The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has issued a suspension of its enforcement of environmental laws, which means companies will not need to meet environmental standards during the coronavirus outbreak.
The temporary policy has set no end date and will allow several industries to avoid environmental penalties for noncompliance with routine monitoring and reporting obligations.
The EPA has been under pressure from a number of industries, particularly in the oil sector, to suspend enforcement of a number of environmental regulations due to the pandemic.
“EPA is committed to protecting human health and the environment, but recognizes challenges resulting from efforts to protect workers and the public from COVID-19 may directly impact the ability of regulated facilities to meet all federal regulatory requirements,” EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler said in a statement.