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The EPA is authorized to institute administrative penalty proceedings against alleged violators under a variety of environmental statutes, including the Clean Air Act, the Clean Water Act, and the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act, among others. Such cases are generally heard by the Administrative Law Judges (ALJs) within EPA's Office of Administrative Law Judges. The federal regulations that govern the proceedings before the ALJs are codified at 40 C.F.R. part 22 and are entitled "the Consolidated Rules of Practice Governing the Administrative Assessment of Civil Penalties and the Revocation/Termination or Suspension of Permits" (Rules of Practice). These Rules of Practice were promulgated to establish uniform procedural rules for administrative enforcement proceedings required to be held on the record after opportunity for a hearing in accordance with section 554 of the Administrative Procedure Act, 5 U.S.C. 551 et seq. The purpose of today's action is to expand the scope of the Rules of Practice to include adjudicatory proceedings for the assessment of civil penalties under the authority of the Act to Prevent Pollution from Ships.