Definition:
Projects not required by law, that are voluntarily undertaken by a respondent in exchange for possible penalty mitigation.
As part of some settlements, companies perform SEPs, which are projects not required by law, that are voluntarily undertaken by a respondent in exchange for possible penalty mitigation. EPA may mitigate the civil penalty ultimately assessed as part of the settlement, when a respondent agrees to undertake a SEP. EPA still collects a civil penalty as part of the settlement in accordance with the Agency’s 1998 SEP Policy, which calls for collecting the greater of 25% of the gravity component of the penalty, or 10% of the gravity, plus economic benefit.