• Action Levels are (1) regulatory levels recommended by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to ensure compliance by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) when pesticide residues are found in foodstuffs. food or feed for reasons other than the direct use of pesticides. Unlike “tolerances” that are set for residues resulting from proper use, action levels are set for unintentional residues resulting from previous legitimate use or accidental contamination. (2) In the Superfund program, the existence of a contaminant concentration in the environment is high enough to justify action or cause a reaction under the Superfund Amendment and Reauthorization Act (SARA) of 1986 and the National Oil Emergency Plan and dangerous substances. The term is also used in other regulatory programs.