Which statement describes the first step in the enforcement procedure?

• A. Notify the responsible party in writing of all violations found
• B. Issue a warning letter by phone
• C. Conduct follow-up inspection immediately
• D. Freeze the facility's operations

Answer: (A)

Enforcement begins with formal, written notification. The first step is to notify the responsible party in writing about all violations found. This creates an official record, clearly identifies each violation, references the applicable codes, and sets a concrete timeline for corrective action. A warning by phone lacks documentation and does not establish an enforceable deadline or proper record. Follow-up inspections come after the notice to verify that corrections have been made, while freezing operations is an extreme remedy that isn’t used as the initial step in the process.