WASHINGTON, D.C. — The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released updated data and a mapping tool designed to help the public compare water quality trends over the last two years. The web-based, interactive map includes “state dashboards” that provide detailed information for each state, including information on facilities that are violating the Clean Water Act and the actions states are taking to enforce the law and protect people’s health.

The state dashboards incorporate data for both large and small sources of water pollution, along with the latest information from EPA’s 2009 Annual Noncompliance Report. The public can examine and compare information on the inspections conducted by both EPA and the state in their region, violations and enforcement actions in the communities during the last two years, and the penalties levied in response to violations.

More information on the interactive state dashboard for Clean Water Act violations is available at www.epa-echo.gov/echo/ancr/us. More information on the 2009 Annual Noncompliance report is available at www.epa-echo.gov/echo/ancr/us/docs/ANCR_2009.pdf. More information on the ECHO database is available at www.epa-echo.gov.