How are the conditions in NPDES permits enforced by North Carolina and the EPA?
There are various methods used to monitor NPDES permit conditions. The permit will require the facility to sample its discharges and notify the Compliance and Enforcement Unit and the EPA of these results. In addition, the permit will require the facility to report to the Division of Water Quality and EPA when the facility determines it is not in compliance with the requirements of a permit. Also, the Division’s regional offices conduct periodic compliance inspections of all permitted facilities to determine if they are in compliance with the conditions imposed under their permits. Federal laws provide EPA and authorized state regulatory agencies with various methods of taking enforcement actions against violators of permit requirements. For example, EPA and state regulatory agencies may issue administrative orders that require facilities to correct violations and/or that assess monetary penalties. The laws also allow EPA and state agencies to pursue civil and criminal actions that may
