# Authority Status — `consent-decree-epa`

Date-stamped record of the regulatory currency review for this skill. Each entry lists the authority verified, the source consulted, and the date of verification. When using the skill, re-verify any item older than 12 months before relying on it.

**Last full review: 2026-04-26.**

## Statutory authorities (stable)

| Authority | Verified | Source | Date checked |
|---|---|---|---|
| CWA § 309(d) (33 U.S.C. § 1319(d)) — civil penalties | Current | [eCFR / U.S. Code](https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/33/1319) | 2026-04-26 |
| CAA § 113(b) (42 U.S.C. § 7413(b)) — civil penalties | Current | [Cornell LII](https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/42/7413) | 2026-04-26 |
| RCRA § 3008(g) (42 U.S.C. § 6928(g)) — civil penalties | Current | [Cornell LII](https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/42/6928) | 2026-04-26 |
| CERCLA § 109 (42 U.S.C. § 9609) — civil penalties | Current | [Cornell LII](https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/42/9609) | 2026-04-26 |
| CERCLA § 122 (42 U.S.C. § 9622) — settlement authority | Current | [Cornell LII](https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/42/9622) | 2026-04-26 |
| 28 C.F.R. § 50.7 — DOJ consent-decree public comment procedure | Current | eCFR | 2026-04-26 |

## Annual / variable items (re-verify each calendar year)

| Item | Current value as of 2026-04-26 | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 40 CFR § 19.4 — civil monetary penalty inflation adjustments | 2025 amounts (last published Jan 8, 2025); 2026 update typically published in early calendar year | [40 CFR § 19.4 (eCFR)](https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-40/chapter-I/subchapter-A/part-19/section-19.4); [Federal Register Civil Monetary Penalty Inflation Adjustment](https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2025/01/08/2025-00206/civil-monetary-penalty-inflation-adjustment) |
| CWA § 309(d) per-violation-per-day max (2025) | $66,712 | 40 CFR § 19.4 |
| CAA § 113(b) per-violation-per-day max (2025) | $121,275 | 40 CFR § 19.4 |
| RCRA § 3008(g) per-violation-per-day max (2025) | $93,058 | 40 CFR § 19.4 |

## Recent regulatory developments

| Development | Date | Source |
|---|---|---|
| EPA designation of PFOA and PFOS as CERCLA hazardous substances | Final rule effective 2024-07-08; published 89 FR 39124 (2024-05-08) | [EPA PFOA/PFOS designation page](https://www.epa.gov/superfund/designation-perfluorooctanoic-acid-pfoa-and-perfluorooctanesulfonic-acid-pfos-cercla); [Federal Register notice](https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2024/05/08/2024-08547/designation-of-perfluorooctanoic-acid-pfoa-and-perfluorooctanesulfonic-acid-pfos-as-cercla-hazardous) |
| EPA CERCLA PFAS Enforcement Discretion Policy | 2024-04-19 | EPA enforcement discretion memo |
| CERCLA Section 102(a) Framework Rule announced | 2025-09-17 | EPA announcement |
| 26 U.S.C. § 162(f) — TCJA amendments + Treas. Reg. § 1.162-21 | TCJA: Pub. L. 115-97 (2017); Treas. Reg. final 2021 | 26 CFR § 1.162-21 |

## Items pending verification in next review

- 2026 EPA inflation-adjusted civil penalty amounts (when published).
- Any post-2025 update to RCRA TSD financial-assurance rules at 40 C.F.R. Parts 264/265 Subpart H.
- Status of EPA's CERCLA Section 102(a) Framework Rule (announced 2025-09-17; rulemaking timeline TBD).
- Per-statute civil-penalty policies (RCRA, CWA, CAA, TSCA) — EPA updates roughly biennially.

## Notes on use

- The penalty figures in this Authority Status table are frozen at the verification date. **Always pull current values from 40 CFR § 19.4 (eCFR) at draft time.** EPA publishes the annual inflation adjustment in early calendar year; numbers in EPA enforcement letters and DOJ press releases lag by weeks at the start of each year.
- For PFAS-specific penalty matters, EPA's CERCLA PFAS Enforcement Discretion Policy may affect federal pursuit of certain parties, but private cost-recovery (CERCLA § 113(f)) is not constrained by that policy.