DDOE: Compliance & Enforcement Branch

Air Quality Division

Compliance and Enforcement Branch

The Compliance and Enforcement Branch (CEB) is responsible for the enforcement of Federal and District air quality regulations. The primary goal of the Branch is to bring sources of air pollution into compliance with regulations and thereby improve air quality in Washington, DC To ensure compliance with air quality regulations Branch personnel inspect air pollution sources and perform field investigations. When air quality violations are observed, enforcement action is initiated. The Compliance and Enforcement Branch:

Inspects major and minor air pollution sources
Investigates air quality complaints
Monitors the compliance status of facilities
Inspects and permits asbestos abatement projects
Prosecutes violators who fail to comply with air quality regulations

For questions contact Leela Sreenivas at (202) 535-2991 or Babatunde Adebona at (202) 535-2261

Inspection Targets

Major sources (typically power plants, heating plants and large printing facilities)
Minor sources (typically gas stations, dry cleaners, auto body shops, and small printing facilities)
Engine Idling Enforcement: Effective March 8, 1999, the DC Council enacted emergency legislation to increase the penalty for excessive idling from $100 to $500 under Title 2O of the District of Columbia Municipal Regulations section(20 DCMR 900.1) and from $50 to $500 under 18 DCMR 2601.2. Any organization that owns and/or operates a vehicle seen violating this regulation will be issued a civil infraction ticket for $500. Once a company is convicted of violating the engine regulation, the fine on subsequent idling tickets will be double the amount of the previous fine. The primary offenders of the engine idling regulations in the District are tour buses, construction trucks, taxi cabs, and solid waste transfer trucks.
Solid Waste transfer facilities: CEB conducts solid waste transfer facility inspections for air quality related complaints such as odor, dust and engine idling.
Asbestos Abatement activities which includes removal, encapsulation, enclosure, operations and maintenance plus.

Air Quality Investigations

Citizens' Complaints
      - CEB receives about one-hundred and fifty complaints a year
      - Most are concerned with smoke, odors or fugitive dust
      - Citizens' complaints have led to the discovery of some serious air quality violations
Asbestos Complaints for Federal and District Violations
- Complaints are received from the general public, asbestos abatement contractors and asbestos workers
- The District takes administrative enforcement action against violators

Enforcement Action

When air quality violations are observed during inspections or investigations, enforcement action is taken. Generally, two enforcement tools are used; civil infraction tickets and administrative orders.

Air quality inspectors issue civil infraction tickets when they observe relatively minor violations or when an immediate response is required. Civil infraction tickets are similar to parking tickets, where fines range from $50 to $500. The respondent has the option of admitting the violation (and paying the fine), admitting with explanation, or denying the violation. In cases where a respondent admits with explanation or denies the violation, a hearing is held in the District of Columbia's Office of Adjudication.

When more serious air quality violations occur, or when the violations are persistent and on-going, the Compliance and Enforcement Branch will draft and execute an administrative order. Administrative orders are essentially letters to an air pollution source that:

state the air quality regulation that has been violated,
explain the nature of the violation, and
order corrective action. While administrative orders take longer to issue they are formal legal documents that have serious legal consequences.

Sources that fail to comply with an administrative order are subject to the imposition of fine up to $10,000 per day and/or imprisonment of 90 days.