On Dec. 18, 2014, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released its annual report on enforcement and compliance results for fiscal year 2014, summarizing significant enforcement actions and achievements across a variety of agency programs and industry sectors. In its press release announcing the report, the EPA stated that its achievements for 2014 reflected the agency's focus on large cases—a mission designed specifically to “driv[e] industry compliance” and maximize the impact on public health and the environment. Cynthia Giles, assistant administrator for the EPA's Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance, explained: “By taking on large, high-impact enforcement cases, the EPA is helping to level the playing field for companies that play by the rules, while maximizing our ability to protect the communities we serve across the country.”

According to the report, the EPA enforcement actions for the 2014 fiscal year resulted in:

• Private companies investing more than $9.7 billion in actions and equipment to control pollution and to clean up contaminated sites.