ABSTRACT
Compliance is the degree of meeting the environmental regulations and laws applicable to a facility’s activities. To avoid failing an audit by a regulatory entity, self-audits on a routine or annual basis are helpful to uncover and mitigate any potential compliance violations before a regulatory audit occurs. The objective of an audit is to establish the degree of compliance with applicable laws, regulations, permits, and good management practices related to an operation. An audit provides management with knowledge of the degree of compliance, a list of needs or adjustments necessary to attain full compliance, and insight into the staff’s ability to provide information in a timely fashion. The conduct of an audit entails a solicitation of responses to questions designed to uncover inadequacies in the system, an evaluation of responses and other information obtained as a result of the questioning, and a statement of findings of fact and needs for compliance.
