Focused effort on high-impact cases leads to increases in pollution reduced and investments in pollution controls

WASHINGTON – Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released its annual enforcement and compliance results. EPA’s enforcement and compliance program enforces environmental laws that protect our nation’s air, land and water by taking action to cut illegal pollution and protect people’s health and communities.

WASHINGTON -- The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced Dec. 7 it will provide up to $1.8 million for projects across the country to protect Americans’ health and help restore urban waters by improving water quality and supporting community revitalization. The funding is part of EPA’s Urban Waters program, which supports communities in their efforts to access, improve and benefit from their urban waters and the surrounding land. Urban waters are canals, rivers, lakes, wetlands, aquifers, estuaries, bays and oceans.

USDA $50 million financial assistance for restoration projects announced as Task Force efforts shift from planning to action

WASHINGTON – The Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Task Force released its final strategy for long-term ecosystem restoration for the Gulf Coast Dec. 5, following extensive feedback from citizens throughout the region. EPA Administrator and Task Force Chair Lisa P. Jackson, partnering with Task Force Co-Chair Garret Graves, made the announcement during keynote remarks at the 2011 State of the Gulf of Mexico Summit in Houston.