FY 2007 Environmental Enforcement Training Report 

January 2008 

Office of Compliance 

Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance 

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency 

1200 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW (MC 2224-A) 

Washington, D.C. 20460 

http://www.epa.gov/compliance/data/results/training/index.html 
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National Enforcement Training Institute 

Environmental Enforcement Training Report 

FY 2007 
EPA FY 2007 Training Final Report 1/23/08 

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FY 2007 Environmental Enforcement Training Report 

Compiled by U.S. EPA’s 

National Enforcement Training Institute 

 The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) provides training in environmental 

enforcement and compliance topics to federal, state, local, and tribal governments as well as to 

foreign governments and international organizations. This training is provided by EPA’s Office 

of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance (OECA) as well as Regional Offices located around 

the country. In summary, EPA’s enforcement and compliance program trained 12,582 

persons in fiscal year 2007, through a combination of classroom, computer and videotape 

training. This includes 6,520 by Headquarters’ offices and 6,062 by Regional offices. 

 The National Enforcement Training Institute (NETI), located within OECA’s Office 

of Compliance, was created by Congress in 1991 and is responsible for training government 

employees, such as lawyers, inspectors, civil and criminal investigators, and technical experts, in 

the enforcement of the nation’s environmental laws. Quality training courses are provided for 

enforcement personnel in a number of areas, such as case support, specific statute enforcement, 

compliance assistance, and environmental criminal enforcement. By using traditional classroom 

training, distance learning, and cooperative agreements with other organizations, NETI’s strategy 

is to promote a balanced training approach to environmental enforcement training. 

 Besides teaching and managing a number of its own courses, NETI continues to serve as 

the coordinating office for enforcement and compliance monitoring training that is created, 

taught or contracted for by OECA offices, and reports Regional office activities. NETI 

coordinates and reports these activities to recognize the achievements of those involved and 

encourages continued efforts to provide quality training for environmental enforcement 

professionals around the country. 

The report details are divided into two sections: Headquarters and Regional Offices. 
Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance at Headquarters

 The Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance (OECA) is located at EPA 

Headquarters and is composed of five program offices and four staff offices. Training resources 

are generally decentralized within the organization; thus each office within OECA is responsible 

for developing and delivering training courses for its areas of expertise and programs for which it 

serves as national manager. 

 

Training Statistics

 The Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance (OECA), as reported 

through NETI, trained 6,520 federal, state, local, tribal and international personnel 

through 198 different course deliveries in FY 2007. Training state and local government 

personnel remained a strong focus, as a combined total of 3,614 (56%) students were trained 

from these organizations. A total of 2,146 (33%) federal employees received training, 

international and other students numbered 600 (9%), and 160 (2%) students from tribal 

governments received training. 

FY 2007 Students Trained by OECA, 

by Affiliation 

1,951

30%

160

(2%)

600

(9%)

1,663

(25%)

2,146

(33%)

State/Local

Federal

International/Other 

Tribal

State/Local Coop. Agreements 

Total Students = 6,520 

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Statistical Trends 

Multi-Year Comparison of 

Students Trained by OECA

Employer FY 2003 FY 2004 FY 2005 FY 2006 FY 2007 

Federal 2,178 2,500 2,282 2,539 2,146 

State/Local 3,362 2,617 4,852 3,830 3,614 

Tribal 487 254 151 88 160 

Intern’l/Other 320 377 604 264 600 

TOTAL 6,347 5,748 7,889 6,721 6,520 

Students Trained By OECA,

By Delivery Method

930

3048 2362 2377 1350 1816 1818 1919

7272

5221

3878 3970 5748

6073

4903 4601

0

1000

2000

3000

4000

5000

6000

7000

8000

9000

FY00 FY01 FY02 FY03 FY04 FY05 FY06 FY07

Classroom

Computer/Distance 

Of the 6,520 trainees for this year, 1,919 persons, or 29%, were trained via nonclassroom courses and products this year. Most of these students used computer-based products 

such as CD-ROM and web-based training. This number is similar to last year’s 1,818 persons 

(27%) that used non-traditional training products. 
Training Highlights

 Various offices within the Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance (OECA), 

including NETI, developed or delivered training this year. Following are highlights of the new 

or unique courses. 

The Office of Compliance (OC) 

PC Tablet (Mobile Computer) and Inspection Template Training: Office of 

Compliance staff hosted a two-day training class for two Polychlorinated Biphenyls 

(PCB) inspectors from the Missouri Department of Natural Resources. Missouri is the 

first of three states to be trained on PC Tablets and the PCB Inspection Template. The 3-

part training focused on Tablet functions and assorted software associated with the 

Tablet; reviewing the PCB Inspection Template; and conducting a mock inspection using 

the Tablet and PCB Inspection Template. The next states to receive this training will be 

Illinois and North Dakota, at a time to be determined after they receive their equipment. 

Contact: Everett Bishop, 202-564-7032; Peter Canepa, 202-564-7066. 

“OTIS - Facility Finder” Training Held via Webinar Technology: The Office of 

Compliance staff from two different divisions collaborated to offer a class using virtual 

Instructor Led Training (vILT) technology to provide “OTIS - Facility Finder” training. 

A total of 25 students from several EPA Regions and states participated in the webinar 

session which provided “how-to” instruction for developing queries to locate and link to 

facilities of interest. Webinar technology allows users to join together at a central web 

location and share in the review of an application, such as OTIS, a PowerPoint 

presentation, a Word document, and/or an individual’s PC-desktop, without leaving their 

office. Contact: Pat Straw, 202-564-2513; Mike Barrett, 202-564-7019; Rebecca Kane, 

202-564-5960. 

New Training Module on Administrative Practice Now Available: NETI announced 

that the newest training product, “Prehearing Exchange,” is available at 

www.netionline.com. This self-instructional module provides new EPA attorneys as well 

as experienced EPA administrative litigation practitioners with practical advice for the 

preparation of prehearing exchanges (PHXs). Guidelines for strengthening the 

presentation of a case and thereby encouraging settlement and improving credibility with 

administrative law judges are also presented. Created by members of EPA’s 

Administrative Litigation Workgroup, the module will take students about one hour to 

complete and is free to environmental enforcement personnel. Contact: Alice Mims, 202-

564-6069; Helene Ambrosino, 202-564-2627; Gary Jonesi, 202-564-4002. 

MS4 Audit/Inspection Train-the-Trainer Workshop: OECA and the Office of Water 

have combined their resources to develop this “MS4 Audit/Inspection Train-the-Trainer 

Workshop” which was held in the Region 5 (Chicago) offices this summer. The purpose 

of this workshop was to train Regional officials to, in turn, train other state and Regional 

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personnel to conduct MS4 audits and inspections. Following this workshop, training 

materials supplied to participants will be used to train state and Regional personnel; 

Regions will be asked to report in six months on the training they conducted. The 

workshop topics included preparation activities for conducting an MS4 inspection or 

audit; conducting an on-site MS4 inspection or audit; on-site close-out; and postinspection and audit activities. Contact: Peter Bahor, 202-564-7029. 

OECA Helps to “Raise the Bar” by Mentoring and Training Law Clerks: OECA 

offers qualified and highly motivated law students the unique opportunity to work sideby-side with practicing environmental lawyers and technical professionals in its 

Washington, DC headquarters office. Students work in the office as academic (for credit) 

interns under a variety of public service or academic fellowships and as unpaid law clerks 

or interns. In some years, depending on the budget, a limited number of paid positions 

are available. Since 1990, over 400 students from more than 156 U.S. and foreign law 

schools and other academic institutions have participated in the OECA summer program. 

The interns work under the direct supervision of a practicing attorney, performing a wide 

variety of legal or technical research, policy analysis or writing assignments. Summer 

internships generally run for eight to ten weeks. 

Throughout the summer, OECA offers a series of unique, specialized training sessions on 

a wide variety of current and emerging issues regarding environmental protection, safety 

and law enforcement. Recently offered educational programs offered include 

Environmental Justice, Effective Case Development, EPA’s International Activities, Life 

Ecology, Federal Facilities Enforcement, Alternative Dispute Resolution, EPCRA, 

FIFRA, Tribal programs, the Clean Air Act, Hazardous Waste Management, Water and 

Wetlands, and of course, practical courses on building resumes and finding a job. 

Contact: Mike Walker, 202-564-2624. 

The Office of Federal Activities (OFA) 

NEPA & Environmental Cross-Cutters Training: A 3-day training session on “NEPA 

and Environmental Cross-Cutters” (e.g., the NHPA, the ESA, and Section 404 of the 

CWA) was held in Region 7. The course, which was attended by individuals 

representing eight federal and state agencies, provided hands-on instruction to help 

participants meet their respective NEPA/cross-cutter compliance responsibilities. All 

participants expressed appreciation for the course; several attendees expressed interest in 

scheduling separate sessions for their respective agencies. Contact: Robert Hargrove, 

202-564-7157. 

Enforcement Training in Guyana and Peru: Staff from OECA and Region 2 

combined forces to present the “Principles of Enforcement” course concurrently in 

Georgetown, Guyana and Lima, Peru, in August 2007. Since the courses were part of the 

State Department's efforts to combat illegal logging, forest management case studies 
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were used to illustrate enforcement and compliance program development and 

implementation. Both courses included a wide range of stakeholders from different 

government agencies and NGOs, and received an outstanding reception from all 

participants. Remarkably, despite the earthquake in the southern part of the country the 

previous week, 100% of the Peruvian invitees attended. The courses also included a 

train-the-trainer session on the last day to help ensure the sustainability of the courses in 

the countries. Contact: Davis Jones, 202-564-6035. 

Environmental Impact Assessment Review International Training: In July 2007, 

staff from OECA and Regions 3 and 8 provided the “Principles of Environmental Impact 

Assessment Review” course to the U.S. Government’s Millennium Challenge 

Corporation (MCC) and country environmental assessment and accountability officials 

from the 12 countries which have been approved for funding by the MCC. The training, 

delivered in English with simultaneous translation into Spanish and French, was held to 

prepare staff members for conducting independent review of proposed projects to ensure 

they meet the high standards for sustainable practices to secure long term environmental, 

economic and social benefits. The course included two case studies, drawn from the 

World Bank, involving proposed highway improvements and reconstruction of a failing 

dam. Preparations are also being made to deliver this training to six countries in Central 

America under the CAFTA-DR’s environmental cooperation agreement. Contact: 

Cheryl Wasserman, 202-564-7129 

Office of Site Remediation Enforcement (OSRE) 

Superfund New Attorney Training: OSRE held the Superfund New Attorney Training 

in May 2007, in Washington, D.C. This course is designed for attorneys new to 

Superfund, providing them with the basic information on all aspects of the Superfund 

program. Each module is presented by instructors, both from the Regions and 

Headquarters, who have vast knowledge and first-hand experience on the topic. There 

were 55 attendees representing EPA, DOJ, Department of Agriculture, DOI, and both 

state and local governments. Contact: Pat Kennedy, 202-564-6061. 

Partnerships 

Regional Environmental Enforcement Associations: NETI continued to provide 

funding to four Regional Environmental Enforcement Associations to assist in providing 

training at the state and local levels. These organizations are alliances of regulatory, law 

enforcement, and prosecution agencies and were created by the states to support the 

effective enforcement of environmental statutes, with an emphasis on criminal 

enforcement. In addition to providing training, they offer networking opportunities, 

information support services, and technical assistance to their 48 member states and four 

Canadian provinces. 
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In FY 2007, the State Associations trained a combined total of 1,951 students.

S Midwest Environmental Enforcement Association (MEEA), located in St. 

Charles, IL, trained 305 members 

S Northeast Environmental Enforcement Project (NEEP), located in Trenton, NJ, 

trained 396 members 

S Southern Environmental Enforcement Network (SEEN), located in Montgomery, 

AL, trained 500 members 

S Western States Project (WSP), located in Phoenix, AZ, trained 750 members 

Training Facilities

Practical Exercise Training Facility Dedication: The NETI Practical Exercise 

Training Facility, a remodeled industrial site located on the Denver Federal Center 

compound in Lakewood, Colorado, was officially opened and dedicated in October 2006. 

This site serves as an important tool in providing hands-on training to the environmental 

enforcement community. 

Besides providing training in EPA’s Regional Offices around the country and at other 

state locations, NETI manages two state-of-the-art training sites: 

 

• NETI-Headquarters: over 26,550 people attended various training activities, 

meetings, and video conferences this year in this facility, located in the historic Ariel 

Rios building in downtown Washington, DC. 

• NETI-West: 1,891 people attended training at NETI-West, which is located in 

Lakewood, Colorado, a suburb of Denver. 

For more information . . .

 NETI’s web site can be found at www.epa.gov/compliance/training/neti. The Catalog 

and Schedule of OECA’s courses, as well as other training information and materials, are 

available on the web site. If you have other questions, please contact NETI at 202-564-2430. 
EPA Regional Offices

 EPA’s Regional Offices provide a number of training opportunities for their staff as well 

as for state, local, and tribal government personnel located within their respective Regions. For 

the purposes of this report, only those training activities related to enforcement and compliance 

monitoring are included. Following are some training highlights for FY 2007: 

Region 1 (Boston): 

• Region I Tribes Receive Site Worker Refresher Training: Each year, OECA 

provides financial resources to the Regions to build and improve the capacity of 

federally-recognized Indian tribal governments (tribes), inter-tribal consortia, or other 

tribal organizations to foster environmental enforcement and compliance assurance 

activities and to improve compliance with environmental laws. Resources from this 

program were used by the New England Consortium of the University of 

Massachusetts-Lowell to conduct an 8-hour Site Worker Refresher Course for New 

England tribal personnel on March 26, 2007. The training was held at the Penobscot 

Nation Indian Island Reservation where 18 participants from the northern tribes, 

consisting of the Aroostook Band of Micmacs, the Penobscot Indian Nation, and the 

Passamaquoddy Tribe (Indian Township and Pleasant Point) attended the training. 

Contact: Deborah Brown, 617-918-1706. 

Regions 1 and 2 (New York): 

• Joint Pesticide Import Training and Inspection with U S. Custom Border 

Protection: On June 29, 2007, Regions 1 and 2 conducted Pesticide Import 

Enforcement training at the U.S. Custom Border Protection (US CBP) office in 

Champlain, New York. The purpose of the training was to familiarize U.S. Custom 

Agents working at the border with the Notice of Arrivals (NOA) process requirement 

for pesticide import under the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act 

(FIFRA). The next day, Regions 1 and 2 and US CBP Agents conducted a Pesticide 

Import Inspection at Alexandria Bay, New York. Contact: Kan Tham, 617-918 1872; 

Luz Garcia, 732-321 6750; Michael Kramer, 732-321 6610. 

Region 5 (Chicago): 

• State, Local and Tribal Air Inspector Workshop: EPA Region 5 held its first State, 

Local and Tribal Air Inspector Workshop on June 27-28 in Chicago. Over 50 

participants heard presentations and attended training on various topics, including the 

Air Toxics Enforcement Priority, the Miscellaneous Metal Parts and Products Surface 

Coating maximum available control technology (MACT) rule (Subpart MMMM) and 

the Plastic Parts and Products Surface Coating MACT rule (Subpart PPPP). Contact: 

[need Region 5 contact name], Scott Throwe, 202-564-7013; Len Lazarus, 202-564-

6369. 

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Region 6 (Dallas):

• Offshore Outer Continental Shelf NPDES: On February 13-15, 2007, staff from the 

Water Enforcement Branch in Region 6 conducted a “Refresher Training for Minerals 

Management Service Inspectors.” MMS Gulf of Mexico Districts visited were New 

Orleans, Houma, Lafayette, Lake Charles, and Lake Jackson. The training covered the 

MMS-NPDES inspection process and preparation for issuance of a revised 

Memorandum of Agreement. Contact: Robert Houston, 214-665-8565. 

• Civil/Criminal Enforcement Training Session: In an effort to provide crosstraining for Region 6 employees, the Compliance Assurance and Enforcement 

Division hosted a three-day training session with the Office of Regional Counsel and 

appearance by the Office of External Affairs. The sessions featured various aspects of 

enforcement, including an overview of laws and regulations; how to apply them and 

other things that can be done when pursuing violators such as administrative penalty 

proceedings, Supplemental Environmental Projects (SEPs), and judicial enforcement; 

media relations; and other enforcement-related duties, such as inspections and facility 

access. Over 100 Region 6 employees attended. Contacts: John Emerson, 214-665-

3137; Teresa Cooks, 214-665-8145. 
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Regional Training Statistics

Following are training statistics for FY 2007, as reported by each Region. For the purposes of 

this report, only enforcement and compliance monitoring training activities are included. 

# of 

Federal 

Students 

# of State & 

Local Students 

# of Tribal 

Students 

#of Intern’l 

and Others 

Total 

Students 

Region 1 76 221 38 0 335 

Region 2 65 591 0 0 656 

Region 3 74 436 1 0 511 

Region 4 389 212 0 0 601 

Region 5 12 266 2 2 282 

Region 6 203 1,127 7 1 1,338 

Region 7 39 165 0 0 204 

Region 8 15 10 0 0 25 

Region 9 0 47 46 200 293 

Region 10 559 1133 116 9 1817 

Totals 1432 4,208 210 212 6,062