaluations.

Additional details for the following terms can be found in the Data Dictionary:

Notes:

  • In the Comparative Map, use the [Lead Agency] filter to visualize the count of facilities with informal actions in the federal fiscal year, by selected lead agency.

 

 Informal Enforcement Actions by Lead Agency
Description of Metrics

Definition

Count of informal enforcement actions in the selected federal fiscal year, by lead agency.

 

Lead Agency refers to the agency that led the compliance/enforcement action, not the permitting agency. 

Additional details for the following terms can be found in the Data Dictionary:

Notes:

  • In the Comparative Map, use the [Lead Agency] filter to visualize the count of facilities with informal actions in the federal fiscal year, by selected lead agency.

 

 % Facilities with IEAs vs. National Average
Description of Metrics

Definition

Percent of facilities with informal enforcement actions (IEAs) in the selected federal fiscal year, compared to the national average.

Bar Chart:

Facilities with IEAs in Selected State(s) / Facilities with Violations in Selected State(s)

  • Numerator: The number of facilities with informal enforcement actions in the selected state(s) in the selected federal fiscal year.
  • Denominator: The number of facilities with violations in the selected state(s) in the selected federal fiscal year.

Line Chart (National Average):

Total Facilities with IEAs / Total Facilities with Violations 

  • Numerator: The number of facilities in the nation with informal enforcement actions in the selected federal fiscal year.
  • Denominator: The number of facilities in the nation with violations in the selected federal fiscal year.

Metric Replication

Facility

A facility that generates, treats, stores, or disposes of hazardous waste regulated under RCRA Subtitle C.

Additional details for the following terms can be found in the Data Dictionary:

Notes

  • If no specific states are selected, the state average and national averages will be the same. Select one or more states to compare to the national average.
  • In the charts that display percentages for selected state(s) versus the national average, note that the “National Average” line ignores the filters [Facility State], [Activity State], [Lead Agency], and [EPA Region], while the “Selected State(s)” bars—which reflect the state(s) where facilities are located—ignore the filters [Activity State] and [Lead Agency].
  • In the Comparative Map, use the [Lead Agency] filter to visualize the percent of facilities with informal enforcement actions (IEAs) in the federal fiscal year by selected lead agency. The national average is shown in the Key Performance Indicator above the map, the geographic areas are colored by quartile, and hovering your cursor over a state shows the percentage.

 

 Replication of metric for % Facilities with IEAs vs. National Average using Details Table downloads
Source Data for DownloadMetric ComponentNumerator (Count of records where...)Denominator (Count of records where...)
SNC DetailSelected State(s)("EPA Informal Enforcement Flag" is "Yes" or "State Informal Enforcement Flag" is "Yes") and "Facility State" is {Selected State(s)}("EPA Violation Flag" is "Yes" or "State Violation Flag" is "Yes") and "Facility State" is {Selected State(s)}
SNC DetailNational Average"EPA Informal Enforcement Flag" is "Yes" or "State Informal Enforcement Flag" is "Yes""EPA Violation Flag" is "Yes" or "State Violation Flag" is "Yes"

Penalties 

This section displays information about penalties at regulated facilities that had alleged violations.

Civil administrative and judicial actions often end with a settlement, an agreed upon resolution to an enforcement case. Settlements in civil administrative actions are often in the form of Consent Agreements/Final Orders. Settlements in civil judicial actions are generally embodied in Consent Decrees, signed by all parties to the action and filed in the appropriate court. In the settlements, EPA or the state often requires injunctive relief (actions needed to return to compliance and correct environmental damage) and the payment of penalties. Settlements also may include Supplemental Environmental Projects, environmentally beneficial projects that a defendant/respondent agrees to undertake in settlement of an enforcement action, but which the defendant/respondent is not otherwise legally required to perform.

Penalty charts reflect the total dollar amount of final monetary penalties and supplemental environmental project credits (RCRAInfo penalty types FMP and SCR) for formal enforcement actions with RCRAInfo action types 200-239, 250-339, and 350-799.

  • 210 - Initial 3008(a) Compliance Order
  • 220 - Initial Imminent and Substantial Endangerment Order
  • 230 - Initial Monitoring, Analysis, Test Order
  • 250 - Field Citation
  • 310 - Final 3008(a) Compliance Order
  • 320 - Final Imminent Hazard Order
  • 330 - Final Monitoring, Analysis, Test Order
  • 380 - Super CA/FO
  • 510 - Initial Civil Judicial Action for Compliance and/or Monetary Penalty
  • 520 - Initial Civil Action for Imminent and Substantial Endangerment
  • 530 - Initial Judicial Action for Corrective Action
  • 610 - Final Civil Judicial Action for Compliance and/or Monetary Penalty
  • 620 - Final Civil Action for Imminent and Substantial Endangerment
  • 630 - Final Civil Judicial Action for Interim Corrective Action

Note: The types of formal and informal actions listed above are nationally defined by EPA. Other actions within the number series are defined and maintained by EPA regions or state agencies.

 Penalties by Lead Agency
Description of Metrics

Definition

Total value of final monetary penalties and supplemental environmental project credits of penalties (in US dollars) for the selected federal fiscal year, by lead agency.

Penalty

A sanction, if deemed appropriate by the lead agency, incorporated in the formal enforcement response that might recover the economic benefit of noncompliance plus some appreciable amount reflecting the gravity of the violation should be considered appropriate. The portion of the penalty that does not account for the economic benefit of non-compliance may be addressed with Supplemental Environmental Projects (SEPs) as deemed appropriate by the lead agency.

Lead Agency refers to the agency that led the compliance/enforcement action, not the permitting agency.

Additional details for the following terms can be found in the Data Dictionary:

Notes:

  • Penalty charts reflect the total dollar amount of final monetary penalties and supplemental environmental project credits (RCRAInfo penalty types FMP and SCR) for formal enforcement actions with RCRAInfo action types 200-239, 250-339, and 350-799.
  • In the Comparative Map, use the [Lead Agency] filter to visualize the total value of final monetary penalties and supplemental environmental project credits of penalties (in US dollars) for the federal fiscal year by selected lead agency

 

 FEAs with Penalty by Lead Agency
Description of Metrics

Definition

Count of formal enforcement actions with penalties in the selected federal fiscal year, by lead agency.

 

Penalty

A sanction, if deemed appropriate by the lead agency, incorporated in the formal enforcement response that might recover the economic benefit of noncompliance plus some appreciable amount reflecting the gravity of the violation should be considered appropriate. The portion of the penalty that does not account for the economic benefit of non-compliance may be addressed with Supplemental Environmental Projects (SEPs) as deemed appropriate by the lead agency.

Lead Agency refers to the agency that led the compliance/enforcement action, not the permitting agency.

Additional details for the following terms can be found in the Data Dictionary:

Notes:

  • Penalty charts reflect the total dollar amount of final monetary penalties and supplemental environmental project credits (RCRAInfo penalty types FMP and SCR) for formal enforcement actions with RCRAInfo action types 200-239, 250-339, and 350-799.
  • In the Comparative Map, use the [Lead Agency] filter to visualize the count of formal enforcement actions with penalties in the federal fiscal year by lead agency.

 

 % FEAs with Penalty by Primary Universe
Description of Metrics

Definition

Percent of formal enforcement actions with penalties in the selected federal fiscal year, by primary universe.

Purple Bar (TSDFs):

TSDFs with Formal Enforcement Actions with Penalties / TSDFs with Formal Enforcement Actions

  • Numerator: The number of Treatment, Storage, and Disposal Facilities with formal enforcement actions that included penalties in the selected federal fiscal year.
  • Denominator: The number of Treatment, Storage, and Disposal Facilities with formal enforcement actions in the selected federal fiscal year.

Yellow Bar (LQGs):

LQGs with Formal Enforcement Actions with Penalties / LQGs with Formal Enforcement Actions

  • Numerator: The number of Large Quantity Generators with formal enforcement actions that included penalties in the selected federal fiscal year.
  • Denominator: The number of Large Quantity Generators with formal enforcement actions in the selected federal fiscal year.

Blue Bar (SQGs):

SQGs with Formal Enforcement Actions with Penalties / SQGs with Formal Enforcement Actions

  • Numerator: The number of Small Quantity Generators with formal enforcement actions that included penalties in the selected federal fiscal year.
  • Denominator: The number of Small Quantity Generators with formal enforcement actions in the selected federal fiscal year.

Red Bar (VSQGs):

VSQGs with Formal Enforcement Actions with Penalties / VSQGs with Formal Enforcement Actions

  • Numerator: The number of Very Small Quantity Generators with formal enforcement actions that included penalties in the selected federal fiscal year.
  • Denominator: The number of Very Small Quantity Generators with formal enforcement actions in the selected federal fiscal year.

Light Green Bar (Transporters):

Transporters with Formal Enforcement Actions with Penalties / Transporters with Formal Enforcement Actions

  • Numerator: The number of Transporters with formal enforcement actions that included penalties in the selected federal fiscal year.
  • Denominator: The number of Transporters with formal enforcement actions in the selected federal fiscal year.

Dark Green Bar (Other):

Other with Formal Enforcement Actions with Penalties / Other with Formal Enforcement Actions

  • Numerator: The number of Other with formal enforcement actions that included penalties in the selected federal fiscal year.
  • Denominator: The number of Other with formal enforcement actions in the selected federal fiscal year.

Metric Replication

Penalty

A sanction, if deemed appropriate by the lead agency, incorporated in the formal enforcement response that might recover the economic benefit of noncompliance plus some appreciable amount reflecting the gravity of the violation should be considered appropriate. The portion of the penalty that does not account for the economic benefit of non-compliance may be addressed with Supplemental Environmental Projects (SEPs) as deemed appropriate by the lead agency.

Lead Agency  refers to the agency that led the compliance/enforcement action, not the permitting agency.

Additional details for the following terms can be found in the Data Dictionary:

Note: 

 
  • Penalty charts reflect the total dollar amount of final monetary penalties and supplemental environmental project credits (RCRAInfo penalty types FMP and SCR) for formal enforcement actions with RCRAInfo action types 200-239, 250-339, and 350-799.
  • In the Comparative Map, use the [Universe] filter to visualize the percent of formal enforcement actions with penalties in the federal fiscal year, by selected primary universe.per with Penalty by Primary Universe

 

 Replication of metric for % FEAs with Penalty by Primary Universe using Details Table downloads
Source Data for DownloadMetric ComponentNumerator (Count of records where...)Denominator (Count of records where...)
Enforcement Actions DetailPrimary Universe = TSDF"Primary Universe" is “TSDF”, "Action Type" is "Formal", and "Penalty" is "Yes""Primary Universe" is “TSDF” and "Action Type" is "Formal"
Enforcement Actions DetailPrimary Universe = LQG"Primary Universe" is “LQG”, "Action Type" is "Formal", and "Penalty" is "Yes""Primary Universe" is “LQG” and "Action Type" is "Formal"
Enforcement Actions DetailPrimary Universe = SQG"Primary Universe" is “SQG”, "Action Type" is "Formal", and "Penalty" is "Yes""Primary Universe" is “SQG” and "Action Type" is "Formal"
Enforcement Actions DetailPrimary Universe = VSQG"Primary Universe" is “VSQG”, "Action Type" is "Formal", and "Penalty" is "Yes""Primary Universe" is “VSQG” and "Action Type" is "Formal"
Enforcement Actions DetailPrimary Universe = Transporter"Primary Universe" is “Transporter”, "Action Type" is "Formal", and "Penalty" is "Yes""Primary Universe" is “Transporter” and "Action Type" is "Formal"
Enforcement Actions DetailPrimary Universe = Other"Primary Universe" is “Other”, "Action Type" is "Formal", and "Penalty" is "Yes""Primary Universe" is “Other” and "Action Type" is "Formal"

 

 % FEAs with Penalty by Lead Agency
Description of Metrics

Definition

Percent of formal enforcement actions (FEAs) with penalties in the selected federal fiscal year, by lead agency.

Lead Agency EPA Bar (Green):

Formal Enforcement Actions Issued by EPA with Penalties / Formal Enforcement Actions Issued by EPA

  • Numerator: The number of formal enforcement actions issued by EPA that included penalties in the selected federal fiscal year.
  • Denominator: The number of formal enforcement actions issued by EPA in the selected federal fiscal year.

Lead Agency State Bar (Blue):

Formal Enforcement Actions Issued by State with Penalties / Formal Enforcement Actions Issued by State

  • Numerator: The number of formal enforcement actions issued by State and Local regulatory authorities that included penalties in the selected federal fiscal year.
  • Denominator: The number of formal enforcement actions issued by State and Local regulatory authorities in the selected federal fiscal year.

Metric Replication

Penalty

A sanction, if deemed appropriate by the lead agency, incorporated in the formal enforcement response that might recover the economic benefit of noncompliance plus some appreciable amount reflecting the gravity of the violation should be considered appropriate. The portion of the penalty that does not account for the economic benefit of non-compliance may be addressed with Supplemental Environmental Projects (SEPs) as deemed appropriate by the lead agency.

Lead Agency refers to the agency that led the compliance/enforcement action, not the permitting agency.

Additional details for the following terms can be found in the Data Dictionary:

Notes: 

  • Penalty charts reflect the total dollar amount of final monetary penalties and supplemental environmental project credits (RCRAInfo penalty types FMP and SCR) for formal enforcement actions with RCRAInfo action types 200-239, 250-339, and 350-799.
  • In the Comparative Map, use the [Universe] filter to visualize the percent of formal enforcement actions with penalties in the federal fiscal year, by selected universe.

 

 Replication of metric for % FEAs with Penalty by Lead Agency using Details Table downloads
Source Data for DownloadMetric ComponentNumerator (Count of records where...)Denominator (Count of records where...)
Enforcement Actions DetailLead Agency = EPA"Lead Agency" is "EPA", "Action Type" is "Formal", and "Penalty" is "Yes""Action Type" is "Formal" and "Lead Agency" is "EPA"
Enforcement Actions DetailLead Agency = State"Lead Agency" is "State", "Action Type" is "Formal", and "Penalty" is "Yes""Action Type" is "Formal" and "Lead Agency" is "State"

 

 % FEAs with Penalties vs. National Average
Description of Metrics

Definition

Percent of formal enforcement actions with penalties in the selected federal fiscal year, compared to the national average.

Bar Chart (State Average):

Formal Enforcement Actions in Selected State(s) with Penalties / Formal Enforcement Actions in Selected State(s)

  • Numerator: The number of formal enforcement actions in the selected state(s) that included penalties in the selected federal fiscal year.
  • Denominator: The number of formal enforcement actions in the selected state(s) in the selected federal fiscal year.

Line Chart (National Average):

National Formal Enforcement Actions with Penalties / National Formal Enforcement Actions 

  • Numerator: The number of formal enforcement actions issued nationally that included penalties in the selected federal fiscal year.
  • Denominator: The number of formal enforcement actions issued nationally that included penalties in the selected federal fiscal year.

Metric Replication

Penalty

A sanction, if deemed appropriate by the lead agency, incorporated in the formal enforcement response that might recover the economic benefit of noncompliance plus some appreciable amount reflecting the gravity of the violation should be considered appropriate. The portion of the penalty that does not account for the economic benefit of non-compliance may be addressed with Supplemental Environmental Projects (SEPs) as deemed appropriate by the lead agency.

Additional details for the following terms can be found in the Data Dictionary:

Notes

  • Penalty charts reflect the total dollar amount of final monetary penalties and supplemental environmental project credits (RCRAInfo penalty types FMP and SCR) for formal enforcement actions with RCRAInfo action types 200-239, 250-339, and 350-799.
  • If no specific states are selected, the state average and national averages will be the same. Select one or more states to compare to the national average.
  • In the charts that display percentages for selected state(s) versus the national average, note that the “National Average” line ignores the filters [Facility State], [Activity State], [Lead Agency], and [EPA Region], while the “Selected State(s)” bars—which reflect the state(s) where facilities are located—ignore the filters [Activity State] and [Lead Agency].
  • In the Comparative Map, the national average is shown in the Key Performance Indicator above the map, the geographic areas are colored by quartile, and hovering your cursor over a state shows the percentage.

 

 Replication of metric for % FEAs with Penalties vs. National Average using Details Table downloads
Source Data for DownloadMetric ComponentNumerator (Count of records where...)Denominator (Count of records where...)
Enforcement Actions DetailSelected State(s)Action Type" is "Formal", "Penalty" is "Yes", and "Facility State" is {Selected State(s)}"Action Type" is "Formal" and "Facility State" is {Selected State(s)}
Enforcement Actions DetailNational Average"Action Type" is "Formal" and "Penalty" is "Yes""Action Type" is "Formal" 

 

 Median Penalty Assessed vs. National Average
Description of Metrics

Definition

Median value of penalties assessed, compared to the national median, for the selected federal fiscal year.

Bar Chart: Median of penalties assessed to selected state(s).

Line Chart: Median of all penalties assessed nationally.

Penalty

A sanction, if deemed appropriate by the lead agency, incorporated in the formal enforcement response that might recover the economic benefit of noncompliance plus some appreciable amount reflecting the gravity of the violation should be considered appropriate. The portion of the penalty that does not account for the economic benefit of non-compliance may be addressed with Supplemental Environmental Projects (SEPs) as deemed appropriate by the lead agency.

Additional details for the following terms can be found in the Data Dictionary:

Notes

  • The median value in a sorted distribution is the middle value: one half of the values are higher than the median and one-half of the values are lower than the median.
  • Penalty charts reflect the total dollar amount of final monetary penalties and supplemental environmental project credits (RCRAInfo penalty types FMP and SCR) for formal enforcement actions with RCRAInfo action types 200-239, 250-339, and 350-799.
  • If no specific states are selected, the state median and national median will be the same. Select one or more states to compare to the national median.
  • In the charts that display percentages for selected state(s) versus the national average, note that the “National Average” line ignores the filters [Facility State], [Activity State], [Lead Agency], and [EPA Region], while the “Selected State(s)” bars—which reflect the state(s) where facilities are located—ignore the filters [Activity State] and [Lead Agency].
  • In the Comparative Map, the national average is shown in the Key Performance Indicator above the map, the geographic areas are colored by quartile, and hovering your cursor over a state shows the percentage.

Appendix A - Data Dictionary 

RCRA Primary Universe 

As facility operations may belong to more than one universe, the primary universe is assigned using the following hierarchy:

  1. TSDF (Treatment, Storage, and Disposal Facility)
  2. LQG (Large Quantity Generator)
  3. SQG (Small Quantity Generator)
  4. VSQG (Very Small Quantity Generator)
  5. Transporter
  6. Other

RCRA Universe 

Treatment, Storage, and Disposal Facility (TSDF) 

A TSDF, according to 40 CFR 260.10, is a facility that performs one or more of the following functions:

  • Treatment: Any method, technique, or process, including neutralization, designed to change the physical, chemical, or biological character or composition of any hazardous waste so as to neutralize such waste, or so as to recover energy or material resources from the waste, or so as to render such waste non-hazardous, or less hazardous; safer to transport, store, or dispose of; or amenable for recovery, amenable for storage, or reduced in volume.
  • Storage: The holding of hazardous waste for a temporary period, at the end of which the hazardous waste is treated, disposed of, or stored elsewhere.
  • Disposal: The discharge, deposit, injection, dumping, spilling, leaking, or placing of any solid waste or hazardous waste into or on any land or water so that such solid waste or hazardous waste or any constituent thereof may enter the environment or be emitted into the air or discharged into any waters, including groundwaters.

This universe includes facilities that are accepting and/or managing hazardous waste, and those that are no longer accepting or managing hazardous waste but may be obligated to take corrective actions to ensure that hazardous wastes on site do not migrate offsite.

Operating Treatment, Storage, and Disposal Facility (TSDF)

 A TSDF, according to 40 CFR 260.10, is a facility that performs one or more of the following functions:

  • Treatment: Any method, technique, or process, including neutralization, designed to change the physical, chemical, or biological character or composition of any hazardous waste so as to neutralize such waste, or so as to recover energy or material resources from the waste, or so as to render such waste non-hazardous, or less hazardous; safer to transport, store, or dispose of; or amenable for recovery, amenable for storage, or reduced in volume. 
  • Storage: The holding of hazardous waste for a temporary period, at the end of which the hazardous waste is treated, disposed of, or stored elsewhere.
  • Disposal: The discharge, deposit, injection, dumping, spilling, leaking, or placing of any solid waste or hazardous waste into or on any land or water so that such solid waste or hazardous waste or any constituent thereof may enter the environment or be emitted into the air or discharged into any waters, including groundwaters.

This universe (Operating TSDFs) includes only those treatment, storage and disposal facilities that are permitted under RCRA and are accepting and/or managing hazardous waste.

Large Quantity Generator (LQG) 

A facility is a federal large quantity generator if:

  1. The generator generated in any single month 1,000 kg (2,200 pounds or 1.1 tons) or more of RCRA hazardous waste; or
  2. The generator generated in any single month, or accumulated at any time, 1 kg (2.2 pounds) of RCRA acute hazardous waste; or the generator generated, or accumulated at any time, more than 100 kg (220 pounds) of spill cleanup material contaminated with RCRA acute hazardous waste.

BR Large Quantity Generator (BR LQG) 

Facilities that are defined as Large Quantity Generator under RCRA AND also submitted waste generation and management information to the most recent RCRA Biennial Reporting cycle. The RCRA Biennial Report (BR) is a data collection requirement undertaken every odd year, which gathers information about the generation, management, and final disposition of hazardous wastes. All active LQGs are required to submit information.

Small Quantity Generator (SQG): 

A site is a Small Quantity Generator if the generator meets ALL of the following criteria:

  1. Generates, in any calendar month, more than 100 kg (220 pounds) but less than 1,000 kg (2,200 pounds) of RCRA hazardous waste; and
  2. Does not generate, in any calendar month, or accumulates at any time, more than 1 kg (2.2 pounds) of acute hazardous waste; and
  3. Does not generate more than 100 kg (220 pounds) of material from the cleanup of a spill of acute hazardous waste.

OR, a site is a Small Quantity Generator if the site:

  1. Generates no more than 100 kg (220 pounds) of RCRA hazardous waste in any calendar month; and
  2. Did not generate, in any calendar month, or accumulate at any time, more than 1 kg (2.2 pounds) of acute hazardous waste and no more than 100 kg (220 pounds) of material from the cleanup of a spill of acute hazardous waste; and
  3. Is storing more than 1,000 kg (2,200 pounds) of RCRA hazardous waste on-site. If the site accumulates, at any time, more than 1,000 kg (2,200 pounds) of RCRA hazardous waste, the site must apply for an EPA ID Number using the Site Identification Form.

Very Small Quantity Generator (VSQG) 

A site that generates less than 100 kilograms (about 220 pounds or 27 gallons) of hazardous waste per month.

Other 

 Facilities subject to used oil requirements and those missing a universe designation.

Handler

 A generator, transporter, or treatment, storage, or disposal facility (TSDF) which generates, transports, treats, stores, or disposes of hazardous waste regulated under RCRA Subtitle C. This term is used to encompass all types of RCRA Subtitle C regulated entities. (Broader than the term "facility" but not as all-encompassing as the term "site".)

Transporter 

 A person or entity engaged in the off-site transportation of hazardous waste by air, rail, highway, or water.

Non-notifier

 Any person or entity conducting RCRA Subtitle C-regulated activities without notification to EPA or their authorized State.

Note: Identifying a person as a non-notifier has no regulatory significance and does not constitute a legally enforceable or binding determination about the status of a particular person under RCRA Subtitle C or a State's authorized hazardous waste management program.

Active Site Status 

The "Active Status" field in HREPORT_UNIV indicates whether the handler is an active hazardous waste site according to current RCRAInfo data. This Active/Inactive flag, also known as HPACS, indicates whether the site conducts Handler, Permitting, Corrective Action, Converter, and/or State Activities. If RCRAInfo data reflects that a site conducts any of these five activities, the corresponding letter will appear in the site's HPACS flag. For example, a site that conducts Handler Activities and Corrective Action Activities will be set as "H-A--".

Note: The Active/Inactive designation is based on the data currently in the RCRAInfo database. This designation is meant to indicate whether a site is likely an active site, or likely an inactive site. It has no legal significance. For LQGs, active facilities are defined as Operating LQGs.

Federal Fiscal Year 

 The Federal Fiscal Year runs from October 1 to September 30 of the following year.


Appendix B – Referenced lists 

Compliance Monitoring Activity Types 

  • CAC - Corrective Action Compliance Evaluation
  • CAV - Compliance Assistance Visit
  • CDI - Case Development Inspection
  • CEI - Compliance Evaluation Inspection
  • CSE - Compliance Schedule Evaluation
  • FCI - Focused Compliance Inspection
  • FRR - Financial Record Review
  • FSD - Facility Self Disclosure
  • FUI - Follow-Up Inspection
  • GME - Groundwater Monitoring Evaluation
  • NIR – No 3007 Information Request Received
  • NRR - Non-financial Record Review
  • OAM - Operation and Maintenance Inspection

On-site Compliance Monitoring Activity Types 

  • CAC - Corrective Action Compliance Evaluation
  • CDI - Case Development Inspection
  • CEI - Compliance Evaluation Inspection
  • CSE - Compliance Schedule Evaluation
  • FCI - Focused Compliance Inspection
  • FUI - Follow-up Inspection
  • GME - Groundwater Monitoring Evaluation
  • OAM - Operation and Maintenance Inspection

Off-site Compliance Monitoring Activity Types

  • CAV - Compliance Assistance Visit
  • FRR - Financial Record Review
  • FSD - Facility Self Disclosure
  • NIR – No 3007 Information Request Received
  • NRR - Non-Financial Record Review

Violation Types 

  • 265.J - TSD IS-Tank System Standards
  • 265.K - TSD IS-Surface Impoundment Standards
  • 265.L - TSD IS-Waste Pile Standards
  • 265.M - TSD IS-Land Treatment Standards
  • 265.N - TSD IS-Landfill Standards 
  • 265.O - TSD IS-Incinerator Standards
  • 265.P - TSD IS-Thermal Treatment
  • 265.Q - TSD IS-Chemical Physical AND Treatment
  • 265.R - TSD IS-Underground Injection
  • 265.W - TSD IS-Drip Pad Standards
  • 265.AA - TSD IS-Air Emission Standards - Process Vents
  • 265.BB - TSD IS-Air Emission Standards - Equipment Leaks
  • 265.CC - TSD IS-Air Emission Standards - Tank/SI/Container
  • 265.DD - TSD IS-Containment Building Standards
  • 265.EE - TSD IS-Munitions/Explosives Storage
  • 266.C - Specific - Use Constituting Disposal
  • 266.F - Specific - Precious Metal Recovery
  • 266.G - Specific - Batteries Reclaimed
  • 266.H - Specific - Boilers and Industrial Furnaces
  • 266.M - Specific - Military Munitions
  • 266.N - Specific - Mixed Waste Exemption
  • 266.O - Specific - US Filter Recovery Services XL Waste
  • 268.A - LDR - General
  • 268.B - LDR - Schedule
  • 268.C - LDR - Prohibitions
  • 268.D - LDR - Treatment Standards
  • 268.E - LDR - Storage Prohibitions
  • 270.A - Permits - General Information
  • 270.B - Permits - Application
  • 270.C - Permits - Conditions
  • 270.D - Permits - Changes
  • 270.E - Permits - Expiration and Continuation
  • 270.F - Permits - Special Forms
  • 270.G - Permits - Interim Status
  • 270.H - Permits - Remedial Action Plans
  • 270.I - Permits - MACT Standards
  • 271.A - State Authorization Requirements 
  • 273.A - Universal Waste - General 
  • 273.B - Universal Waste - Small Quantity Handlers
  • 273.C - Universal Waste - Large Quantity Handlers
  • 273.D - Universal Waste - Transporters 
  • 273.E - Universal Waste - Destination Facilities 
  • 273.F - Universal Waste - Import Requirements
  • 273.G - Universal Waste - Petitions to Include Other Waste
  • 279.A - Used Oil - Definitions
  • 279.B - Used Oil - Applicability
  • 279.C - Used Oil - Generators
  • 279.D - Used Oil - Collection Centers AND Point
  • 279.E - Used Oil - Transporter and Transfer Facility
  • 279.F - Used Oil - Processors and Re-refiners
  • 279.G - Used Oil - Burners of Off-Spec for Energy Recovery
  • 279.H - Used Oil - Fuel Marketers
  • 279.I - Used Oil - Dust Suppressant and Disposal
  • FEA - Formal Enforcement Agreement or Order
  • FSS - Federal or State Statute
  • PCR - Permit Condition or Requirement
  • XXS - State Statute or Regulation
  • 262.K - Generators - Academic Labs
  • 260.B - HW Management System - Definitions
  • 260.C - HW Management System - Rulemaking Petitions
  • 261.A - Listing - General
  • 261.B - Listing - Criteria
  • 261.C - Listing - Characteristics
  • 261.D - Listing - Lists of HW
  • 262.A - Generators - General
  • 262.B - Generators - Manifest
  • 262.C - Generators - Pre-transport
  • 262.D - Generators - Records/Reporting
  • 262.E - Generators - Exports
  • 262.F - Generators - Imports
  • 262.G - Generators - Farmers
  • 262.H - Generators - Transfrontier Shipments for Recovery
  • 263.A - Transporters - General
  • 263.B - Transporters - Manifest and Recordkeeping
  • 263.C - Transporters - HW Discharges
  • 264.A - TSD - General
  • 264.B - TSD - General Facility Standards
  • 264.C - TSD - Preparedness and Prevention
  • 264.D - TSD - Contingency Plan and Emergency Procedures
  • 264.E - TSD - Manifest/Records/Reporting
  • 264.F - TSD - Releases from SWMU
  • 264.G - TSD - Closure/Post-Closure
  • 264.H - TSD - Financial Requirements
  • 264.I - TSD - Container Use and Management
  • 264.J - TSD - Tank System Standards
  • 264.K - TSD - Surface Impoundment Standards
  • 264.L - TSD - Waste Pile Standards
  • 264.M - TSD - Land Treatment Standards
  • 264.N - TSD - Landfill Standards
  • 264.O - TSD - Incinerator Standards
  • 264.S - TSD - Corrective Action for SWMU
  • 264.W - TSD - Drip Pad Standards
  • 264.X - TSD - Miscellaneous Unit Standards
  • 264.AA - TSD - Air Emission Standards - Process Vents
  • 264.BB - TSD - Air Emission Standards - Equipment Leaks
  • 264.CC - TSD - Air Emission Standards - Tanks/SI/Containers
  • 264.DD - TSD - Containment Building Standards
  • 264.EE - TSD - Munitions/Explosives Storage
  • 265.A - TSD IS-General
  • 265.B - TSD IS-General Facility Standards
  • 265.C - TSD IS-Preparedness and Prevention
  • 265.D - TSD IS-Contingency Plan and Emergency Procedures
  • 265.E - TSD IS-Manifest/Records/Reporting
  • 265.F - TSD IS-Ground-Water Monitoring
  • 265.G - TSD IS-Closure/Post-Closure
  • 265.H - TSD IS-Financial Requirements
  • 265.I - TSD IS-Container Use and Management
  • 262.34(A) - Generators - General
  • 261.E - Listing - Characteristics

Common Questions  

What are expectations and requirements related to compliance monitoring within states?

The statute mandates minimum compliance monitoring activity frequencies for Treatment, Storage, and Disposal Facilities - annually for government-owned or-operated TSDFs, and biennially for non-government TSDFs. EPA has established minimum annual compliance monitoring activity requirements for Large Quantity Generators - at least 20 percent of the universe. States may have approved plans for flexibility from the Large Quantity Generator requirement. Please see ECHO's Compliance Monitoring Requirements page for more information.

For program management purposes, many EPA regions and states use the Large Quantity Generator universe identified through the Biennial Report. Some regions and states use other sources of information such as a state's e-manifest data, and others use the active LQG universe in RCRAInfo. 

What is the RCRA Subtitle C program?

The Resource Conservation and Recovery Act of 1976 (RCRA), which amended the Solid Waste Disposal Act, was the first substantial effort by Congress to establish a regulatory structure for the management of solid and hazardous wastes.

ECHO data focuses on hazardous waste facilities, which are regulated under Subtitle C of RCRA, and the corresponding information about environmental agency compliance monitoring activities, violations of regulatory requirements identified, and enforcement at these facilities. Subtitle C of RCRA addresses "cradle-to-grave" requirements for hazardous waste from the point of generation to disposal.

This law, and its associated regulations, are intended to ensure proper management and disposal of hazardous waste. A significant component of the RCRA program is tracking, including hazardous waste manifests, facility record keeping, and biennial waste reports. EPA's hazardous waste website offers more information.

What are the types of hazardous waste handlers regulated by EPA and the states?

Waste Subtitle C handlers tracked for compliance and enforcement purposes are:

  • Hazardous waste Treatment, Storage, and Disposal Facilities (TSDFs)
  • Generators of hazardous waste (classified by size)
  • Large Quantity Generator (LQG)
  • Small Quantity Generator (SQG)
  • Very Small Quantity Generator (VSQG)
  • Other hazardous waste handlers that do not belong to any of the other listed universes. 

EPA has established minimum data requirements requiring authorized states, territories, District of Columbia, and EPA regional offices to track and report handler universes and activities on all facilities, regardless of size. Some states do not require VSQGs to notify that they generate hazardous waste, so in some cases data relating to those generators may not be represented in EPA data systems. For more details on required data, see the summary of compliance and enforcement data entry requirements in ECHO.

Establishing a definitive regulated universe of facilities under the RCRA program is difficult and dependent on a number of factors. Because the quality of the universe information varies, it is not appropriate to compare one state's data with another without knowing the accuracy of the data and details of the compliance monitoring program in each state. Although these numbers represent the active universe in the national database, RCRAInfo, the states may have more current information. Links to state environmental agency web sites may be found in the Other Resources box below each state dashboard.

Where does the data come from - is the data frozen, or does it use production data from the systems?

The data comes from EPA and authorized state and local environmental agencies, which report into the national data system, RCRAInfo. The dashboard presents data for the ten most recent federal fiscal years, which run from October 1 to September 30. The dashboard presents current production data from the RCRAInfo database. The dashboard is updated weekly for the current federal fiscal year to show the latest available data from RCRAInfo. A secondary data source for the dashboard is EPA’s Facility Registry System (FRS) from which the FRS Registry ID, Federal Facility Flag, and Tribal Names(s) are obtained. 

How can I find compliance and enforcement information about regulated hazardous waste handlers?

Information from RCRAInfo is provided to the ECHO website, which is updated weekly. Using the ECHO Facility Search, users can search for:

  • Facilities based on ZIP code, city, or other area of interest
  • Facility name
  • Industry sector (SIC/NAICS code)
  • Compliance monitoring activity/enforcement history
  • Compliance status (whether a facility has violations)

All search options selected are "anded," therefore all select criteria must be met for your data output. Search results can be mapped.

Where can I find more information about specific enforcement cases taken by EPA under RCRA?

Resources are listed below:

How can I download detailed information about compliance and enforcement activity?

In the event that the data retrievals available through ECHO do not meet your needs, detailed datasets from the primary enforcement and compliance history databases are available.

EPA also maintains the ECHO Exporter download, which provides a summary of all regulated facilities in one file. There are up to 130 data fields available for each facility, including the frequency of compliance monitoring activities, violations, actions, and penalties. The file includes Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act, Resource Conservation and Recovery Act and other data, such Toxics Release Inventory releases, industry codes, and permit types.

How accurate is the EPA universe of RCRA handlers?

Establishing a definitive regulated universe of facilities under the RCRA program is difficult and dependent on a number of factors. Treatment, Storage, and Disposal Facilities and Large Quantity Generators have more frequent reporting requirements - allowing EPA and states to track the active regulated universe to some extent. It is more difficult to track active facilities for smaller hazardous waste handlers. While other programs, such as the Clean Water Act, require permits that are issued and renewed every five years, RCRA has only an initial notification from the regulated entity. No regulatory requirements mandate that facilities other than Treatment, Storage, and Disposal Facilities that once handled hazardous waste notify that they have ceased waste management activities, or that the amount of waste they handle has changed. Most RCRA handlers do not have a "permit" and associated permit end date, and it is often difficult for EPA and states to know when a RCRA handler is no longer operating. For this reason and historical purposes, the RCRA database contains records for facilities that are no longer operating. If EPA or the states learn of facilities that are out of business, they are inactivated in the national database, RCRAInfo.

Because the quality of the universe information varies, it is not appropriate to compare one state's data with another without knowing the accuracy of the data and details of the compliance monitoring program in each state. Although these numbers represent the active universe in the national database, RCRAInfo, the states may have more current information. Links to state environmental agency web sites may be found in the Other Resources box below each state dashboard.

What options are available for reviewing the amount of waste generated by RCRA-regulated facilities?

Two databases have waste generation, waste management, and release information reported by RCRA hazardous waste handlers:

Biennial Reporting - Under the RCRA Biennial Report requirements, EPA receives hazardous waste generation and management information for all RCRA large quantity generators and treatment, storage, and disposal facilities once every other year. The data is reported by the RCRA-regulated waste codes (which can be mixtures of chemicals), so the information reported is closely linked to RCRA waste amounts managed and regulated by EPA. For further information on RCRA Biennial Reporting, visit the Biennial Report Overview page. 

The Biennial Report information and the TRI information are reported in different formats and have somewhat different universes of facilities that report. Release amounts can differ between the databases because TRI asks only for the "pollutant pounds" within a waste stream, whereas Biennial Report includes the full volume of a waste stream (for example, hazardous chemicals that are mixed with non-hazardous materials).

Biennial Report data are not integrated with compliance data. The National Biennial RCRA Hazardous Waste Reports are posted online upon release.

Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) - EPA collects yearly information under this community right-to-know program that requires larger manufacturing facilities and those in other sectors who manufacture, process, or use any of 650+ listed chemicals to report annual releases to air, water, and land as well as details about chemicals contained in wastes transferred offsite. For further information on the TRI program, visit the TRI home page

TRI data is integrated with compliance and enforcement data on ECHO. TRI data do not necessarily reflect permit allowances or indicate noncompliance. Additionally, TRI data reflect releases and other waste management quantities of chemicals, not exposures of the public to those chemicals. TRI data alone are not sufficient to determine exposure or to calculate potential adverse effects on human health and the environment. TRI does not cover all toxic chemicals or industry sectors. While not integrated with compliance data, more search choices are available from the TRI home page.