"WASHINGTON — The Environmental Protection Agency on Thursday announced a sweeping relaxation of environmental rules in response to the coronavirus pandemic, allowing power plants, factories and other facilities to determine for themselves if they are able to meet legal requirements on reporting air and water pollution.

The move comes amid an influx of requests from businesses for a relaxation of regulations as they face layoffs, personnel restrictions and other problems related to the coronavirus outbreak.

Issued by the E.P.A.’s top compliance official, Susan P. Bodine, the policy sets new guidelines for companies to monitor themselves for an undetermined period of time during the outbreak and says that the agency will not issue fines for violations of certain air, water and hazardous-waste-reporting requirements."

Lisa Friedman reports for the New York Times March 26, 2020. [2]

SEE ALSO:

"EPA Suspends Enforcement Of Environmental Laws Amid Coronavirus" (The Hill) [3]

"EPA Relaxes Some Enforcement in Response to Virus" (Bloomberg Environment) [4]

"Citing Virus, EPA Has Stopped Enforcing Environmental Laws" (AP) [5]