The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has added two enforcement initiatives for fiscal years 2017-2019 aimed at keeping industrial pollutants out of the nation’s waters and reducing the risk of accidental releases at industrial and chemical facilities.

According to EPA, facilities in industrial sectors such as mining, chemical and metal manufacturing and food processing generate nutrient and metal pollution in lakes, rivers and streams that can degrade water quality and threaten drinking water sources. The agency says that, starting in October 2016, it will focus on facilities in these industrial sectors, driven by water pollution data, to build compliance with the Clean Water Act, discharge permits, and cut illegal pollution discharges which impact water quality.

Various industrial sectors generate nutrient and metal pollution in U.S. waterways. Image credit: Pixabay.Thousands of chemical and industrial facilities nationwide, many in low-income or minority communities, make, use and store extremely hazardous substances. Catastrophic accidents at these facilities—historically about 150 each year—result in fatalities and serious injuries, evacuations and risk of harm to health and the environment, EPA says. Accordingly, the agency will focus on reducing the risks of accidents through innovative accident prevention measures and improving response capabilities.

“National Enforcement Initiatives help us focus time and resources on national pollution problems that impact Americans locally,” says Cynthia Giles, EPA's assistant administrator for enforcement and compliance assurance. “These initiatives were chosen so we can better protect communities, especially those overburdened by pollution, and were informed by extensive analysis and public input.”

EPA also says it will expand its initiative to cut toxic air pollution. "Leaks, flares, and excess emissions from refineries, chemical plants and other industries emit hazardous air pollutants that are known or suspected to cause cancer and birth defects, seriously impact the environment and pose risks to local communities and facility employees," the agency notes. EPA says it will widen this initiative, effective October 2016, to address air toxics violations at facilities that generate, treat, store or dispose of hazardous waste.