NEWS ELEASE 5? EPA Corrects the Record after Reckless Reporting on Tempo raw Compliance Guidance (March so, 20m] ??he mission o? tl'e Eisironn'errtal P'otectior Ageicy is to protect iuman iea.ti ard tie ensironniert, aid cu'ing this tirre of unprecede1tec publ?c health ccnoerrs, that missior ever more critical. Cn .Hia'ch 26, cos releaed a mar-ting tie agency's enforcement ofei'-ironrrental lega. cue-.igations dun ig the coho-19 parderrfc. This tenipo'a'iI po.ic5I is iot a liceise to pmlute. We strorgl'g encoumge the press to actually.I read EPst-ls TEmzcrarg Darcy befo'e reaeat?rg 'ecldess :roziagarca about it. nstead of '"rclucFrg factua. infonTsatior absut tl'e po.ic1.r, outlets sum as EL-E .-. aid the are on souroes who falser claim that tl'e pshicy.I provides a snarset waiser of emi'or'ne1tal 'eguirensents or c'eates a presLI'nption that the parderr?c is the cause-of norco'iipl?ance. Here are someof the facts tiat has-e been cor'deriertlg' .eft out of tl'e press rar'ati'de: The :clicg' sag-s tiat EPAwil. rot sees :hena.ties for noiosmaliance with routine monitoring and reporting requireme1ts, if, oi a caseargucase basis: Emag'ees that such norco'npl?aioe was caused by the pardeniic. Regulated part?es 'iiust document the basis ?or air}: clai'n that the paiderr?c p'es'ertec them "on coiducting that routine monitoliig an: re:orting ard "t to EFAupon request. This actior was iecessarg to avoid tying u: EH: staff time with guestior's about rout?ie nioritoling are reporting requi'e'ne-its aid iistead allow focus on cortiiuec protect'oi of humar health and the emi'or Tie-it. The Joli-:5 does not say that tl'e paiderr?c will excuse exceedanoes of pollutant limitations in permits, reguLation-s, and statutes. EPA expects regulated ent?t?es to co'npl'g' with all obligatiors and if tieyr do not, lie :clicg: says that ERA wil. consider the :anceniic. on a case-byr-case wl'en ceten'r?ring ai respoise. =urther. cases that irs'ol'ae acute ?sh: or "nin'"r'ent th'eats, orfailu'e of po. J.rtion coitrol or othe* equizment that may resu.t ?r exoeedaices, E=to's willingness to proside even that coisidelalfoi is cord?t?oied on the ?acility coitact?r'g tl'e aeropriate em 'egion, or autior'zec state or tr'be. to allow regulato's to wort with tiat fac'l?t'g' to rritigate or eliminate such risks or tireals. EPA has been inuidated with questions from bodi state regulators and the regu.atec oom'nuft'g' about how to handle the cu'rent Where cortiacto's are rot as'aila ale because they cainot trasel, state arc local gm'emnents are imzosing stag.I at iorre orce's, ard tie rumser of people w1o have cortracted ard are qua'aitine "s rising. Em de-e.oped tie ?ol?cyr to a.low EPht-o prio'iti:e its resources to respond to acute r'sks aid imTrinent threats: Ether thai rr'alc'rg up front case-trg-case detemiinations regarding routiie moritoring aid reporting. The development of the policy was a group e?fo't, Tiu.tiple cal.s an: with ard drafls siared among Em staff and managers: both career ard po.itica., at aotl'. headquarters and in the regions. It is irrportant b: note EPA expects rnglatec Iacilities to comply with regulatory regui'enier'ts. whe'e reasonabng placticable. arc to retu'T to corrpliarce as guic-tl}: as possisle: once the threat is Mcitiorally. tl'e po.ic1.r makes c.ea" that EPA exoects ope'ato's of public wate' sin-stems to coitinue nonTel ope'ations ard maiiterance doling di?s t?nie: as well as regui'ec to ensure the safety of drinlfr'g water supplies. The 'iieasu'es in this policy.l are an: will be .ifted as soon as nonnal ope'ations can 'esurre, INi?ch 'nay occu' scoier ii some locatiors thai othe's. metalce our E'I'a'il'Cl'll'l?El'ltai rrancate to protect iurran hea.ti aid the enfronniert very sE'iouslig.I arc will corrt?rue to ca'i'y "t cut doling this