The United States Environmental Protection Agency ("EPA") is alerting hospitals throughout the mid-Atlantic states about their responsibility to comply with environmental laws and regulations. This kind of "alert" is often followed up by EPA self-audit pacts, inspections and a review of facility compliance reports. In fact, on Friday March 5, 2004, EPA Region II announced four self-audit pacts with New York healthcare institutions which require the healthcare institutions to assess their own environmental compliance, and report and correct violations found. The new pacts bring to 18 the total number of pacts reached by EPA Region II with healthcare institutions in New York and New Jersey under EPA’s Healthcare Compliance Initiative.