Federal Independent Agencies
Here's a look at documents from federal independent agencies
Featured Stories
SBA Bans Foreign Nationals From Accessing SBA-Backed Loans
WASHINGTON, March 10 -- The Small Business Administration issued the following news release on March 9, 2026:
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SBA Bans Foreign Nationals from Accessing SBA-backed Loans
Agency reserves federally guaranteed lending for American citizens
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Today, in the effort to prioritize American job creators, the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) issued a new policy notice to ban foreign nationals and non-citizens from accessing SBA-guaranteed small business loans. The latest notice, which applies to the agency's Surety Bond and Microloan Programs, builds on the policy change implemented earlier
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WASHINGTON, March 10 -- The Small Business Administration issued the following news release on March 9, 2026:
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SBA Bans Foreign Nationals from Accessing SBA-backed Loans
Agency reserves federally guaranteed lending for American citizens
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Today, in the effort to prioritize American job creators, the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) issued a new policy notice to ban foreign nationals and non-citizens from accessing SBA-guaranteed small business loans. The latest notice, which applies to the agency's Surety Bond and Microloan Programs, builds on the policy change implemented earlierthis month - which made any small business owned in whole or in part by a foreign national ineligible for the agency's flagship 504 and 7(a) loan programs. Small business owners applying for any SBA loan program must be U.S. citizens or U.S. nationals with their principal residence in the United States.
"The Trump SBA is committed to driving economic growth and job creation for American citizens," said SBA Administrator Kelly Loeffler. "Last month, we made it clear that SBA would not allow foreign nationals to access our core small business loan programs - and today, we are expanding that policy to include all SBA-guaranteed loans. With our lending authority capped annually by Congress and amid record demand for access to capital, our responsibility is clear: the limited resource of SBA financing must prioritize American citizens who are building businesses and creating jobs here at home."
In Fiscal Year 2025, SBA approved 3,358 loans for small businesses owned in part by a lawful permanent resident (LPR), largely during the Biden Administration - representing 4% of the agency's total 85,000 loans approvals. With a finite lending authority and record demand for capital thanks to President Trump's economic agenda, SBA is prioritizing the agency's guaranteed loan programs for American citizens. The new policy will take effect 30 days after publication.
The latest policy builds on numerous reforms by Administrator Loeffler to put American small business owners first. Last year, the agency implemented citizenship verification across its loan programs to cut off access to loans for illegal aliens. The agency also announced efforts to relocate SBA field offices out of sanctuary cities that do not comply with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), jeopardizing both the safety of SBA employees and small business owners.
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About the U.S. Small Business Administration
The U.S. Small Business Administration helps power the American dream of entrepreneurship. As the leading voice for small businesses within the federal government, the SBA empowers job creators with the resources and support they need to start, grow, and expand their businesses or recover from a declared disaster. It delivers services through an extensive network of SBA field offices and partnerships with public and private organizations. To learn more, visit www.sba.gov.
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Original text here: https://www.sba.gov/article/2026/03/09/sba-bans-foreign-nationals-accessing-sba-backed-loans
Peru to Improve Sustainable River Access in the Amazon With IDB Financing
WASHINGTON, March 10 -- The Inter-American Development Bank issued the following news release:
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Peru to Improve Sustainable River Access in the Amazon with IDB Financing
The Board of Executive Directors of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) has approved a $130 million loan to improve river access for riverside communities in the Peruvian Amazon.
The operation will strengthen the quality of river transport and access to basic services through improvements in resilient infrastructure and associated services at embarkation points. It will also increase the supply of sanitary and school
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WASHINGTON, March 10 -- The Inter-American Development Bank issued the following news release:
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Peru to Improve Sustainable River Access in the Amazon with IDB Financing
The Board of Executive Directors of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) has approved a $130 million loan to improve river access for riverside communities in the Peruvian Amazon.
The operation will strengthen the quality of river transport and access to basic services through improvements in resilient infrastructure and associated services at embarkation points. It will also increase the supply of sanitary and schoolriver transport services and reinforce capacities for their planning, management, and operation.
The IDB is the first bank to finance a program aimed at improving river transport and access for remote communities in the Peruvian Amazon, a pioneering project that serves as a benchmark for other Amazonian territories in the region.
"With a multisectoral approach, we link transport with access to essential health and education services so that development reaches those who need it most, enhancing benefits for each resident by integrating them into the local economy," said Matilde Bordon, IDB Representative in Peru.
This project is part of Amazonia Forever, the IDB Group's regional program aimed at protecting biodiversity and accelerating sustainable development through three lines of action: expanding innovative financing, promoting knowledge exchange, and facilitating regional coordination among the eight Amazon countries.
In the Peruvian Amazon -- which includes the Nanay, Napo, Huallaga, Maranon, Ucayali, Santiago, and Amazon river basins -- there are 2,780 riverside communities with approximately 445,000 inhabitants who lack access to land-based connectivity infrastructure and depend exclusively on river transport.
Loan resources will finance the construction of approximately 81 river docks in the river basins mentioned, as well as the acquisition of 22 new school vessels for the safe transport of students and 12 new medical river vessels for emergency care.
The plan will also support the development of studies and plans for waterway development in the area, along with the formulation of strategies and guidelines for the development of river transport.
The program will benefit 176,000 inhabitants in the direct area of influence of the embarkation infrastructure interventions and 1.4 million inhabitants in the indirect area of influence. Among them are 940 students who will have access to safe and free school transport.
The $130 million loan has a maturity of 23.5 years, a grace period of 7 years, an interest rate based on SOFR, and a local counterpart contribution of $34.3 million.
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About the IDB
The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), a member of the IDB Group, is devoted to improving lives across Latin America and the Caribbean. Founded in 1959, the Bank works with the region's public sector to design and enable impactful, innovative solutions for sustainable and inclusive development. Leveraging financing, technical expertise, and knowledge, it promotes growth and well-being in 26 countries. Visit our website:
https://www.iadb.org/en.
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Original text here: https://www.iadb.org/en/news/peru-improve-sustainable-river-access-amazon-idb-financing
IDB Approves New Policy-Based Financing Framework to Strengthen Reforms Impact
WASHINGTON, March 10 -- The Inter-American Development Bank issued the following news release:
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IDB Approves New Policy-Based Financing Framework to Strengthen Reforms Impact
The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) approved an innovative framework to strengthen support for policy reforms, marking a key milestone in its agenda to raise the quality of reforms, sharpen their focus on results, and maximize their development impact.
The framework strengthens policy-based financing through five channels:
1. Stronger quality control and reform design. The new framework is part of a broad
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WASHINGTON, March 10 -- The Inter-American Development Bank issued the following news release:
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IDB Approves New Policy-Based Financing Framework to Strengthen Reforms Impact
The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) approved an innovative framework to strengthen support for policy reforms, marking a key milestone in its agenda to raise the quality of reforms, sharpen their focus on results, and maximize their development impact.
The framework strengthens policy-based financing through five channels:
1. Stronger quality control and reform design. The new framework is part of a broadset of ten measures to increase quality control. These include improved policy dialogue with countries to focus reforms, the creation of a dedicated division to strengthen quality assurance during project preparation, improved methodologies for project design and expanded training for operational staff.
2. Innovative approach to measure and track results. The framework strengthens the focus on results by establishing an innovative mechanism to track results during implementation. Operations will be anchored on concrete policy actions, with clear milestones and strengthened measurable outcome indicators. This approach sharpens the path to results and enables timely adjustments to ensure reforms deliver as intended.
3. New modalities to strengthen disaster risk management and expand financing flexibility upon reform delivery. In the event of emergencies across Latin America and the Caribbean, the new Policy-Based Financing framework strengthens disaster risk management through the Deferred Drawdown Option for Catastrophic Risks. It also expands financing options, through the single tranche Policy-Based Loan.
* Deferred Drawdown Option for Catastrophic Risks: Countries implement pre-agreed disaster risk management reforms, with financing available for immediate withdrawal following a natural disaster or public health emergency.
* Single tranche Policy-Based Loan: Financing disburses in a single tranche once agreed policy actions are completed within the established period.
4. Innovative approach to sizing policy-based operations. The framework introduces an impact-based approach to sizing operations, aligning financing with the expected development impact--assessed through factors such as reforms' ambition, design, relevance, and expected results--while tailoring support to each countries' context.
5. Macroeconomic assessments in the context of Reforms. The framework streamlines the IDB's assessment of macroeconomic conditions through enhanced coordination with the International Monetary Fund while aligning practices with other multilateral development banks.
This innovative and ambitious framework for policy-based reforms forms part of the IDB's financial instruments under its 2024-2030 Institutional Strategy and its broader effort to enhance the quality and impact of its operations while increasing scale. It builds on the recently approved Unified Investment Lending Policy, which increases speed, clarity, and focus on impactful results in investment financing.
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About the IDB
The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), a member of the IDB Group, is devoted to improving lives across Latin America and the Caribbean. Founded in 1959, the Bank works with the region's public sector to design and enable impactful, innovative solutions for sustainable and inclusive development. Leveraging financing, technical expertise, and knowledge, it promotes growth and well-being in 26 countries. Visit our website: https://www.iadb.org/en.
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Original text here: https://www.iadb.org/en/news/idb-approves-new-policy-based-financing-framework-strengthen-reforms-impact
NAM Outlines a Path to a Fully Interoperable National Health Data Architecture
WASHINGTON, March 9 -- The National Academy of Medicine issued the following news:
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NAM Outlines a Path to a Fully Interoperable National Health Data Architecture
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Today, the National Academy of Medicine (NAM) released guidance on outlining how a cohesive, comprehensive digital and data architecture can address persistent interoperability challenges across the health ecosystem. The paper also identifies concrete actions to align stakeholders and establish long-term strategies for implementing a seamless national digital architecture that can revolutionize the potential health gains from
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WASHINGTON, March 9 -- The National Academy of Medicine issued the following news:
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NAM Outlines a Path to a Fully Interoperable National Health Data Architecture
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Today, the National Academy of Medicine (NAM) released guidance on outlining how a cohesive, comprehensive digital and data architecture can address persistent interoperability challenges across the health ecosystem. The paper also identifies concrete actions to align stakeholders and establish long-term strategies for implementing a seamless national digital architecture that can revolutionize the potential health gains froma system that continually learns and improves-a learning health system.
Much of today's society runs on interconnected digital data, from global communications and financial transactions to retail and logistics. Yet the health sector continues to lag in building the robust digital infrastructure needed to fully promote and capture the benefits of innovation. This gap constrains progress in efficiency, access, prevention, diagnosis, treatment, discovery, and public health. A strong digital and data architecture would provide the foundation for seamless information exchange and true interoperability, accelerate innovation, ensure that providers, payers, and patients can access the right information at the right time, and reduce fragmentation across the health care ecosystem.
"Architecture is more than a technical specification-it is the foundation for breaking down silos and unlocking system-wide impact," said Peter Lee, President of Microsoft Research and co-author of the NAM paper. "It signals a commitment to a clear, adaptable roadmap for the future."
Standardized, well-designed infrastructure is essential to enable seamless data flow across disparate systems. Without a coherent data architecture, organizations risk fragmented technologies that impede care delivery. A strong data architecture reduces duplication, lowers costs, and supports more efficient, high-quality care. This framework aligns well with the aims of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services' (CMS) initiatives to modernize and strengthen the nation's digital health ecosystem: CMS Health Technology Ecosystem initiative and CMS Aligned Networks.
"CMS's Health Technology Ecosystem is demonstrating how an active convener can accelerate implementation-aligning technical standards, incentives, and workflows across hundreds of organizations," said Aneesh Chopra, Chairman of the Arcadia Institute and former (and first) Chief Technology Officer of the United States. "This paper offers a path to reinforce that progress as durable national infrastructure."
In a complementary project, the NAM is also developing a forthcoming publication on positioning health data as an essential public utility-building on the architectural foundation outlined in this paper. That publication will a rticulate a comprehensive, multi-level strategy for data stewardship, governance, and regulation through a roadmap to the establishment of health data as a trusted and secure resource for continuous health system learning and improvement.
Read the NAM Discussion Paper: https://nam.edu/perspectives/toward-a-national-health-digital-and-data-architecture-laying-the-foundation-for-digital-transformation/https://doi.org/10.31478/202603b
This paper is the first in a series produced by the National Academy of Medicine's Commission on Investment Imperatives for a Healthy Nation. Established to reimagine a US health care system that puts people first, the Commission will release additional papers over the coming year outlining its vision for a new health system, the priorities that must be addressed, and the actions needed to turn that vision into reality. Authored by experts assembled under the charge of the National Academy of Medicine, the paper was completed with support from Healing Works Foundation, Doris Duke Foundation, and the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation. The views presented are those of individual contributors and do not represent formal consensus positions of the sponsoring organizations, authors' organizations, the National Academy of Medicine, or the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.
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Original text here: https://nam.edu/news-and-insights/nam-outlines-a-path-to-a-fully-interoperable-national-health-data-architecture/
Membership Investment Requirement for 2026
DALLAS, Texas, March 9 -- The Federal Home Loan Bank of Dallas, a district bank in the Federal Home Loan Bank System, issued the following news release:
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Membership Investment Requirement for 2026
The Federal Home Loan Bank of Dallas (Bank) will implement the annual adjustment to members' minimum investment requirements on April 13, 2026. This annual adjustment may increase or decrease the amount of capital stock that individual members are required to maintain.
Members are required to maintain an investment in Class B Stock equal to the sum of a membership investment requirement and
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DALLAS, Texas, March 9 -- The Federal Home Loan Bank of Dallas, a district bank in the Federal Home Loan Bank System, issued the following news release:
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Membership Investment Requirement for 2026
The Federal Home Loan Bank of Dallas (Bank) will implement the annual adjustment to members' minimum investment requirements on April 13, 2026. This annual adjustment may increase or decrease the amount of capital stock that individual members are required to maintain.
Members are required to maintain an investment in Class B Stock equal to the sum of a membership investment requirement andan activity-based investment requirement. The Bank's activity-based investment requirements apply to advances and letters of credit (LOCs). Class B-1 Stock is used to meet the membership investment requirement, while Class B-2 Stock is used to meet the activity-based investment requirements.
The membership investment requirement percentage for 2026 will remain at 0.04 percent of each member's total assets as of the most recent year end, subject to a minimum amount of $1,000 and a maximum amount of $7 million. In early April, your institution will receive a separate notification of the new membership investment requirement based on your December 31, 2025 total assets.
The advances-based component of the minimum investment requirement will remain at 4.1 percent of each member's outstanding advances, except for advances that were funded as part of the Bank's special advance offerings with reduced capital stock requirements during the fourth quarter of 2015 and the period from April 1, 2020 through December 31, 2022. In each case, the minimum investment requirement for those advances will remain at 2 percent.
The LOC-based component of the minimum investment requirement will remain at 0.10 percent (the "LC Percentage") for LOCs that are issued or renewed on and after April 19, 2021. The LC Percentage is applied to the issued amount of the LOC rather than, if applicable, the amount of the LOC that is used from time to time by your institution during the term of the LOC. Further, renewals for this purpose include amendments that extend the expiration date of the LOC.
As always, thank you for being a valued member.
Sincerely,
Sanjay K. Bhasin
President and Chief Executive Officer
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Original text here: https://www.fhlb.com/library/bulletins/2026/membership-investment-requirement-for-2026
Administrator Zeldin Announces Selection of Members to the Clean Air Scientific Advisory Committee
WASHINGTON, March 9 -- The Environmental Protection Agency issued the following news release:
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Administrator Zeldin Announces Selection of Members to the Clean Air Scientific Advisory Committee
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WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Lee Zeldin announced the selection of new members to the Clean Air Scientific Advisory Committee (CASAC). The well-qualified experts from a broad range of scientific disciplines bring the experience and expertise needed to provide Gold Standard scientific advice to EPA leadership as they advance the agency's core mission
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WASHINGTON, March 9 -- The Environmental Protection Agency issued the following news release:
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Administrator Zeldin Announces Selection of Members to the Clean Air Scientific Advisory Committee
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WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Lee Zeldin announced the selection of new members to the Clean Air Scientific Advisory Committee (CASAC). The well-qualified experts from a broad range of scientific disciplines bring the experience and expertise needed to provide Gold Standard scientific advice to EPA leadership as they advance the agency's core missionof protecting human health and the environment.
"The Trump EPA has an unwavering commitment to Gold Standard Science. Reconstituting the Clean Air Scientific Advisory Committee will provide rigorous, independent, evidence-based, scientific advice consistent with its legal obligations to advance our core mission of protecting human health and the environment," said EPA Administrator Zeldin. "The new CASAC members will help inform any actions to retain or revise the National Ambient Air Quality Standards, which will advance our efforts to provide clean air to every American. Additionally, to ensure our state co-regulators have a stronger voice at EPA, I am appointing two members from state air pollution control agencies for the first time in years."
The newly appointed CASAC will consist of a chair and six new members. CASAC members serve a two-year term from 2026 through 2028.
Chair - Dr. Louis Anthony (Tony) Cox, Jr., Cox Associates, LLC
Members
Dr. Brian Joondeph, Colorado Retina Associates, PC
Dr. Fotios-Christos Kafantaris, Indiana Department of Environmental Management
Ms. Katherine Kistler, Nucor Corporation
Dr. Sabine Lange, Texas Commission on Environmental Quality
Dr. Sidney Marlborough, Orion Engineered Carbons LLC
Dr. Stanley Young, CGStat
Background
The CASAC was established under the Clean Air Act Amendments of 1977 and provides independent advice to the EPA Administrator on the technical bases for EPA's National Ambient Air Quality Standards.
Similar to the last Administration and in line with typical processes for renewal of Federal Advisory Committees at the agency, the Trump EPA renewed the charter for the CASAC on August 11, 2025, and opened the process of soliciting candidate nominations from the public on May 1, 2025.
For further information on the CASAC, visit the CASAC website.
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Original text here: https://www.epa.gov/newsreleases/administrator-zeldin-announces-selection-members-clean-air-scientific-advisory
Trump EPA Releases Strongest Enforcement and Compliance Results in Years
WASHINGTON, March 9 -- The Environmental Protection Agency issued the following news release:
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Trump EPA Releases Strongest Enforcement and Compliance Results in Years
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WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is releasing enforcement and compliance assurance results for Fiscal Year 2025 and preliminary results for the first year of the Trump Administration. Some of the strongest achievements in years have taken place since President Trump was sworn back into office, including hundreds more civil enforcement cases concluded than the previous year and an unprecedented
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WASHINGTON, March 9 -- The Environmental Protection Agency issued the following news release:
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Trump EPA Releases Strongest Enforcement and Compliance Results in Years
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WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is releasing enforcement and compliance assurance results for Fiscal Year 2025 and preliminary results for the first year of the Trump Administration. Some of the strongest achievements in years have taken place since President Trump was sworn back into office, including hundreds more civil enforcement cases concluded than the previous year and an unprecedentedcommitment to helping secure the border.
Highlights from President Trump's first year back in office include:
* Concluding over 2,300 civil enforcement cases, over 400 more than the final year of the Biden Administration and more than the last nine fiscal years.
* Blocking over 1.6 million pounds of illegal pesticides from entering the U.S., a more than 70 percent increase over the last year of the Biden Administration.
* Obtaining sentences for 99 criminal defendants, more than the previous year.
* Securing more than $6 billion in commitments to return facilities to compliance, nearly $1 billion more than the previous year.
* Securing commitments to clean up nearly 60 million cubic yards of contaminated land and water, almost 30 times more than the previous year.
* Reducing, treating, or eliminating over 98 million pounds of pollution and waste.
* Assessing nearly $1.16 billion in civil penalties and criminal fines, restitution, and other court ordered relief.
* Conducting nearly 12,000 compliance monitoring activities.
"The days of using EPA's enforcement arm to pursue overzealous prosecution and partisan agendas are over. The Trump EPA is bringing common sense and the rule of law back to environmental enforcement and compliance," said EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin. "We know we can both protect human health and the environment while also providing the certainty and stability needed to Power the Great American Comeback."
"This past year, EPA's enforcement and compliance assurance program demonstrated that this Administration will ensure compliance with the law even as it furthers economic growth," said Jeffrey A. Hall, Assistant Administrator for EPA's Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance. "The results show that when we focus on swiftly addressing clear violations within the bounds of the law, we more efficiently achieve better enforcement and compliance. We will be accountable to the American people for our promises. EPA's enforcement and compliance assurance program will accomplish even more of our goals in the years ahead."
EPA's Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance (OECA) also released final FY 2025 annual results, which further showcase the strong results achieved during the last fiscal year, most of which occurred under the Trump Administration:
* Concluding 2,127 civil enforcement cases, the highest number in nine fiscal years.
* Charging 156 defendants, also the highest number in nine years, and obtaining 65 years of incarceration for the guilty.
* Finalizing 65 Superfund enforcement instruments, valued at more than $888 million, with $714.3 million to address 59.4 million cubic yards of contaminated land and water.
* Performing 179 inspections that included cybersecurity risk assessments at public water systems and providing additional technical compliance assistance at 125 drinking water and 59 wastewater treatment systems.
EPA's enforcement and compliance assurance program works tirelessly to address environmental noncompliance and clean up contaminated sites that adversely impact Americans' health through vigorous civil and criminal enforcement. The Trump EPA's enforcement and compliance work pursued three goals this past year:
* Powering the Great American Comeback : Aligning EPA enforcement and compliance assurance with the President's mandates and EPA's five pillars so that environmental progress coincides with economic growth.
* Improving Health for All Americans : Protecting our air, safeguarding drinking and recreational water, cleaning up contaminated sites, and reducing exposure to toxic chemicals to promote human health.
* Protecting our Borders : Stopping the import of illegal pesticides and other toxic chemicals to prevent foreign actors who threaten human health and the environment from profiting by poisoning our communities.
EPA collaborated closely with other federal agencies, including federal law enforcement agencies and U.S. Customs and Border Protection, to prevent the smuggling of toxic and dangerous substances and products at ports of entry and to combat transnational criminal organizations. Through these efforts, EPA blocked over 1.6 million pounds of illegal pesticides from entering the United States. EPA personnel also visited ports of entry and trained enforcement personnel across the federal government on the detection and interdiction of dangerous substances and illegal imports.
EPA also collaborated with state and Tribal partners across the country to plan and conduct inspections and compliance assurance activities and to secure environmental compliance through enforcement that was efficient and appropriate under the law. Working with states and Tribes, EPA reduced, treated, or eliminated over 100 million pounds of pollution and waste ; obtained commitments of more than $6 billion to return facilities to compliance; and assessed nearly $600 million in civil penalties.
In the coming year, EPA's enforcement and compliance assurance program will build on the past year's successes. The mission of the enforcement program is to protect human health and the environment for all Americans by ensuring compliance with federal environmental laws. It will continue to focus on obtaining timely compliance while ensuring that actions align with the clearest, most defensible interpretations of statutory and regulatory mandates.
EPA is releasing its Fiscal Year 2025 Enforcement and Compliance Assurance Annual Results Report, which showcases some of the strongest enforcement results in years, based on agency actions taken during Fiscal Year 2025. Please click here for the full FY 2025 Annual Results Report.
Members of the public can contribute to environmental protection by identifying and reporting environmental violations. Learn more on EPA's Report Environmental Violations webpage.
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Original text here: https://www.epa.gov/newsreleases/trump-epa-releases-strongest-enforcement-and-compliance-results-years
