&EPA United States Environmental Protection Agency Office Of The Administrator (1101) EPA 200-B-94-002 July 1994 The New Generation Of Environmental Protection EPA's Five-Year Strategic Plan S Envlrer ntai Pfocc-clion Agency -"(PL-12J) TT'west Jackson Boulevard, 12th Chicago, IL 60604-3590 ------- Agency-wide Strategic Plan Message from the Administrator MESSAGE FROM THE ADMINISTRATOR I am proud to present EPA's five-year strategic plan, The New Generation of Environmental Protection. This plan represents the combined insight, energy, and forward thinking of EPA's senior leadership, employees, and its stakeholders as they define the Agency's role and direction into the next century. This plan lays out the guiding principles that EPA will emphasize as it works to achieve the goal of a sustainable environment and economy: ecosystem protection; environmental justice; pollution prevention; strong science and data; partnerships; reinventing EPA management; and environmental accountability. I believe that we can achieve the goals we have set for ourselves by working with our partners and following these guiding principles. If we achieve what is detailed in this plan, we surely will pass on to our children a better world than we inherited. The New Generation of Environmental Protection is the first step in a planning process that will continue to involve EPA's partners in environmental protection. A critical part of this process will be the availability of sound environmental, programmatic, and fiscal information that will guide our future management and resource decisions. EPA will revisit its strategic plan and update it, where appropriate, to ensure that the Agency is focusing its efforts and resources most productively. This is an exciting time for EPA as it charts new directions in environmental protection. This plan provides us with a shared vision of our future and points us towards greater opportunities to harmonize environmental protection and economic growth. In the spirit of partnership embodied in this plan, I encourage your comments, participation, and continued assessment of the plan and its implementation. Carol M. Browner July, 1994 Message from the Administrator ------- (V Agency-wide Strategic Plan Table of Contents TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION > INTRODUCTION Page 1 CHAPTER ONE + EPA's VISION, MISSION, AND GOALS Page 5 CHAPTER TWO * EPA's GUIDING PRINCIPLES Page 7 Ecosystem Protection 9 Environmental Justice 13 Pollution Prevention 18 Strong Science and Data 23 Partnerships 28 Reinventing EPA Management 37 Environmental Accountability 40 CHAPTER THREE +- LINKING THE PLAN TO OTHER EPA INITIATIVES Page 43 CHAPTER FOUR * PROGRAM AND REGIONAL PLANS Page 49 Office of Air and Radiation 50 Office of Administration and Resources Management 56 Office of Civil Rights (AO) 61 Office of Communication, Education, and Public Affairs (AO) 63 Office of Congressional and Legislative Affairs (AO) 66 Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance 68 Office of General Counsel 73 July, 1994 Table of Contents ------- Table of Contents Agency-wide Strategic Plan Office of International Activities 78 Office of Inspector General 82 Office of Policy, Planning, and Evaluation 86 Office of Prevention, Pesticides, and Toxic Substances 91 Office of Research and Development 96 Office of Regional Operations and State/Local Relations (AO) 103 Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization (AO) 107 Office of Solid Waste and Emergency Response 110 Office of Water 116 Region I (Boston, MA) 123 Region II (New York, NY) 126 Region III (Philadelphia, PA) 131 Region IV (Atlanta, GA) 135 Region V (Chicago, IL) 138 Region VI (Dallas, TX) 141 Region VII (Kansas City, KS) 144 Region VIII (Denver, CO) 147 Region IX (San Francisco, CA) 150 Region X (Seattle, WA) 154 APPENDIX A > Acknowledgments Page 157 APPENDIX B > Glossary of Abbreviations Page 159 Table of Contents July, 1994 ------- Agency-wide Strategic Plan Introduction INTRODUCTION EPA'S CHALLENGE The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) was established in 1970 to guide the nation's efforts to protect and preserve public health and the vitality of natural ecosystems. EPA is committed to achieving these goals by reducing risks to human health and the environment, preventing pollution, and fostering environmentally sound, sustainable economic development in the most cost-effective, efficient ways. In the more than 20 years that have passed since its founding, EPA has helped improve the national and global environment. Because of EPA's efforts to implement and enforce national laws, many of this nation's most visible environmental problems have been alleviated. Emissions of air pollutants from cars and large industrial facilities have been reduced and, in some cases, like lead emissions from cars, virtually eliminated. Over 5,000 wastewater treatment facilities have been constructed in the United States. Ocean-dumping of wastes has been prohibited. Hundreds of waste disposal sites are in compliance with regulations or closed, and many more are being cleaned up. More than 200 abandoned sites contaminated with hazardous waste have been cleaned up, and hundreds more are in process. The production and use of substances such as asbestos, DDT, PCBs, and CFCs and other ozone-depleting chemicals have been banned or are being phased out. The bald eagle is no longer threatened with extinction from persistent pesticides. Rivers no longer catch fire. These accomplishments aside, many of the nation's environmental goals have yet to be achieved. Thirty years after Rachel Carson warned the nation in her book, Silent Spring, to reduce dependence on pesticides, the use of pesticides has doubled. Twenty-five years after the garbage-filled Cuyahoga River caught on fire, forty percent of our rivers and lakes still are not suitable for fishing or swimming. Twenty years after passage of the Clean Air Act, one in five Americans live in areas where the air does not meet federal air quality standards. Fourteen years after Love Canal, one in four Americans lives within four miles of a toxic waste dumpsite. Many long-recognized environmental problems have not been solved, and new ones, like global warming, are emerging. The media-specific (i.e., air, water, land) nature of environmental laws and EPA's resulting administrative structure have fragmented EPA's response to environmental protection. Too often, our piecemeal approach to pollution has ended up simply moving contaminants around from air, to water, to land rather than reducing and preventing pollution. "Command-and-control" approaches to mitigating pollution have proven sometimes to be blunt instruments overregulating in some areas, undercontrolling in others. The process through which environmental policy is set has become polarized and adversarial at any given time, hundreds of lawsuits are pending against EPA. Businesses and local officials alike complain about the costs of environmental protection and environmentalists and others want better results. July, 1994 ------- Introduction Agency-wide Strategic Plan There also has been little progress in setting priorities across the spectrum of environmental problems, which is critical in a period of tight resources and growing responsibilities. Moreover, EPA today is being asked to address a more highly diverse and complex set of environmental problems than ever before. Population growth and industrial expansion worldwide are straining ecosystems, while human activities and the unprecedented release of chemicals into the atmosphere are changing the global climate. EPA is at a crossroads. To continue leading national efforts to preserve the earth's environment, the Agency must pursue a new generation of environmental protection one founded on renewed commitment to broad environmental goals combined with common sense, innovation, and flexibility. The foundation of this effort must be vigorous, effective, and timely implementation and enforcement of existing laws and responsibilities actions that forcefully motivate innovation, prevention, and voluntary compliance within the regulated community. Building on this firm foundation, EPA must move beyond strategies that react to today's environmental problems to strategies that anticipate and prevent pollution. In particular, EPA must: + Embrace the recommendations of the Vice President's National Performance Revietv. EPA must work toward an integrated approach to environmental protection that involves and protects all segments of society in this country and others, young and old, poor and rich. * Work with its partners to make environmental protection a commonly held value and priority. These partners include Congress, agencies of federal, state, tribal, and local governments, tribes, other countries, private business, public interest groups, and individuals. EPA must listen to them, respond to them, and assist them in taking their own environmentally sustainable actions. * Develop and implement more innovative, effective, and efficient approaches to environmental protection and sustainable development. Working with its partners, EPA must focus its efforts on those issues that pose the greatest harm to human health and the environment, being mindful of the burdens that environmental controls can impose on individuals and society at large. * Collect, process, and analyze the information needed to ensure that it is managing for and achieving real environmental results. This information also must provide insight into future developments, e.g., technology and demographic patterns that may affect Agency strategies for achieving this country's environmental and economic goals. * Shift toward a more comprehensive approach to environmental protection. This approach must take into account the relative seriousness of different environmental problems and the costs and benefits of addressing them, and use geographic targeting, ecosystem-wide planning, and integrated multi-media strategies for key economic sectors. The strategies must recognize the importance and interconnectedness of both human and ecological health. + Continuously re-earn its reputation as the premier environmental agency in the world. EPA's leadership in this respect is vital to many others at home and abroad. To July, 1994 ------- Agency-wide Strategic Plan Introduction meet these challenges, EPA must recruit and retain a highly talented, diverse staff who view themselves as broadly focused and empowered environmental leaders. * Ensure integrity and effective management of its programs and resources. EPA will carry out its work in a way that best serves the American people and reassures the public of the integrity of all EPA programs, activities, and information. In sum, EPA's challenge is to ensure that the world this generation passes on to its children is better than the one it inherited. THE NEED FOR STRATEGIC PLANNING This long-term strategic plan is a blueprint for change at EPA. The New Generation of Environmental Protection will guide the Agency's planning, resource allocation, and decisionmaking processes over the next five years (1995 1999). The plan sets the vision and direction for the changes that will shape EPA's environmental agenda into the next century. It identifies some of the broad environmental goals this country must define and work to achieve if it is to attain a sustainable environmental future. It also lays out the guiding principles that EPA will emphasize as it works toward these goals. EPA's strategic plan, like the process that produced it, will not be static. EPA sees strategic planning as an evolving process that will continue internally and externally in cooperation with its partners in environmental protection. EPA will revisit its strategic plan each year and update it, where appropriate, to ensure that the Agency is focusing its efforts and resources productively. This is an exciting time for EPA as it charts its new direction in environmental protection. EPA's strategic plan represents the combined insight, energy, and forward thinking of EPA's senior leadership, employees, and stakeholders. It provides a shared vision of the future and points the nation toward greater opportunities to harmonize economic growth and environmental protection. ORGANIZATION OF THE STRATEGIC PLAN As the cornerstone of EPA's overall planning process, this agency-wide strategic plan is a critical link integrating EPA's planning and budgeting activities. The plan is divided into four chapters: + CHAPTER ONE "EPA's Vision, Mission, and Goals" summarizes EPA's vision and mission statements. It also provides an overview of the process underway to develop broad environmental goals that EPA will strive to achieve in the next five years. + CHAPTER Two "EPA's Guiding Principles and Implementation Strategies" discusses the seven key principles that will guide EPA's work, and it describes strategies for implementing these principles over the next five years. * CHAPTER THREE "Linking the Plan to Other EPA Initiatives" discusses how the plan and its strategic directions relate to other planning, budgeting, and management-related efforts underway at EPA. * CHAPTER FOUR "Program and Regional Plans" provides an overview of how each of the major organizational units in EPA will support the strategic directions of this plan. July, 1994 ------- ------- Agency-wide Strategic Plan Chapter 1 CHAPTER ONE EPA's VISION, MISSION, AND GOALS ERA'S VISION Looking into the next century, EPA has a vision of the state of the environment we hope to achieve, as well as the Agency we will work to become. * EPA envisions a world in which: All individuals and institutions value the environment and choose to act in a manner that ensures achievement of sustainable environmental and economic goals. The natural balance of all living things is no longer threatened, and all individuals rich and poor, young and old share in the benefits of a healthy environment. > EPA will strive to become an Agency recognized for: Leadership in environmental protection and environmental sciencedomestically and worldwide. Strong and effective working relationships with its partners in environmental protection. Integrity in the stewardship of its resources and the management of its programs. EPA'S MISSION The people who work at the Environmental Protection Agency are dedicated to improving and preserving the environmentin this country and around the globe. Highly skilled and culturally diverse, we work with our partners to protect human health, ecosystems, and the beauty of our environment using the best available science. We value and promote innovative and effective solutions to environmental problems. We strive to achieve the productive and sustainable use of natural resources on which all life and human activity depend. EPA'S ENVIRONMENTAL GOALS Over the past 24 years, EPA has focused on developing programs that effectively implement the statutes enacted by Congress. The most important measure of the success of these programs is not the amount of activity underway e.g., the number of regulations promulgated or permits issued but rather the degree to which human health and ecological vitality are protected and preserved. To ensure we focus on these critical objectives and accomplish the broad purposes that Congress has articulated, EPA is developing measurable environmental goals that will define the environmental results we seek and our timing for achieving them. July, 1994 ------- Chapter 1 Agency-wide Strategic Plan Environmental goals that can be used to measure success are an important part of EPA's long-term planning, budgeting, and program-evaluation process. They will enable EPA and others to measure the success of their environmental strategies. Setting environmental goals will not constrain the selection of methods to achieve them; EPA will emphasize flexibility and effectiveness in all its programs. Some of the statutes and programs that EPA administers set explicit environmental goals, while others do not. To develop a full set of measurable goals, EPA recently launched the National Environmental Goals Project. EPA expects to develop a set of measurable environmental goals by Earth Day (April 22), 1995. Because EPA shares responsibility for protecting environmental quality with many other public and private parties, the Agency is working closely with representatives of these groups to develop goals and welcomes additional assistance. As a first step, the National Environmental Goals Project has developed a preliminary list of broad environmental goal areas for which measurable goals need to be set. The current preliminary list of goal areas (presented below in alphabetical order) encompasses a range of environmental concerns critical to EPA and the country: NATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL GOAL AREAS Clean Air Clean Surface Water Cleanup of Contaminated Sites Climate Change Ecological Protection Improved Understanding of the Environment Prevention of Oil Spills and Chemical Accidents Prevention of Wastes and Harmful Chemical Releases Safe Drinking Water Safe Food Safe Indoor Environments Stratospheric Ozone Layer Protection Worker Safety As a next step, EPA has scheduled a series of public meetings across the country during 1994 to discuss the draft goal areas and to get the public input needed to define more explicit goals. A final list of goals will be published by Earth Day 1995. Future EPA strategic plans will be targeted on this complete set of measurable goals. July, 1994 ------- Agency-wide Strategic Plan Chapter 2 CHAPTER Two EPA's GUIDING PRINCIPLES INTRODUCTION EPA sees a new and challenging vision for itself and the environment over the next five years. To bring this vision to life, EPA must move beyond reacting to today's environmental problems and work more with its partners to anticipate and prevent pollution. The Agency's approach must evolve from piecemeal solutions to a more comprehensive response that utilizes the best available science. For all its programs and activities, EPA must ensure equal environmental protection for everyone, and become known as a well-managed agency with efficient and effective programs and activities. EPA has identified the following principles' for guiding how it will achieve its goals: 1) Ecosystem Protection EPA will encourage ecosystem management and economic development that promotes the health and productivity of natural systems. The long-term mutual interdependence of human and ecosystem health, as well as economic prosperity, will be a major premise of EPA's commitment in this area. 2) Environmental Justice EPA will work to ensure that individuals and communities are treated equitably under environmental laws, policies, and regulations, and that the benefits of environmental protection are shared by everyone. 3) Pollution Prevention EPA will work to prevent pollution by: incorporating prevention into the Agency's mainstream environmental programs; strengthening partnerships with state, tribal, and local governments, the private sector, and other federal agencies; providing information to the public; encouraging technology innovation and diffusion; and, where necessary, working to change existing environmental legislation. The Agency will anticipate and address future environmental issues before they become problems. 4) Strong Science and Data EPA will employ the best possible science, invest strategically in research and development for the future, foster a productive dialogue with the public about science and risk, and ensure that data are integrated and information is available to support comprehensive environmental protection. To be credible and effective, EPA policies, programs, and actions will be based on sound data and research from physical, biological, and social sciences. 5) Partnerships EPA will work in partnership with its stakeholders federal, tribal, state, and local agencies, Congress, private industry, public interest groups, and citizens to develop the technology and capacity for carrying out environmental programs and policies that are sensible, innovative, and flexible. 1 This ordering of the principles is not meant to convey any sense of relative priority, i.e., Principle 7 is as high a priority as Principle 1. July, 1994 7 ------- Chapter 2 Agency-wide Strategic Plan 6) Reinventing EPA Management EPA will strive to make itself known as one of the best-managed agencies in the federal government. In an era of rapid technological change and tight budgets, the public expects EPA to manage its resources, infrastructure, and processes with integrity and maximum effectiveness. EPA will seek to manage for better results, streamline its programs, and use savings to strengthen existing programs and invest resources in emerging high-risk issues. EPA will emphasize employee development, empowerment, and diversity. 7) Environmental Accountability EPA will stress that everyone in society is accountable for protecting and enhancing the environment. The cornerstone of EPA's effort will be a strong compliance and enforcement program. The Agency will promote responsible environmental behavior by: setting out clear compliance requirements for the regulated community and communicating them through comprehensive guidelines and technical assistance; aggressively responding to noncompliance so violators are penalized; and encouraging others in the regulated community to meet their obligations. In addition, the Agency will provide information, education, and environmental data that inform the public, and thereby the regulated community, and promote the kind of responsible behavior that leads to and beyond compliance with the nation's environmental laws. July, 1994 ------- Agency-wide Strategic Plan Chapter 2 1. ECOSYSTEM PROTECTION THE IMPORTANCE OF ECOSYSTEM PROTECTION The United States and other parts of the world are experiencing a serious loss of essential natural resources. If this trend continues, this loss will result in a long-term threat to the nation's economic prosperity, security, and the sustainability of remaining ecological systems. The value of ecosystems can be measured in many different ways. Living things and the ecosystems2 upon which they depend provide communities with food, clean air, clean water, and a multitude of other goods and services. Native American tribes believe that all life is inter-connected that the health of one is directly dependent on the health of the another. Consequently, the high rates of species endangerment, loss of natural resources (e.g., timber), habitat fragmentation, and losses of recreational opportunities pose a potential threat to the health, cultural values, lifestyle, and economic future of virtually every American. Many of EPA's activities to date have helped protect ecosystems. The Agency has implemented laws to control many of the major sources that pollute the nation's air, water, and land. Yet, even as the more obvious problems are resolved, scientists discover other environmental stresses that threaten ecological resources and general well-being. Evidence of these problems can be seen in the decline of the salmon populations in the Pacific Northwest and the oyster stock in the Chesapeake Bay, the decline in migratory bird populations, and degraded coral reef systems. The causes of these problems are as varied as human activity itself: the ways Americans farm, work, build, travel, and spend their leisure hours. Although many federal, state, tribal, and local regulations address these problems, past efforts have been as fragmented as the laws enacted to solve the problems. Because EPA has concentrated on issuing permits, establishing pollutant limits, and setting national standards, as required by environmental laws, the Agency has not paid enough attention to the overall environmental health of specific ecosystems. In short, EPA has been "program-driven" rather than "place-driven." As the Agency moves increasingly to a place-driven approach, existing barriers to progress must be identified and addressed. These barriers include a lack of information on specific ecosystems; inadequate ecological goals for specific places; historical single-medium focus within EPA programs; the Agency's lack of a central system for planning, budgeting, and accountability; and staff without appropriate skills. Nationwide compliance with all federal environmental laws would not necessarily assure the reversal of disturbing ecological trends. EPA must collaborate with other federal, tribal, state, and local agencies, as well as private partners, to reverse those trends and achieve the ultimate goal of healthy, sustainable ecosystems. The Agency therefore will act to solve integrated environmental problems through a framework of ecosystem protection and in close partnership with others. This approach will integrate environmental management with human needs, consider long-term ecosystem health, and highlight the positive correlation between economic prosperity and 2 As defined in The Biodiversity Convention, an ecosystem is "a dynamic complex of plant, animal and micro-organism communities and their non-living environment interacting in a functional unit." July, 1994 ------- Chapter 2 Agency-wide Strategic Plan environmental well-being. An ecosystem protection approach also will provide a framework within which to address other issues facing the Agency and the country, such as environmental justice, unfunded mandates, flexibility, state and tribal capacity, sustainable development, use of science and data, and the measurement of environmental results. OBJECTIVES Within five years, the Agency will upgrade its ability to protect, maintain, and restore the ecological integrity of the nation's lands and waters, including human health, urban areas, and plant and animal species, by adopting a place-driven focus. STRATEGIES EPA's Ecosystem Protection Workgroup's strategy for protecting ecosystems included reorienting the Agency toward a "place-driven" approach; that is, the work of the Agency would be driven by the environmental needs of communities and ecosystems. For any given "place," EPA will establish a process for determining long-term ecological, economic, and social needs and will reorient its work to meet those needs. Although this approach is being demonstrated in a number of places now, the workgroup envisioned that, over time, the entire country would benefit from this approach. To move toward an encompassing, place-driven approach, the workgroup determined that EPA, working with appropriate partners, must: 1) Identify stressed or threatened ecosystems; 2) Define environmental goals and indicators; 3) Develop and implement an action plan based on sound science; 4) Measure progress and adapt management to new information over time; and 5) Identify tools and support that could be provided at a national level. Three critical factors will determine EPA's success in making ecosystem protection a reality. First, government activities must be driven by the issues faced by particular ecosystems and the economies they support. EPA must implement its statutory mandates by devising programs that respond to the needs of specific geographic areas. Success will be achieved with greater integration and teamwork among environmental and natural resource agencies, and among commerce, trade, and economic development programs. Second, the ecosystem approach requires coordinated, integrated action by federal, state, tribal, and local agencies; between government and private enterprise; and, most importantly, between government and the people for whom services are being provided. EPA will enlist the support of a spectrum of participants in the priority-setting and decisionmaking processes, and especially the increasingly active states, tribes, and local agencies. Third, information is a key to motivating communities to action. The availability of quality information on the resources to be protected is essential and, in many cases, available primarily at the local level. EPA must work to make this information broadly accessible. 10 July, 1994 ------- Agency-wide Strategic Plan Chapter 2 MEASURES OF PROGRESS The effective use of an ecosystem approach requires an understanding of the status and trends in ecosystems and, more specifically, of indicators and environmental goals at specific places. Ecosystem protection requires an understanding of how the components of the ecosystems within the region respond to different levels of stress. In addition, monitoring programs need to be designed not only to indicate the status and trends of ecosystems within regions, but also to predict how ecosystems respond to different kinds of stress. To measure progress toward protecting ecosystems, the Agency must examine both programmatic improvements and environmental results. EPA envisions a process by which places are delineated and then, for each place, a series of steps are taken, including: characterization of problems and solutions, determination of environmental objectives and indicators, establishment of cross-media teams, action plan implementation, evaluation of results, and plan revisions as necessary. Measures of progress for ecosystem protection efforts will reflect these steps. The measures are: > Percentage of the area of the United States addressed by multi-organizational, multi-disciplinary teams; ** Percentage of these teams that have characterized problems, their causes and sources; * Percentage of teams that have determined environmental objectives and indicators; > Percentage of teams with action plans and the percentage being implemented; and > Percentage of the places achieving stated environmental objectives. KEY ACTIVITIES To address the critical success factors and barriers discussed above, the Agency will align its policy, regulatory, institutional, and administrative infrastructure to support ecosystem protection. EPA will develop information and tools to facilitate the approach. The Agency's culture will be reoriented to facilitate a place-driven approach. Leadership * EPA will work with Cabinet officials to ensure that the federal government as a whole supports ecosystem protection and collaborative efforts by their departments and agencies. * The EPA Administrator will convene a meeting of EPA senior managers to obtain their commitment to a place-driven approach to ecosystem protection. Partnerships and Support > EPA regions will work with other federal, state, tribal, and local agencies, private organizations, and citizen groups to: July, 1994 11 ------- Chapter 2 Agency-wide Strategic Plan Catalogue ecosystem projects already underway, and identify the support needed for these projects; and Develop a process to identify priority places, set environmental objectives, and implement actions to protect ecosystems. Scientific Information and Technical Support * EPA will review research, assessment, monitoring, data-gathering, and information collection and dissemination activities to determine their capability to support a place-driven approach to ecosystem protection. *- EPA will establish a Center for Excellence in Ecosystem Protection dedicated to improving science, education, and training in ecosystem approaches. The Agency also will explore possible collaborative efforts with the National Science Foundation, Smithsonian Institution, National Biological Survey, other federal agencies, tribes, states, academic institutions, and private organizations. EPA Organization and Culture >- EPA will establish a training program on ecosystem approaches and techniques, and provide opportunities for staff to work with other government and non-profit organizations. EPA also will encourage specialists inside and outside the Agency to collaborate on issues related to ecosystem protection. > EPA will incorporate the ecosystem approach into its strategic planning, budget development, streamlining, and reinventing government reforms. > EPA will develop flexible financial and programmatic processes to carry out the ecosystem approach. 12 July, 1994 ------- Agency-wide Strategic Plan Chapter 2 2. ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE THE IMPORTANCE OF ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE The remedies EPA adopted to upgrade environmental quality during the past two decades did not always benefit all communities or all populations within a community. Many minority, low-income, and Native American communities have raised concerns that they suffer a disproportionate burden of health consequences due to the siting of industrial plants and waste dumps, and from exposures to pesticides or other toxic chemicals at home and on the job and that environmental programs do not adequately address these disproportionate exposures. EPA is committed to address these concerns and is assuming a leadership role in environmental justice initiatives to enhance environmental quality for all residents of the United States. Incorporating environmental justice into "everyday" Agency activities and decisions will be a major undertaking. Fundamental reform will be needed in Agency operations. Five critical issues must be addressed to make environmental justice a reality: *- Environmental justice must be integrated fully and consistently into the Agency's policies, programs, and activities. ** Additional research is needed to address human health and environmental risk to minority populations, low-income populations, and Native American populations, including the identification of multiple and cumulative exposures or synergistic effects. + Environmental health data must be collected, analyzed, and disseminated routinely. This is particularly true for data comparing environmental and human health risks to populations identified by national origin, income, and race. Interagency cooperation is vital to ensure effective data collection and research. * Compliance monitoring inspections and enforcement actions must have a multi-media focus to address exposures by minority populations, low-income populations, and Native American populations. > There must be early involvement in the Agency's activities by all stakeholders, including affected communities, community and other non-profit organizations, federal agencies, states, tribes, and local governments, academic institutions, industries, and business. Information on human health and environment should be clear and readily accessible to all stakeholders. OBJECTIVES The Agency looks ahead to the time when: > No segment of the population, regardless of race, color, national origin, or income, as a result of the EPA's policies, programs, and activities bears disproportionately high and adverse human health and environmental effects, and all people live in clean and sustainable communities. July, 1994 13 ------- Chapter 2 Agency-wide Strategic Plan * Stakeholders are educated and empowered to ensure improved public participation in and access to information on environmental and human health issues. STRATEGIES To achieve its environmental justice objectives, the Agency intends to: 1) Make sure environmental justice is part of all the Agency's programs, policies, and activities; 2) Identify methodologies, research, and data needed to identify and evaluate populations at disproportionately high environmental or human health risks, and ensure that these needs are considered in developing the overall federal research program; 3) Use currently available data systems to identify and prioritize how the Agency can most effectively support the needs of affected communities and populations; 4) Target compliance monitoring, inspections, and enforcement in cooperation with stakeholders; and 5) Promote outreach, communication, and partnerships with stakeholders, and ensure sufficient access for stakeholders to training, information, and education. MEASURES OF PROGRESS * By February 1995, begin full implementation of EPA's Environmental Justice Action Document * Show quantitative risk reductions through measures based on risk assessment methodologies that reflect the cumulative and synergistic effects of exposure, or multiple and different pathways of exposure. > By February 1996, develop data systems that analyze information assessing and comparing environmental and human health risks borne by populations identified by race, national origin, and income. > Intensify enforcement actions, including inspections, and improve compliance rates in minority communities, low-income communities, and Native American communities (especially in accordance with the EPA Indian Policy). * Reduce environmental justice impacts from major federal actions by performing analysis under the National Environmental Policy Act and EPA's review process under Section 309 of the Clean Air Act. +- Use the National Environmental Justice Advisory Committee and subcommittees to assist the Agency in its environmental justice initiatives and to perform an annual evaluation of implementation of EPA's Environmental Justice Action Document. 14 July, 1994 ------- Agency-wide Strategic Plan Chapter 2 KEY ACTIVITIES3 Integrate Environmental Justice: EPA will make environmental justice a part of all its policies, policies, and activities. > Environmental Justice Strategy: EPA will review all its programs and policies and revise them, as necessary to address environmental justice concerns. EPA will develop and implement its environmental justice strategy in accordance with the mandates and milestones laid out under President Clinton's Executive Order 12898 of February 11, 1994, Federal Actions To Address EnvironmentalJustice in Minority Populations and Low-Income Populations. > Evaluation of Progress: EPA will develop a system for evaluation and management accountability to monitor improvements and changes in the Agency's programs resulting from the integration of environmental justice. > Education: EPA will develop internal communication and training to sensitize and educate Agency employees about environmental justice. > Tribal Operations Committee: EPA will review the implementation of laws, regulations, policies, and programs delegated by law to Native American tribal governments, so as to identify barriers to and develop recommendations for improving environmental protection. Environmental and Health Data Needs: In coordination with other federal agencies, EPA will design the environmental and human health research needed to support its environmental justice programs. > Urban and Rural Initiatives: EPA will conduct urban studies that identify risks to minority populations and low-income populations from aggregate exposures to toxic emissions. > Human Exposure: EPA will develop national human exposure databases to address geographic and demographic environmental justice issues. > Interagency Workgroup: EPA will lead the interagency workgroup under Executive Order 12898 to facilitate federal coordination of environmental justice activities, particularly research, data collection, outreach, and interagency model projects. Data Collection and Analysis: EPA will use currently available data systems to collect and analyze information that can immediately support the needs of affected communities. > Identification of Communities: EPA regions, working with key outside organizations and other federal agencies, will identify affected communities or populations using general guidance developed by EPA. These criteria may include, but are not limited to: demographic, racial, and national origin makeup of a community; income levels; environmental health sensitivity; environmental exposures; past regulatory practices; and previous or ongoing interactions with the community. 3 Please refer to the Environmental Justice Action Document (working draft), April 1994, and Environmental Justice initiatives 1993, USEPA200-R-93-001, for additional activities currently underway. July, 1994 15 ------- Chapter 2 Agency-wide Strategic Plan * Consumption Patterns: EPA will recalculate human health criteria using more appropriate patterns for fish and wildlife subsistence consumption rates. > Risk Assessments: EPA will evaluate current risk assessment methodologies, including multiple and cumulative exposures or synergistic effects, as they relate to affected communities. > Information Resource Management Strategy: EPA will develop an information resource management strategy that sets out Agency policy on facility/location data, standardization of shared databases, and identification of data needs/gaps, especially with regard to baseline data for health, demographic, and socio-economic data. Enforcement, Inspections, and Compliance Monitoring: EPA will give prominent attention to environmental justice issues through compliance analysis and targeted data analysis of communities exposed to multiple environmental risks, enforcement initiatives, Title VI implementation, and review and enforcement of other federal agencies' proposals under the National Environmental Policy Act and Section 309 of the Clean Air Act. *- Targeted Enforcement: EPA will target affected communities and populations for enforcement and compliance assurance activities, and utilize multi-media enforcement and supplemental environmental projects, where appropriate. ** Enforcement Initiatives: EPA will develop a range of enforcement initiatives, affecting minority populations, low-income rural and urban populations, and Native American populations (especially in accordance with the EPA Indian Policy). +* Title VI: EPA will develop a strategy to improve its management of the non-discrimination provisions of Title VI. Partnerships, Outreach, and Communication with Stakeholders: EPA will enhance partnerships, outreach, and communication with affected communities, community organizations, other non-profit organizations, federal, tribal, state, and local governments, academic institutions, businesses, and industry . > National Advisory Committee: EPA will work through the National Environmental Justice Advisory Committee and subcommittees to identify the needs of particular populations and facilitate communication and outreach among affected stakeholders. > Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS): EPA will actively pursue opportunities to create a meaningful partnership with the new CNCS to achieve all environmental justice goals. Specifically EPA will make every effort to utilize CNCS resources, employees, participants, and volunteers to facilitate EPA's environmental justice programs, policies, and projects. Ensure Training and Access to Information and Education: Environmental information must be readily available and understandable by the public. > Minority Academic Institutions: EPA will continue and expand its ongoing efforts to promote environmental education programs with historically black colleges and universities, the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities, and tribal colleges. 16 July, 1994 ------- Agency-wide Strategic Plan Chapter 2 > Community-based Access to Information: EPA will target minority, low-income, and Native American communities to provide the educational tools they need to assist them in: Understanding environmental and human health risks; Understanding their public participation rights; Reducing environmental risks in their communities; and Making informed decisions about environmental programs in their communities. July, 1994 17 ------- Chapter 2 Agency-wide Strategic Plan 3. POLLUTION PREVENTION THE IMPORTANCE OF POLLUTION PREVENTION The Agency, and the nation as a whole, focus most of their efforts on solving environmental problems long after they have been created when solutions are more likely to be costly and less likely to be effective. Yet pollution prevention anticipating problems and stopping them before they occur is far more cost-effective and protective of the environment. Consequently, pollution prevention should be the strategy of choice in all that the Agency does. OBJECTIVES During the next five years, EPA will lead the nation in reorienting efforts to reduce and eliminate pollution at the source. Pollution prevention will be the first strategy considered for all programs at EPA. STRATEGIES The Agency will work to prevent pollution by: 1) Incorporating multi-media prevention principles into the Agency's mainstream environmental programs; 2) Strengthening partnerships with state, tribal, and local governments; 3) Developing new cooperative efforts with the private sector; 4) Promoting prevention with other federal agencies; 5) Providing information to the public; 6) Encouraging technological innovation and diffusion; and 7) Working to change existing environmental legislation, where necessary. MEASURES OF PROGRESS There are four complementary ways to measure progress in pollution prevention: measures of Agency activity, measures of state activity, measures of activity undertaken by the regulated community and the public, and measures of environmental improvements that result from pollution prevention. Agency Activity: As the Agency reorients its efforts toward prevention, it will move beyond measuring resource commitments and identify specific activity measures, for example: * The number and environmental value of Supplemental Environmental Projects (SEPs), permits, and regulations that include prevention approaches; and 18 July, 1994 ------- Agency-wide Strategic Plan Chapter 2 * More qualitative measures of progress, such as the identification of pollution prevention options in the development of all major program and regional strategies, and changes in requirements governing state programs. State Activity: The states have been at the forefront of pollution prevention outreach and experimentation. Possible measures of progress by states will include: >- The amount of grant funds redirected through flexibility agreements to pollution prevention efforts; > Changes in base operations such as permitting, inspections, and enforcement settlements that encourage pollution prevention; and *- Direct outreach to the regulated community and the public through workshops and facility visits that promote pollution prevention. Activity of the Regulated Community and Public: Progress will be measured by assessing the adoption of pollution prevention approaches in the private sector, including: * The number of facilities that enroll in Agency-sponsored voluntary programs; > Voluntary changes in industry and consumer behavior, such as the development of prevention plans, the development of prevention technologies, and the marketing of environmentally preferable products; and ^ Pollution prevention planning and implementation among federal and state agencies. Toward Environmental Results: Reductions in the volume and toxicity of pollutants generated will be measured across the entire range of programs that the Agency administers. While the Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) is EPA's most visible measure, TRI can be complemented with information from other environmental programs to create a more complete picture of releases from facilities. The Agency also will develop better methods for evaluating the effectiveness of particular prevention approaches and better methods for showing how prevention contributes to environmental results. KEY ACTIVITIES The Agency is pursuing innovative pollution prevention approaches throughout the regions and programs in support of its objectives. Mainstream Programs: EPA will expand all its compliance tools regulations, permitting, inspections, and enforcement to explicitly promote prevention. > Common Sense Initiative: Focusing on selected industry sectors, EPA will create cross-Agency teams to identify and implement environmental management solutions that provide greater environmental benefits at reduced compliance cost. > Regulations and Permitting: EPA will incorporate pollution prevention into ongoing activities, including effluent guidelines, Most Available Control Technology (MACT) standards, and permitting under the Clean Air Act and Clean Water Act. July, 1994 19 ------- Chapter 2 ^ Agency-wide Strategic Plan > Compliance and Enforcement: EPA will develop auditing policies that encourage consideration of pollution prevention by private parties conducting environmental audits and exploring facility-wide pollution prevention options during the settlement process, both as injunctive relief and as Supplemental Environmental Projects. State, Tribal, and Local Partnerships: EPA will support state, tribal, and local efforts to reorient ongoing activities to promote prevention, consistent with the goal of building prevention into mainstream environmental protection programs. > Resources: EPA will provide states and tribes with more flexibility in administering federal programs. For example, Region 10 is working with the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation to direct state grant funds to multi-media pollution prevention projects. The State Pollution Prevention Office received three percent of the program grant resources in the first year, and four percent in the second year. The goal for the third year is five percent. * Innovation: EPA will support innovation at all levels. The Agency will strengthen its support for compliance assistance and other forms of technical assistance at the state, tribal, and local level, and not simply channel resources into support of traditional regulatory programs. > Flexibility: EPA will reassess the required state commitments to federal programs if these commitments interfere with pollution prevention. Private Partnerships: EPA is initiating voluntary programs in all environmental media to complement its traditional regulatory programs. In implementing these programs, EPA will work to better integrate delivery systems, avoid multi-media tradeoffs, and focus on customer needs. > Common Sense Initiative: EPA will work with industry, environmental groups, states, tribes, and local governments to identify and encourage regulatory flexibility and innovative nonregulatory approaches that enhance environmental protection while reducing compliance costs for selected industries. EPA plans to expand the program beyond the pilot industries in the future. * Coordinated Voluntary Progi-ams: EPA will explore the feasibility of concurrently marketing its various voluntary programs to particular businesses and facilities. > MERIT Partnership: Region 9, for example, will continue to support the MERIT (Mutual Efforts to Reduce Industrial Toxics) partnership, involving industry, federal, state, and local governments, with the goal of reducing toxic emissions in southwest Los Angeles County. Federal Partnerships: Federal partnerships extend across a wide range of federal activities in management of government facilities, in acquisition, and in developing new cooperative arrangements for working with the private sector. * Facilities: Executive Order 12856 establishes a framework for federal management of its own facilities; it requires TRI reporting, goals for reducing releases and off-site transfers, and pollution prevention plans. Source reduction is the preferred approach for attaining these reductions. 20 July, 1994 ------- Agency-wide Strategic Plan Chapter 2 +- Acquisition: Executive Order 12856 requires plans and goals for eliminating or reducing the unnecessary acquisition of products containing extremely hazardous substances or toxic chemicals, and Executive Order 12873 mandates EPA to develop guidance for other federal agencies to use in acquiring environmentally preferable products. > Cooperative Ventures: The President's Climate Change Action Plan establishes energy efficiency programs that are implemented jointly by the Department of Energy and EPA. EPA has signed cooperative agreements with the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Manufacturing Extension Partnership, and with the Small Business Administration (SBA). The NIST agreement will increase its capacity for bringing innovative pollution prevention technologies and technical assistance to small and medium-sized manufacturers, and the SBA partnership will help SBA provide technical assistance and assess various financial mechanisms that support prevention technology. The Agency for International Development-funded Environmental Pollution Prevention Project helps EPA foster pollution prevention through specific projects all over the world. Public Information and the Right to Know: Information is a tool for both the public and industry. It fosters more knowledgeable advocacy by the public, better understanding of opportunities to reduce waste and improve efficiency, and advances in professional expertise that can inform consumer, citizen, and corporate decisionmaking. +- Facility Data Base: EPA will support the development of a facility database that will consolidate all the information developed under EPA, state, and tribal programs concerning pollutants and releases from a particular facility. * Environmental Justice: EPA will embark on a new effort to provide grants to strengthen the capacity of minority and low-income communities to use environmental information to advance pollution prevention. > Education: Region 1, for example, will support the Pollution Prevention Consortium of New England Universities, which includes 11 member universities with a mission of facilitating joint pollution prevention research, education, and training projects. Technological Innovation and Diffusion: In addition to promoting technology as an adjunct to specific regulatory or response activity, EPA will promote good design and clean technology to reduce pollution overall. > Environmental Technology Initiative (ETI): ETI funds research and demonstration projects, technology diffusion activities, and the assessment of regulatory barriers to the adoption of prevention technologies. Through ETI, Office Research Development is focusing nearly $5 million in research and technical assistance on the metal fabrication industry, which is dominated by small businesses. Future funding will be focused on industries participating in EPA's Common Sense Initiative. ** Regulatory Barriers: EPA will work to eliminate barriers to the adoption of prevention technologies that are caused by the regulatory process, and it will investigate opportunities to allow industry to coordinate regulatory compliance with capital development cycles. July, 1994 21 ------- Chapter 2 Agency-wide Strategic Plan ^ Green chemistry: The Design for the Environment program will continue to foster a "green chemistry" ethic that encourages industry to avoid the generation of toxic waste when synthesizing chemicals. Legislation: EPA will work to reorient fundamental statutory mandates toward prevention, particularly in the Clean Water Act, the Safe Drinking Water Act, food safety and pesticide legislation, and environmental technology legislation. > Coordination: Potential changes include both substantive provisions that can advance prevention, and efforts to help align specific federal, state, and tribal activities under these statutes. Better coordination of activities under different environmental statutes can encourage prevention, rather than shifting waste from one environmental medium to the next, and provide industry with opportunities to identify, implement, and finance prevention alternatives to end-of-pipe treatment. For example, EPA will promote the coordination of permitting activities under different environmental statutes. * Superfund: The Agency will work to promote settlements and preserve liability through the Superfund reauthorization process. Liability has been a major incentive for pollution prevention, since industry realizes that the surest way to avoid future liability is to avoid generating wastes in the first place. 22 July, 1994 ------- Agency-wide Strategic Plan Chapter 2 4. STRONG SCIENCE AND DATA THE IMPORTANCE OF SCIENCE AND DATA Sound science and data provide the foundation for EPA's environmental protection programs. Science helps the Agency understand the processes and practices that cause pollution, evaluate the risks that pollution poses to humans and ecosystems, and develop technologies and policies to prevent or mitigate risks. What are the best ways to protect and restore the necessary functions of whole ecosystems? What harmful pollutants are people exposed to, and how can they be reduced? What technologies and other tools can be used to prevent pollution? How can people receive information and be motivated to adopt environmentally sound practices? These and other questions must be answered in order to develop and implement effective environmental policies. Through the turn of the century, strong science and data will continue to be critical to the environmental community. Without the ability to access and integrate data and information from a variety of sources, advances in scientific understanding would be limited. OBJECTIVES EPA will seek to: > Ensure that the Nation's environmental policies are based on the best science and information available, drawing on expertise in EPA, other federal agencies, and the larger scientific community; > Expand its scientific capability to study environmental problems, evaluate trends in environmental quality, and identify and analyze emerging environmental issues. EPA is targeting 50% of its research resources toward long-term research efforts; > Improve the environmental information infrastructure to ensure that people both inside and outside EPA have access to timely, meaningful information; and > Lead in the development of environmental technologies, methods for environmental monitoring, methodologies for assessing risks to human health and ecosystems, and innovative policy tools to enhance environmental quality. STRATEGIES EPA will strengthen science and data by: 1) Promoting scientific excellence in the physical, biological, engineering, and social sciences to assure sound EPA decisions; 2) Ensuring that environmental data are accessible and useful to policy-makers, scientists, and the public; 3) Measuring environmental progress, and using the results to improve environmental protection programs; July, 1994 23 ------- Chapter 2 Agency-wide Strategic Plan 4) Guiding creation of a national and international environmental research agenda; 5) Emphasizing research that reduces uncertainties associated with risk assessment and improves the tools for managing environmental problems. 6) Expanding partnerships with the scientific community, other agencies, and the public, including expansion of funding for competitive research grants; and 7) Creating opportunities for scientific and technical achievement at EPA. MEASURES OF PROGRESS EPA demonstrates clear reliance on established scientific and technical data and analyses, with clear distinctions between science and policy components in risk management decisions and in documenting improved environmental quality. Interaction with the scientific community improves, as evidenced by open and participatory research agenda-setting, peer review, interagency research coordination, and wide-spread acceptance of science-based decisions. There is enhanced peer recognition of EPA scientists from all disciplines by the external scientific and technical community. EPA increases the percentage of its research budget dedicated to long-term research, including a significant expansion of competitive, extramural research grants. KEY ACTIVITIES Scientific Excellence to Assure Sound EPA Decisions: Environmental policy relies on informed and responsible interpretation and use of data from the physical, biological, engineering, and social sciences. EPA's analyses will be consistent with standard scientific principles and with established Agency guidance. EPA will strengthen the guidelines and policies that govern how scientific, economic, and other technical information are presented and incorporated into the decisionmaking process. In both scientific research and regulatory development, EPA will strive for consistent implementation of Agency policies for quality assurance and peer review, and provide information and analyses for use in environmental policy decisions across the federal government. >- Peer Review Program: To ensure that rigorous analyses underlie policies and regulations, EPA will expand the peer review process throughout the Agency to include independent, expert review of: EPA's major scientific and technical products; proposals to EPA for extramural funds; and the research programs in EPA laboratories. > Risk Assessments and Guidelines: EPA will work with the scientific community to improve health and ecological risk assessments and develop guidelines to promote consistency within EPA and among federal agencies. EPA will focus on improving risk characterization how we present the results of risk assessments by discussing in full the predictions, limitations, and uncertainties of the assessments. EPA will begin developing methods and guidance for assessing cumulative risks from multiple sources 24 July, 1994 ------- Agency-wide Strategic Plan Chapter 2 and through multiple pathways. Also, EPA will refine its techniques for conducting comparative risk analyses to rank environmental problems by their relative risks. * Risk Assessment Information: EPA will improve its effects and exposure information (e.g., the Integrated Risk Information System) by setting priorities for data development, enhancing quality control and other operating procedures, and conducting peer review. Environmental Data: EPA will spearhead efforts to share environmental data more widely among federal agencies and other organizations. The Agency will improve its own information infrastructure, so that EPA personnel, EPA's partners, and the public will have access to timely, meaningful scientific information for decisions. > Access to Environmental Data: EPA's partners will have access to all types of information to strengthen their critical efforts to protect the environment. All types of information will be distributed in multiple formats. + Information Highway: EPA will complete its internal data pike and establish links to external sources to ensure that staff and partners have access to needed information. * Data Quality: EPA will implement data standards so that information from various sources can be integrated easily to support comprehensive assessment and decisionmaking. In making databases available to users, EPA will include descriptive elements, such as the original purpose, source, and limitations of the information. > Measurement Methods: Recognizing the need of its clients for cost-effective and reliable methods for environmental monitoring, EPA will establish a unified process among its laboratories for developing and validating analytical methods. Measure Environmental Progress: EPA will work with other agencies to establish the databases that will permit us to measure improvements in environmental quality, and use the results to improve environmental decisionmaking. * Environmental Goals: EPA will set environmental goals against which progress will be measured. EPA will work with agencies across the federal government to develop indicators for measuring progress towards these goals. > Monitoring and Assessment of Ecosystems: EPA will develop ecological indicators and a statistical sampling approach that can be used to monitor and assess trends in the health of the nation's ecosystems. EPA will use the trend information to gauge the effectiveness of environmental protection programs. * Assessing Human Exposure: EPA will develop reliable data on the exposure of the U.S. population to pollutants so that EPA can more accurately describe actual environmental health risks. To test methodologies, EPA will conduct pilot studies on the general population and special studies on sub-populations that may be more exposed. > Geographic Information Systems: EPA will expand the use of geographic information systems (GIS) to integrate environmental information in a form useful for "place-based" decisionmaking. National and International Environmental Research Agenda: EPA alone cannot identify emerging issues and generate the knowledge needed to solve domestic and international July, 1994 25 ------- Chapter 2 ^ Agency-wide Strategic Plan environmental problems. But, as the primary U.S. environmental agency, EPA will form partnerships with other federal agencies, organizations, universities, and countries that conduct research, monitor the environment, assess environmental problems, and reduce risks. Within the large constellation of federal research, EPA must define its role by identifying what research and data collection it does best. In other areas, the Agency must take a leadership role to ensure that research conducted by others addresses environmental policy needs. > Environmental Research Agenda: EPA will work with other federal agencies to develop a coordinated environmental research agenda that will address both current and emerging environmental issues through the President's Science and Technology Council. EPA's Research Program: Faced with increasingly complex environmental problems, EPA needs a research program that will increase substantially our understanding of current environmental problems and provide early warning of tomorrow's problems. We will achieve this by: > Setting Research Priorities: EPA will institute a new planning process that will allow for strategic decision making on research priorities at the senior management level. The Agency also will target research to areas that will reduce uncertainty in risk assessment and facilitate risk management. > Balancing Long-Term and Short-Term Research: EPA will commit 50 percent of its research resources to support a stable, long-term research program, while committing the other 50 percent to support regulation and policy development and implementation by program and regional offices. > Streamlining Organizational Structures: EPA will reorganize its research laboratories to maximize the effectiveness of research and technical support programs. Important areas for research include: * Ecosystems research to understand, prevent and remediate damage to ecosystems occurring at local, regional, and global levels; * Risk assessment research to improve methods for understanding and predicting the effects of pollutants, particularly how humans are exposed to pollutants and the impacts of cumulative exposures, and for assessing ecological risks. * New, more cost-effective technologies to both prevent and control pollution; and > Social sciences research to provide a better understanding of how humans are motivated and make decisions that affect the environment, and to develop methodologies integrating scientific assessments and economic analyses to better estimate the real costs and benefits of environmental protection. As a first step, EPA will update and implement the Social Science Research Agenda, issued in draft in 1991. Expand Partnerships with the Scientific Community, Other Agencies, and the Public: EPA will involve the nation's scientific experts in solving environmental problems. The Agency will pursue opportunities to exchange scientific personnel with other scientific and technical organizations in order to broaden perspectives and experience. EPA also will expand efforts to improve environmental literacy by working with the educational community on programs for 26 July, 1994 ------- Agency-wide Strategic Plan Chapter 2 grades K-12. The agency will seek to support undergraduate and graduate programs at colleges and universities to train the next generation of environmental scientists and engineers. * Research Grants: EPA will expand its program for competitive, peer-reviewed, investigator-initiated research grants for the academic and not-for-profit scientific community, with a target of $100 million annually. > Environmental Science Careers: The Agency will establish a graduate fellowship program to train young scientists and engineers. EPA also will expand its assistance to minorities pursuing environmental science careers by sponsoring programs at undergraduate and graduate levels at historically black colleges and universities and other minority institutions. > Outreach Programs: EPA will begin new outreach programs to build science capabilities at the state, tribal, and regional level. * Partnerships: EPA will initiate cost-shared partnerships with public and private sector organizations to enlarge the knowledge base. Opportunities for Scientific and Technical Achievement: The strength of EPA science and data depends on the quality of its scientists and their supporting infrastructure. EPA will strive to ensure that scientists stay current in their fields of expertise by providing opportunities for advanced training, rotational assignments, and active participation in scientific conferences. EPA will work to provide scientists with resources for state-of-the-art facilities (including laboratories, information systems, and equipment) needed to improve the scientific knowledge base. Scientific achievements within the Agency will be recognized and rewarded. > Internal Research Awards: EPA will institute a program to award Agency scientists with research grants through a competitive, peer-reviewed process, similar to the external grants program. > Science Career Tracks: Building on the experience of the Office of Research and Development, EPA will establish science career tracks throughout the Agency to provide all scientists with promotional opportunities based on their scientific achievements. July, 1994 27 ------- Chapter 2 Agency-wide Strategic Plan 5. PARTNERSHIPS THE IMPORTANCE OF PARTNERSHIPS Since the inception of EPA over 20 years ago, the nature of environmental protection has become increasingly complex. It has become clear that all stakeholders must work together better to further the nation's environmental goals. EPA's partners in this task include Congress, other federal agencies, state governments, tribal governments,, local governments international partners, the private sector, and the general public. One of EPA's principal tasks over the next five years will be to help its partners carry out their responsibilities, working together to define respective roles. EPA will listen and be responsive, and it will work with its partners to develop and implement more innovative, effective, and efficient approaches to environmental protection and sustainable development. It also will weigh carefully the burdens environmental controls can impose on the economy and society at large. The partnerships section will begin by laying out objectives and strategies common to relations with all of EPA's partners; these will be followed by specific sections for each group of partners that has been identified. COMMON OBJECTIVES Over the next five years, EPA expects to: > Focus partnerships on environmental results. * Ensure that the goals and efforts of the different members of the environmental community are consistent and compatible. ^ Enhance the capacity of partners, especially tribes and small and medium-sized businesses or governments, so they better define and meet their environmental goals. COMMON STRATEGIES 1) Implement EPA's National Performance Review recommendations to "reinvent" the way EPA does business with its partners (i. e., promote risk-based priority setting, develop alternative management approaches, establish a new spirit of collaboration, simplify environmental rules and regulations, and build an infrastructure for the future). 2) Foster independent partnerships between other entities. 3) Improve grants policy, process, and flexibility. 4) Reduce transactional costs between EPA and its partners. 5) Ensure EPA regulatory and policy activities involve partners early on in the process. 6) Improve communications and data sharing among all partners (e.g., computer bulletin boards, network data transfer). 28 July, 1994 ------- Agency-wide Strategic Plan Chapter 2 FEDERAL PARTNERSHIPS THE IMPORTANCE OF FEDERAL PARTNERSHIPS Many of the best opportunities to protect the environment come from partnerships with other federal agencies. Over the next five years, EPA expects to work closely with other agencies, in particular the Departments of Energy, Transportation, and Agriculture. In addition, EPA will work with other federal agencies to support EPA's own mission, such as environmental data collection and enforcement. EPA will work with Congress to develop and improve the body of statutes and regulations that define the nation's environmental responsibilities. OBJECTIVES Establish a shared federal commitment to environmental protection and pollution prevention. Build science partnerships to enhance the quality of science and leverage resources. Promote innovative, comprehensive approaches to environmental compliance at federal facilities. STRATEGIES 1) Implement Executive Orders on "Pollution Prevention and Right-To-Know in the Government" and "Federal Acquisition, Recycling, and Waste Prevention. " 2) Enhance efficiency by coordinating environmental management on Indian lands. 3) Increase awareness within EPA of the social and environmental impacts of other agencies. 4) Promote innovative, comprehensive approaches to environmental compliance across the federal government. MEASURES OF PROGRESS Agencies routinely consider the environment in setting policies. Increased communication/information sharing with other agencies. Reduced environmental risk from federal facility activities. KEY ACTIVITIES Increase joint grant programs and interagency personnel exchange opportunities. Implement environmental training for other agencies, and train EPA staff about other agencies. Involve other agencies in implementing the Environmental Technology Initiative. July, 1994 29 ------- Chapter 2 Agency-wide Strategic Plan Implement the Federal Technology Transfer Act agreements. Assist federal agencies to develop and maintain a federal recycling program. Expand work with other agencies on common activities, such as facility permitting, emergency response to accidents, and waste and spill cleanups. STATE GOVERNMENT PARTNERSHIPS THE IMPORTANCE OF STATE GOVERNMENT PARTNERSHIPS The concept that states should hold primary responsibility for the implementation of regulatory and enforcement programs is inherent in most federal environmental statutes. EPA recognizes the co-management role of the states, as reflected in the Joint Policy Statement on EPA/State Relations, and the recommendations of the National Performance Review and the State/EPA Task Force Report on Strengthening Environmental Management in the United States. OBJECTIVES Realign EPA/state relationships, recognizing that states are co-managers with shared but differentiated responsibilities. Strengthen state involvement in national environmental management decisions. Increase the flexibility of funding available to the states, both within and across media. Reform the EPA/state oversight relationship with increased emphasis on environmental results, compliance, and capacity building. STRATEGIES 1) Establish new mechanisms for involving states in EPA's planning, priority-setting, legislative reauthorization, and regulatory development processes. 2) Promote the exchange of information and experience among states. 3) Promote understanding and use of alternative finance mechanisms for funding state environmental programs. MEASURES OF PROGRESS State issues and concerns are addressed effectively in the regulatory and policy development processes. Results of program implementation pilots are evaluated and translated into routine program design and implementation. 30 July, 1994 ------- Agency-wide Strategic Plan Chapter 2 All senior environmental officials (state and EPA) have access to key environmental information and communication systems (databases, email). KEY ACTIVITIES Enhance the consideration of state/local/tribal issues in the regulatory development process (described under Executive Orders 12866 and 12875). Promote state-to-state exchange of information and experience through conferences, roundtable discussions, newsletters, and other mechanisms. Establish and encourage use of an electronic mail link between state and EPA senior managers to promote improved communications. Develop and implement a joint strategy to improve state grant flexibility. Implement the recommendations of the National Performance Review, such as promoting and evaluating alternative program management pilots in several states. Revitalize training and technical assistance to improve program performance continually. LOCAL GOVERNMENT PARTNERSHIPS THE IMPORTANCE OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT PARTNERSHIPS Local governments are the "front line" of environmental protection, the level of government where federal and state laws and regulations are implemented. OBJECTIVES Clarify and strengthen the role and involvement of local governments in environmental policy and regulatory activities. Involve local government in equitable, effective partnerships with their state and federal counterparts. STRATEGIES 1) Develop new and improved methods of communication with local governments and with their various associations and related interest groups. 2) Create opportunities to establish working partnerships among local, state, and federal levels of government. 3) Provide enhanced flexibility to local governments to improve their capacity for environmental protection responsibilities. July, 1994 31 ------- Chapter 2 Agency-wide Strategic Plan MEASURES OF PROGRESS Local governments have the necessary resources and capacity to carry our their environmental protection responsibilities. An improved communication structure results in better cooperation and understanding among governmental partners. KEY ACTIVITIES Establish a local government advisory group to provide advice to the Agency on local government issues. Establish a Small Town Task Force to carry out the mandates of the Small Town Environmental Planning Act. Establish an intra-agency Local Government Coordinating Team. Define and improve as necessary the Agency's local government database. Identify and share successful innovative local government efforts. Identify the proper role and involvement of local governments in EPA policy and regulatory activities. TRIBAL GOVERNMENT PARTNERSHIPS THE IMPORTANCE OF TRIBAL GOVERNMENT PARTNERSHIPS Since 1984, EPA has had a formal Indian Policy that recognizes the government-to-government relationship between tribes and EPA, and endorses the full participation of tribes as co-managers and co-implementers of environmental programs. The Administrator reaffirmed this policy in early 1994. Since then, President Clinton has directed all federal agencies to work on a government-to-government basis with tribes and to remove any barriers to a successful relationship on these terms. As tribes move toward greater self-determination, environmental management and regulation can be among the most important governmental functions to be assumed by tribes. Many tribes are assuming responsibility for implementing environmental programs over the coming years but EPA's financial and technical support will be needed to assure success. For tribes that are not ready to accept program authorization, EPA has a continuing responsibility to implement its programs in partnership with the tribes on tribal lands. This responsibility is based on provisions of environmental statutes as well as the federal trust responsibility derived from the U.S. Constitution, treaties, and historical interaction with the tribes. 32 July, 1994 ------- Agency-wide Strategic Plan Chapter 2 OBJECTIVES Assure that tribes are primary managers of their environmental resources to the maximum extent possible. Strengthen tribal involvement in national environmental policy decisions. Assure adequate protection of health and the environment on tribal lands through full and effective direct implementation of programs by EPA where needed. STRATEGIES 1) Increase funding for tribal capacity and infrastructure development. 2) Increase EPA program office and regional office emphasis on support to tribal environmental programs. 3) Direct implementation of federal environmental programs on tribal lands when tribes are not able to assume program authorizations. MEASURES OF PROGRESS More program authorizations to tribal governments. Positive feedback from the tribes regarding their involvement in the Agency's policy and planning decisions. More programs implemented by EPA to provide for unmet needs on tribal lands. KEY ACTIVITIES Meet with tribes to discuss their specific environmental needs and how best to address them. Help build tribal capacity by providing needed technical expertise, increased funding and grant flexibility, and general administrative support. Consult with the tribes, as co-managers, at the start of national and regional policy and planning processes. INTERNATIONAL PARTNERSHIPS THE IMPORTANCE OF INTERNATIONAL PARTNERSHIPS The Administration recognizes the interrelationship between the nation's environmental foreign policy and international economic and social goals, and it is committed to a more active U.S. role in protecting the global environment. EPA will foster partnerships among other nations and multilateral institutions with a particular emphasis on joint problem solving and capacity building. July, 1994 33 ------- Chapter 2 Agency-wide Strategic Plan OBJECTIVES EPA plays a leadership role both within the U.S. government and internationally in achieving the President's vision for the global environment. International considerations permeate EPA's programs and objectives. STRATEGIES 1) Form effective partnerships with foreign governments and international organizations to address common environmental problems. 2) Reach out to non-government organizations and other stakeholders to promote the goals of sustainable development. 3) Ensure close policy and programmatic coordination among EPA programs and regions. 4) Build environmental management, monitoring, and enforcement capabilities throughout the world. 5) Promote enforcement cooperation and technical assistance in North America and other selected areas in support of Administration priorities to integrate trade and environmental protection. Seek new opportunities for additional efforts. 6) Enhance EPA technical assistance and capacity building programs for the most ecologically fragile and economically disadvantaged regions of the world. MEASURES OF PROGRESS Reduction in global and transboundary environmental problems affecting the United States. Environmental activities promote broader national objectives on foreign policy, competitiveness and trade, and international economic and social development. International cooperation widely recognized as an integral component of EPA's ability to fulfill its domestic environmental mandate. KEY ACTIVITIES Use bilateral and multilateral programs to foster international coordination of policy and exchange of information on legislation, science, management, etc. Review and influence lending policies and practices of multilateral development banks and others, in relation to environmental concerns and projects. Work with other agencies and Congress to develop and implement international agreements on climate change, ozone depletion, marine and polar contamination, the loss of forests and biological diversity, and the transboundary movement of hazardous waste. Support access to international electronic communication. 34 July, 1994 ------- Agency-wide Strategic Plan Chapter 2 Promote international partnerships that promote the safe handling of toxic chemicals through research and in cooperation with United Nations organizations. PRIVATE SECTOR AND GENERAL PUBLIC PARTNERSHIP THE IMPORTANCE OF PRIVATE SECTOR AND GENERAL PUBLIC PARTNERSHIPS Among EPA's most important partners are the private sector and members of the general public, because their actions most directly affect the environment. The nation can achieve the environmental goals only when all levels of society understand how decisions by individuals and businesses can affect the environment, especially at the local level. When developing and implementing regulations, EPA must be especially aware of the needs of small and medium-sized businesses, since many of them are affected disproportionately by compliance costs that may discourage innovation (see the Pollution Prevention section). OBJECTIVES Informed public awareness of their impacts on the environment, and informed involvement in environmental decisionmaking. Informed regulated private sector and public community increasingly leads environmental protection effort. Lower societal costs for compliance. STRATEGIES 1) Use "Common Sense Initiative" sector programs to bring stakeholders together to develop integrated multi-media strategies that improve environmental performance and reduce compliance costs through "cleaner, cheaper, smarter" solutions. 2) Increase environmental education efforts. 3) Improve public access to and understanding of environmental information and progress. Take advantage of growing public access to "Information Highway" networks. 4) Work with regulated community on regulatory and permitting options and flexibility. 5) Work with industry on environmental technology initiatives to promote development and marketing of cheaper, cleaner, and smarter new or alternative technologies. 6) Encourage top-level communication between government leaders and industry, the public, and key stakeholder groups, especially in early stages of environmental decisionmaking in localities. 7) Increase emphasis on nontraditional programs such as the Common Sense Initiative and the "33/50" program, and find and expand new approaches to build upon success. July, 1994 35 ------- Chapter 2 ^ Agency-wide Strategic Plan 8) Look for appropriate opportunities to use regulation negotiation and other consensus-building activities with the private sector. MEASURES OF PROGRESS Improved citizen or industry poll results; broader agreement about EPA priorities. Environmental decisions are made faster, more smoothly, and with greater public understanding. Businesses increase their involvement in voluntary pollution prevention programs and activities. More innovative environmental technologies available in the marketplace and in use by industry. Common Sense Initiative approach increases beyond pilot industries. KEY ACTIVITIES Promote cooperative ventures such as Design for the Environment, the Common Sense Initiative programs, the Water Alliances for Voluntary Efficiency (WAVE), and "WasteWi$e." Make environmental data more accessible to states and citizens. Augment education and outreach to professional groups. Expand widely accessible pollution prevention information. Form research consortia with industry for key areas. Improve local preparedness for accidents and develop voluntary underground storage tank standards. 36 July, 1994 ------- Agency-wide Strategic Plan Chapter 2 6. REINVENTING EPA MANAGEMENT THE IMPORTANCE OF REINVENTING EPA MANAGEMENT During few times in the history of the federal government has the climate been as receptive to change as it is now. EPA has embraced this opportunity to explore the way it does business and to make changes for the better. The Agency realizes that to achieve its goals, it must be totally committed to reinventing its management systems and processes so that there is renewed and continual emphasis on quality, efficiency, and integrity. OBJECTIVES EPA is striving to become one of the best managed agencies in the federal government. The Agency is reinventing its management culture to ensure the most effective use of its people, programs, and resources in achieving the nation's environmental goals. EPA will carry out its work in a way that best serves the American people and retains the public trust in its stewardship responsibilities. At the same time, the Agency will invest in its people to help them understand their new roles and to equip them with the tools they need to do their jobs well. EPA seeks to promote and achieve: * Organizational changes that support customer oriented, results-driven approaches that allow the Agency to work more quickly, more flexibly, and more responsively; >- More effective stewardship and resource management to reassure the public of the integrity of all of EPA's programs, activities, and information; * Empowered employees who have the decisionmaking authority, accountability, knowledge, and ability to achieve quality results, thus enabling EPA to boost its employee-supervisor ratio while accomplishing its work effectively and efficiently; *- Streamlined and re-aligned services, systems, and processes to better support EPA's environmental mission and meet customer needs; *" Greater involvement of state, tribal, and local governments in development of management strategies early in the process; * Partnerships among EPA staff, unions, and external customers and stakeholders to ensure open, collegia!, and participatory interaction; and ^r Increased cultural diversity of EPA's workforce with development opportunities for future career growth potential. STRATEGIES EPA's senior leadership will set a clear direction for the Agency by establishing policies to bring about this cultural change. They will articulate how the many elements of reinvention such as corporate decisionmaking; focus on results; streamlining; employee empowerment and July, 1994 37 ------- Chapter 2 Agency-wide Strategic Plan accountability; management and financial integrity; improved customer service; labor-management cooperation; and cultural diversity in all levels of the workforce fit together in their respective programs and functions. In employing this guiding principle as they carry out the goals for their programs and functions, EPA managers will: 1) Implement National Program Review (NPR) recommendations and streamline their processes to realize management improvements and resource savings, and reinvest these savings within the Agency; 2) Make full use of advanced technologies to cut costs, boost productivity, enhance communications, and speed the flow of information; 3) Integrate processes for planning, budgeting, financial management, management controls, and program evaluation so that they are useful tools in managing environmental programs to achieve results; 4) Measure performance to assess whether EPA programs and activities are achieving their intended results, and to comply with the Government Performance and Results Act of 1993 and the Chief Financial Officers Act of 1990; 5) Identify EPA's primary customers and their needs, define and set customer service standards, evaluate Agency performance, and achieve greater customer satisfaction; and 6) Increase mentoring, rotational, training/re-training, and team-participation opportunities, and Intergovernmental Personnel Act (IPA) assignments and other tools to foster employee learning and growth. MEASURES OF PROGRESS ** Employee-supervisor ratio at EPA raised from 5:1 to 11:1. ^ Speedier and better services to be more responsive to Agency customers. * More positive commentary from Congress and the media about EPA's management practices, and indications of greater trust in the Agency's management of its programs and resources. > Increased interactions among EPA staff, unions and stakeholders and greater reliance on their feedback in Agency planning and decisionmaking activities. > Increased number of hirings and promotions of culturally diverse employees in the Agency, especially in management positions. KEY ACTIVITIES ** Form an EPA management committee to condense and refine EPA's management priorities and oversee their implementation. * Implement the Executive Order on streamlining and the EPA streamlining plan; finalize and implement headquarters and regional office plans. 38 July, 1994 ------- Agency-wide Strategic Plan Chapter 2 * Implement EPA's FY 1993-97 Financial Management Status Report and Five-Year Plan and carry out long-term planned actions described in the Agency's Integrity Act Report. > Follow through on commitments to improve extramural resource management. > Implement EPA's FY 1993-97 Information Resources Management Strategic Plan, Managing Our Information Resources: the "Common Currency" of EPA's Approach to Environmental Management. > Implement the EPA Indian policy, adopted on November 8, 1984, and formally reaffirmed by the Administrator on March 14, 1994; * Implement the Executive Orders on customer satisfaction, regulatory development, and elimination of internal regulations. > Implement the Executive Order on labor-management partnerships and form an EPA partnership council to cultivate better labor-management relations, involving employees and their union representatives as full partners in managing the Agency. * Implement the Agency's affirmative employment plan for increasing diversity in the workforce. July, 1994 39 ------- Chapter 2 Agency-wide Strategic Plan 7. ENVIRONMENTAL ACCOUNTABILITY THE IMPORTANCE OF ENVIRONMENTAL ACCOUNTABILITY Effective compliance and accountability are cornerstones of environmental protection. Real public health and safety, and a clean environment, cannot be achieved without compliance with the nation's environmental laws. Enforcement is a key tool for producing compliance. It engenders responsible behavior in the regulated community, provides a level, competitive playing field, ensures that goods and services reflect their true costs, and establishes a baseline of integrity for EPA's programs. Protection and enhancement of the environment are dependent on public awareness and accountability. During the nearly 25 years of EPA's existence, the enforcement program received a wide range of administrative, civil, and criminal enforcement authorities. However, EPA's authorities are not keeping pace with the increasingly diverse and complex nature of the regulated community. More sophisticated approaches to compliance are needed to obtain maximum programmatic impact. If EPA is to achieve broad compliance, it must move beyond traditional approaches to monitoring and responding to noncompliance. To cope with its increased responsibilities, the Agency must begin to target its activities, placing more emphasis on high-risk sectors, geographic areas, ecosystems, and populations, and must leverage enforcement to achieve the maximum environmental benefit. OBJECTIVES During the next five years, EPA will utilize a combination of sector-based, multi-media, and media-specific approaches to gain compliance with the nation's environmental statutes. In doing so, the compliance assurance program will endeavor to ensure equal protection from environmental violations for all citizens. EPA will develop integrated enforcement and compliance strategies for targeting noncomplying sectors of the regulated community, sensitive ecosystems, and sensitive populations, and for fostering risked-based, multi-media, whole-facility approaches that emphasize pollution prevention and innovative compliance techniques. In addition, EPA will reach out to its partners in states, tribes, local governments, and the environmental community to amplify their capacity for obtaining and moving beyond compliance. Compliance assistance approaches will be geared to those in the regulated community with the will to comply but whose efforts are handicapped by a lack of information or sophistication. This assistance, coupled with a strong deterrence-based enforcement program, will establish the type of climate that motivates compliance, encourages innovation, and promotes prevention. By providing the information, education, and environmental data necessary to inform the public and the regulated community of their environmental responsibilities, the Agency will increase everyone's accountability for the protection and enhancement of the environment. 40 July, 1994 ------- Agency-wide Strategic Plan Chapter 2 STRATEGIES The Agency will assure the environment is protected by: 1) Promoting Compliance; 2) Ensuring Effective Enforcement; and, 3) Promoting Environmental Restoration. MEASURES OF PROGRESS To measure progress under the principle of environmental accountability, the Agency will use a number of indicators to demonstrate: 1) the implementation of the foregoing strategies; and 2) the success of those strategies in environmental terms. The measures of progress are: > Higher rates of compliance The Agency will measure compliance rates within traditional program areas and within targeted geographic or industrial sectors. * Greater public involvement in the enforcement program The Agency will measure improved interaction with the public, as evidenced by increased data-sharing, better understanding of compliance requirements, and increased citizen involvement in compliance monitoring. * Improved partnership with states, tribes, and local governments EPA will measure the increased emphasis on state, tribal, and local government concerns in compliance assurance strategies, and improved communications resulting in cooperation and understanding among government partners. > Enhanced Federal Facility Compliance EPA will measure progress through federal facilities enforcement measures, increased communication and information sharing, and more comprehensive approaches to environmental compliance. * Prioritized Site Clean-ups The Agency will measure progress through increases in timely and protective cleanups at the worst sites. ^ Risk-Reduction The Agency will measure progress by increased compliance assurance activities and targeted enforcement actions in high-risk areas. * Deterrence/Enforcement Presence EPA will track the number of enforcement activities undertaken by federal and state regulators as a measure of the message of deterrence and enforcement presence projected in the regulated community. KEY ACTIVITIES The Agency will actively promote compliance by: > Building regional, state, tribal, and local government capacity for whole-facility compliance assistance and assurance; ^ Concentrating activities in targeted high-risk sectors, ecosystems, and populations; July, 1994 41 ------- Chapter 2 Agency-wide Strategic Plan ^ Measuring compliance by sectors of the regulated community; > Enhancing and streamlining data collection, management, and utilization; * Making compliance information available to consumers and communities; +- Providing information and assistance to those in the regulated community who lack the means or information to comply; * Promoting within EPA those policies and regulations that facilitate compliance; *- Providing leadership that fosters international compliance improvements; and * Establishing the federal government as an environmental steward. The Agency will work to ensure effective enforcement by: > Building partnerships and expanding the program capacity of regional, state, tribal, and local governments; ** Developing comprehensive, multi-media enforcement approaches; * Aggressively addressing violators and responsible parties; > Publicizing enforcement to deter future violators; * Ensuring that environmental justice considerations are factored into all aspects of program implementation; ** Ensuring data integrity; + Promoting within EPA those policies and regulations that facilitate enforcement and promote accountability; and > Selecting the most appropriate enforcement response (i.e., administrative, civil judicial, or criminal enforcement) to address any given violation. EPA will foster environmental restoration by: * Compelling site cleanups and supporting innovative technology; > Increasing enforcement in targeted ecosystems, high-risk sectors, and geographic areas; > Conducting timely and protective cleanups at the worst sites first; *- Making liable parties pay; > Driving pollution prevention; and * Promoting voluntary cleanups. 42 July, 1994 ------- Agency-wide Strategic Plan Chapter 3 CHAPTER THREE LINKING THE PLAN TO OTHER EPA MANAGEMENT INITIATIVES INTRODUCTION Linking the strategic plan to the Agency's management and resource decisions is critical to move EPA towards the new generation of environmental protection a new generation that combines common sense, innovation, and flexibility to achieve environmental goals. Establishing the specific program and funding priorities for environmental protection that result from this strategic plan will not be an easy task, however. In this period of tight resources and growing responsibilities, EPA must focus its efforts on those issues that pose the greatest risk to human health and the environment, and on those programs that have the greatest chance of success and highest potential for significant impact. Making these management and investment decisions will require the availability of sound environmental, programmatic, and fiscal information about the operations and results of EPA's programs. EPA already has several efforts underway to strengthen the management, effectiveness and efficiency of its programs and operations, in response to particular laws, Executive Orders, or Agency initiatives. EPA is integrating these efforts, however, to provide better information about the management of the Agency's resources and the results of its programs. The availability of such information will: > Enable managers and policymakers to make more informed decisions about the investment of EPA's resources and the mission of its programs, thus ensuring that limited tax dollars are used wisely; >- Provide EPA and its partners with better information about the effectiveness and efficiency of the Agency's programs for improving the quality of the nation's environment; and * Strengthen and maintain the public's trust in EPA's ability to manage its programs and resources effectively. The key management initiatives include: LEGISLATIVE MANDATES * Implementation of the Government Performance and Results Act (GPRA) of 1993: The GPRA holds federal agencies accountable for what they do with their tax dollars by requiring them to establish: strategic plans containing long-range goals and objectives for all programs; annual budgets, performance plans, and indicators for each of their programs; and annual program performance reports of their success in achieving annual and strategic goals. July, 1994 43 ------- Chapter 3 ^ Agency-wide Strategic Plan Full implementation of the GPRA begins in FY 1999, but strategic and program plans and budgets for FY 1999 will be due in FY 1997. EPA's implementation of GPRA began in FY 1994 when the Agency's Leaking Underground Storage Tank (LUST) program was selected by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) as a GPRA pilot program. Each year, EPA will expand the programs covered under GPRA until it achieves full implementation. This strategic plan, and subsequent updates, will meet the Agency's strategic planning requirements under GPRA. Beginning with EPA's FY 1996 budget request, EPA will move to goals-based budgeting, using the national environmental goal areas in this strategic plan. This new approach to resource allocation will be the Agency's foundation for meeting future annual budget and performance plan requirements under GPRA. Establishing long-range and annual goals linked directly to the Agency's budget is a critical step in being able to make investment decisions based on the Agency's progress in achieving its annual and long-term goals. Beginning with the FY 1994 LUST program, EPA will develop annual performance reports that review the progress of the programs covered under GPRA. +- Implementation of the Chief Financial Officers (CFO) Act of 1990: The CFO Act was enacted to bring about more effective general and financial management practices in government. While GPRA focuses on the results of programs and the success of agencies in achieving their goals, the CFO Act focuses on the financial accountability of federal managers in carrying out and evaluating their programs. The Act establishes CFOs in each of the major federal agencies and charges the CFOs with overseeing the financial management aspects of each agency's programs and operations, and providing complete, reliable, timely, and consistent information for the executive branch and Congress to use in financing, managing, and evaluating federal programs. The Act also holds the CFO accountable for: monitoring the execution of the budget, preparing annual financial statements, and working with agency program managers to develop and report on program performance measures for those funds and activities covered under the CFO Act. EPA's Inspector General is responsible for annual audits of the financial statements. Combining accountability with program results helps to address the public's concern that their tax dollars are spent appropriately and wisely. It also helps federal managers to ensure that their programs are operated effectively and efficiently. EPA's Annual Financial Statements and program performance measures, required under the CFO Act, only cover the Agency's revolving funds, trust funds, and commercial activities. As EPA expands the programs included under GPRA, it will consolidate the CFO Financial Statements and GPRA Performance Reports to provide managers and policymakers with more integrated and useful information on the Agency's programs and success in achieving its environmental goals. > Implementation of the Federal Managers' Financial Integrity Act of 1982: The Integrity Act requires all federal managers to put into place appropriate checks and balances, such as guidance and procedures, to prevent fraud, waste, and abuse of government resources, and to protect the integrity of government programs. Similar to 44 July, 1994 ------- Agency-wide Strategic Plan Chapter 3 the financial accountability provisions of the CFO Act, the Integrity Act focuses attention on the methods by which federal managers operate their programs to achieve their program, administrative, and financial goals and meet their statutory mandates. Manager awareness of existing and emerging Integrity Act vulnerabilities, and of the resources needed to eliminate those vulnerabilities, is critical for effective program planning and budgeting. EPA currently is revamping its implementation of the Integrity Act to eliminate burdensome paperwork and to reinforce the use of the core integrity principles in the Agency's routine management practices. GOVERNMENT REFORM + Implementation of National Performance Review (NPR> recommendations: In March 1993, President Clinton requested that Vice President Gore lead a review to identify ways to make the federal government "both less expensive and more efficient..." and "to redesign, to reinvent, to reinvigorate" it. As a result of the NPR, the Vice President made many recommendations that apply government-wide. (The NPR also made 11 recommendations specific to EPA, covering areas such as streamlined permitting, pollution prevention, quality science, improved contracting, and enforcement consolidation.) To implement those recommendations, the President issued directives on streamlining, customer satisfaction, labor-management partnerships, regulatory development, and elimination of internal regulations. In tandem with the Vice President's review, EPA conducted its own NPR, which yielded more than 400 recommendations, seventy-five of which were chosen for priority implementation because they held the greatest potential for substantial improvement. In many cases, the recommendations align directly with the guiding principles outlined in this strategic plan. Administrative Improvements: These recommendations focus on resource flexibility, improved information management, communication, and workforce management and development. Programmatic Improvements: These changes reinforce ongoing initiatives, such as pursuit of a cross-media orientation, especially for ecosystems protection, environmental justice, and pollution prevention. They include developing new and better environmental technologies; decisionmaking based on sound science; involving state, local, and tribal governments in determining EPA priorities and policies; and communicating early and clearly with the regulated community on EPA's expectations for compliance with environmental laws. EPA is committed to the implementation of the NPR recommendations and is developing a prioritized plan for implementing both the government-wide and EPA-specific recommendations. As they strive to attain their programmatic goals, EPA managers will implement appropriate NPR recommendations, streamline their processes to realize management improvements and resource savings, and reinvest these savings toward other Agency priorities. July, 1994 45 ------- Chapter 3 Agency-wide Strategic Plan EPA INITIATIVES > The National Environmental Goals Project: EPA is working in collaboration with the President's Council on Sustainable Development and other federal, state, tribal, and local governments to produce by Earth Day 1995 a set of national environmental goals to be achieved early in the next century. As of April 1994, the Goals Project had developed 13 goal areas (listed in Chapter 1). Although the Goals Project is not expected to complete its work until April 1995, the goal areas are included in this strategic plan to identify the range of environmental concerns critical to EPA and its partners, and to establish a commitment to develop measurable environmental goals. This plan will be revised in FY 1995 to reflect the final national goals as determined by the Goals Project. The Agency will develop a goal-based budget for FY 1996 using the current goal areas as a first step toward full implementation of the GPRA. In addition, EPA will establish multi-disciplinary teams to review the Agency's programmatic and process goals to determine how they can be used to develop the Agency's annual performance plans under GPRA, and document the Agency's intermediate progress in attaining the longer-range national goals. > National Environmental Indicators: To manage for environmental results, the Agency needs meaningful, credible, and understandable indicators to measure the quality of the environment, nationally and internationally. These indicators will allow EPA to measure progress towards the national environmental goals. The Agency, in partnership with other federal agencies, is working to develop a set of indicators that are useful across government for measuring various aspects of the environment. These include: environmental pressures, such as pollution loadings; the state of the environment, such as ambient levels of pollution, ecological conditions, and human health effects; and societal responses or activities, such as establishment of regulatory programs. EPA plans to make these indicators available for a number of its national activities, including: the National Environmental Goals Project; the Interagency Sustainable Development Indicators initiative; the upcoming Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development Country Review of the United States; and EPA's implementation of the GPRA, the CFO Act, and the Integrity Act. By using the same indicators in these related activities, EPA will facilitate communication and coordination throughout the Agency and across government. ** Integrated Information Resources Planning: The availability of timely and useful information is integral to everything EPA does, and is critical to environmental science. As EPA moves to more comprehensive strategies for protecting human health and the environment, the Agency's management of its information must keep pace with these efforts. Recognizing that access to information is critical to its work, EPA is strengthening the strategic planning of information resources management (IRM) activities on an Agency-wide basis. 46 July, 1994 ------- Agency-wide Strategic Plan Chapter 3 By linking integrated IRM with this strategic plan, the Agency ultimately will have the information needed to set environmental goals, measure its progress using environmental indicators, and determine its costs in achieving those goals. In addition, EPA will ensure data are integrated to support comprehensive environmental protection and provide its partners and the public timely and useful environmental information. July, 1994 47 ------- ------- Agency-wide Strategic Plan Chapter 4 CHAPTER FOUR PROGRAM AND REGIONAL PLANS EPA program and regional offices already have begun many activities, using the guiding principles outlined in Chapter 2, that bring the Agency closer to achieving its environmental goals, but there is much more to be done before we can truly reach environmental goals, such as clean water and food safety. The activities described in this chapter should not be viewed as separate from on-going program-specific work. Rather, they are examples of how the Agency is working to upgrade the way it already does its business to obtain measurable environmental results. This chapter will provide details on how the program and regional offices will further implement the strategies outlined in Chapter 2. Each program plan has the following elements: *- Introduction Referencing Chapter 1 of the strategic plan, existing office-wide strategic plans, and other long-range program planning documents, program and regional offices provide their vision or mission statement along with a discussion of the main priorities of their respective offices. > Supporting the Guiding Principles In this section, programs explain how they will support the Agency-wide strategic plan and changes they anticipate over the next five years. They may include a discussion of relevant goals, indicators, statutory mandates (existing and desired), and broad resource shifts necessary to implement the seven guiding principles outlined in Chapter 2 that were appropriate for their office. Regional office descriptions focus on unique regional initiatives and describe participation in cross-media efforts that support the seven guiding principles. Included in this discussion are changes in direction needed to further the principles over the next five years. > Other Mandates and Obligations The Agency-wide strategic plan is not intended to be comprehensive or encompass all Agency programs, operations, and activities. Therefore, this section provides an opportunity, where appropriate, to describe program strategies other than those included in this plan that are necessary to meet statutory and other important obligations. July, 1994 49 ------- Chapter 4 Agency-wide Strategic Plan OFFICE OF AIR AND RADIATION INTRODUCTION Looking out over the next five years, the Office of Air and Radiation (OAR) embraces the Agency's strategic vision of protecting human health and the environment, and minimizing adverse ecological and aesthetic effects, both from airborne pollutants and radiation. OAR's highest priority in pursuit of this vision and the greatest continuing challenge for FY 1995 and beyond is the implementation of the Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990 (CAAA). During the early implementation years OAR has made significant strides towards completing the regulatory agenda called for by the CAAA, and the results are found in cleaner cars, trucks, and buses; cleaner fuels; innovative acid rain controls; reduction of ozone depleting substances;'and strong, workable air toxics controls. A large number of regulatory actions still are necessary to complete the CAAA regulatory agenda, and that effort is being coupled with a gradual shift in focus and resources away from regulation development into state and regionally based implementation activities. This focus and resource shift away from the traditional approaches will be accompanied by the redefining of roles among all the players working for cleaner air. For the next five years, OAR also will place continued emphasis in areas outside of the framework of the CAAA as EPA seeks dramatic reductions in greenhouse gases through voluntary climate change programs; more radon-resistant homes and schools; increased focus on indoor air issues, including environmental tobacco smoke; and an increased role in management standards for radioactive sites. Support for these areas likely will require additional resource shifts, especially where legislative mandates are increased. Taken as a whole, both within and without the CAAA framework, the scope of OAR's efforts can be seen as having three related focal points, each of which includes a distinct set of actions: Global *- Collaborate with other government agencies and nations, the private sector, and public interest groups to conserve energy, promote technology transfer, and attack climate change, ozone depletion, and trans-boundary air pollution problems. > Advise and coordinate with the International Atomic Energy Agency and other international groups on radon, indoor air, and radioactive waste issues. > Provide assistance in the implementation of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). National * Attain air quality standards throughout the country. ** Introduce cleaner motor vehicles and fuels. * Reduce emissions from new and existing sources of toxic air pollution. * Combat acid rain with market-based approaches and innovative strategies. 50 July, 1994 ------- Agency-wide Strategic Plan Chapter 4 > Reduce the public health threat that indoor radon, Environmental Tobacco Smoke (ETS), and other indoor air pollutants pose in homes, schools, and other buildings. > Promote integration of programs during development and implementation to improve compliance and increase environmental gains. > Ensure public health is protected in the cleanup and permanent disposal of high-level and low-level radioactive wastes. Regional and State > Build partnerships and alliances with state and local governments to bring urban air quality into line with national standards and to form a cohesive team to reduce toxic air pollution. *- Foster communication and improve information transfer among all entities involved in implementing the CAAA. > Ensure well-run permit programs that provide for full implementation of CAAA requirements, including collection of fees to support state and local permit programs. * Continue partnerships with states and key non-profit groups to increase the percent of the population that is aware and has tested for or mitigated radon and to address indoor air issues. SUPPORTING THE GUIDING PRINCIPLES The OAR strategic plan recognizes the protection of human health and the environment as the principal goal that links the air and radiation programs to the Agency's strategic plan. In addition, the plan incorporates the Assistant Administrator's overarching goal to restore the confidence of key constituencies in EPA's commitment and competence to carry out the mandates of the CAAA. The following operating principles will guide OAR efforts toward the implementation of air and radiation program priorities in FY 1995 and future years. > Improve performance in meeting deadlines for regulations, reports, and State Implementation Plan (SIP) approvals. > Demonstrate the benefits of applying innovative economic strategies to air pollution control. >- Incorporate sustainable development strategies into clean air attainment and maintenance programs. ** Establish ecosystem protection as a clean air priority. >- Ensure that all citizens receive full and equal protection under environmental laws and regulations. These principles provide the framework for how EPA will manage and implement core programs. OAR is committed to implementing the CAAA in a cost-effective manner, while ensuring consistency with national energy and economic policies. The implementation of the amendments July, 1994 51 ------- Chapter 4 Agency-wide Strategic Plan not only will employ traditional approaches for controlling air pollution, but also will use the power of the marketplace, encourage local initiatives, and emphasize pollution prevention. OAR program priorities are fully supportive of the Administrator's guiding principles and are incorporated into air and radiation programs as follows: 1. Ecosystem Protection OAR will establish a task force to identify the most effective mechanisms for considering impacts of EPA air program actions on ecosystems and endangered species. For example, specific actions likely will be called for as a result of the ongoing "Great Waters" study. OAR's goal is, wherever possible, to incorporate species/habitat concerns into the development of programs and standards, as well as into individual permitting decisions. The task force also will consult with the Fish and Wildlife Service and National Marine Fisheries Service regarding the impact of air programs on endangered species. EPA continues to use the tools provided by the Prevention of Significant Deterioration (PSD) requirements to protect visibility and ecosystems. 2. Environmental Justice In addition to the tools already afforded by the CAAA for reducing the exposure of populations suffering from disproportionate impacts, EPA is incorporating environmental justice concerns into its regulations as a common practice. The Clean Air Act Advisory Committee likely will be used to aid in that effort. In addition, as a result of recommendations made by the Agency's Environmental Equity Workgroup, and as part of the Agency-wide strategic plan, OAR is implementing four categories of environmental justice initiatives. 1) Improving the methodology for assessing exposures to air pollution (including multiple exposures), specifically targeted to populations suffering disproportionate impacts. The radon program seeks to reduce the disparity between high-income Caucasian and other populations on radon awareness, testing, and mitigation. The indoor air program is working to target minority and low-income populations in its Environmental Tobacco Smoke (ETS) outreach activities. The 1990 census data now are linked to OAR's Human Exposure Model system. When EPA's Toxic Release Inventory (TRI) is linked to the system, OAR will have the ability to run equity analyses for source categories and characterize the potential exposure of specific populations. OAR also has a pilot underway to develop computer-based maps of nonattainment areas. 2) Expanding OAR's outreach/communication and consensus building efforts to low-income and minority communities. OAR will look for opportunities to hold regulatory hearings in affected areas, broaden the membership of the Clean Air Act Advisory Committee to reflect environmental justice experience, and incorporate environmental justice perspectives early in program development. OAR also will continue to build on the extensive experience of the radon program in delivering the radon, indoor air, and ETS messages to minority and low-income populations. 3) Supporting and enhancing existing and future regional equity initiatives. EPA will provide support and funding for external programs targeted at low-income and minority populations. Examples are the initial funding of the Mickey Leland Center for the Study 52 July, 1994 ------- Agency-wide Strategic Plan Chapter 4 of Urban Air Toxics, and indoor radon grants to support projects that encourage radon risk reduction. 4) Enhancing the relationship between OAR and its adopted institutions in the Academic Relations Program. Memoranda of Understanding already have been signed with North Carolina A&T, Northern Arizona University, and Alabama A&M. The latter is designed to strengthen research, training, and public service programs focused on Native American people and their lands. In the near future, OAR anticipates the creation of similar partnerships with Texas Southern University and Florida International University. 3. Pollution Prevention OAR will emphasize pollution prevention throughout its programs as the first choice in environmental protection, taking into account impacts on human health and the environment. The CAAA provides opportunities for making pollution prevention a routine consideration in carrying out air programs and reinforcing the major efforts already underway. For example, using a strategy of flexible permits will enable permitted sources to commit to pollution prevention as part of their compliance strategy; under the source reduction review project (SRRP), EPA will encourage an innovative, source-specific approach to pollution prevention. In addition, OAR will carry out initiatives for recycling CFCs under the ozone depletion program, encouraging energy conservation under the Climate Change Programs (which includes Green Lights, Golden Carrot, Energy Star, etc.), and promoting model building codes that reduce radon intrusion into the home. 4. Strong Science and Data OAR will elicit the support of the Office of Research and Development to assess: health and ecological effects data, monitoring methods and support, models, risk assessments, emissions reduction technologies, quality assurance in support of OAR's regulatory agenda, and public information needs. This includes the "Coordinated North American Research Strategy for Tropospheric Ozone;" air toxics research on source test methods, control technology, and Great Waters; the Environmental Technology Initiative; and other research methodologies to address the human health and environmental risks posed by criteria air pollutants. OAR also will continue work on several fronts to better characterize vehicular emissions and indoor air pollution, and apply that knowledge to ongoing policy implementation. 5. Partnerships The evolving nature of CAAA implementation has put a premium on the development of effective working partnerships among all concerned with clean air. Specifically, OAR envisions more delegation to state/local partners and tribal governments, coupled with a strengthening of technical advice and support as implementation moves away from Washington. Strong working relationships will be essential to achievement of CAAA standards. In addition, OAR expects to build on other successful partnership approaches across its programs. For example, previous regulatory negotiations have produced a number of positive results: rules to prevent toxic emissions from equipment leaks, requirements for cleaner "reformulated" and "oxygenated" gasolines, and reduced toxic emissions from steel industry coke ovens. OAR has established successful partnerships to work on climate change, ozone depletion, and trans-boundary air July, 1994 53 ------- Chapter 4 Agency-wide Strategic Plan pollution, all of which seek to utilize and leverage both national and international resources. Finally, the radon program is centered on a highly effective network of cooperative partners that works to encourage radon testing and mitigation. The indoor air program has initiated the Building Air Quality Alliance (BAQA) to address indoor air quality in large buildings through an innovative partnership arrangement with indoor air quality community leaders. Building owners and managers who become partners will be recognized for their efforts. OAR expects to continue the development and use of all of these strategic and tactical partnerships as a basic part of how it does business. 6. Reinventing EPA Management OAR's Streamlining Plan: Making OAR Work Better integrates the Administration's goals of increasing effectiveness and efficiency of government with the Agency's and OAR's ongoing programs. OAR's streamlining strategy is to carefully examine internal processes and use the results to enhance the utilization of staff. For example, an innovative approach to reinventing OAR is the current effort to work with state and local agencies and other partners in developing MACT and other rules. OAR expects this approach to effectively maximize our ability to meet the air toxics standards of the CAAA, even with significant reductions in resources. Overall, OAR believes that to effectively achieve the goals of reinvention, OAR must: create a vision of both the mission and work practices of the organization; pursue the immediate opportunities for streamlining; prioritize the other processes identified for streamlining and begin working on them with vigor and a commitment to providing services in the most efficient manner; make structural modifications where needed; and target reinvestment opportunities that utilize the savings associated with streamlining. The plan includes several immediate steps that will improve the effectiveness of OAR and make progress towards the quantitative goals, particularly the 11:1 staff/supervisory ratio. 7. Environmental Accountability OAR will work closely with the Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance (OECA) to ensure that its programs and activities address compliance and enforcement concerns as they relate to its regulation development process, training programs, and other related activities. OAR's Office of Radiation and Indoor Air Program (ORIA) will carry out its responsibilities under the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) Land Withdrawal Act. ORIA's responsibilities include issuing radioactive waste disposal standards which that apply to the WIPP as well as to all spent nuclear fuel, high-level radioactive waste, and transuranic waste disposal facilities; certifying compliance with radioactive waste disposal standards; and ensuring compliance with all other applicable laws and regulations. OAR's Air Quality Planning and Standards (OAQPS) Program will work with OECA to incorporate environmental accountability in its policy, regulatory, and outreach activities. Specifically, OAQPS will coordinate with OECA to ensure that compliance requirements in air regulations are clear and enforceable. Through its training and outreach activities OAQPS will ensure that partners in states, tribes, local governments, and the environmental and regulated communities clearly understand their environmental responsibilities. OAQPS also will work to 54 July, 1994 ------- Agency-wide Strategic Plan Chapter 4 increase their partners' respective capacity to move beyond compliance by soliciting their involvement in MACT, pollution prevention, and innovative technology activities. REFERENCES 1. "OAR FY1995 - 1998 Strategic Plan, " USEPA, Washington, DC, July 1993. 2. "Blue Skies Update: Long-Range Planning 1994, " John Seitz, Director, Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards. 3. "OAR's Streamlining Plan: Making OAR Work Better, " USEPA, Washington, DC, February 1994. 4. "OAR's Budget Ovennew and Strategy," USEPA, Washington, DC, February 1994. 5. New OAR Management Process. USEPA, Washington, DC, May 1991. 6. Implementation Strategy for the Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990 Update. 1993, EPA410-K-93-001, Washington, DC, November 1993. 7. The Clean Air Marketplace. USEPA, Washington, DC, December 1993. 8. FY 1994 Program Specific Guidance. USEPA, Washington, DC, June 1993. July, 1994 55 ------- Chapter 4 ^ Agency-wide Strategic Plan OFFICE OF ADMINISTRATION AND RESOURCES MANAGEMENT INTRODUCTION The Office of Administration and Resources Management (OARM) provides the management services, infrastructure and operations that enable EPA to achieve its mission. As the office of the Agency's Chief Financial Officer (CFO), OARM also serves as the chief steward of the Agency's resources. OARM's ultimate goal is to ensure that EPA's resource decisions enable the Agency to achieve its environmental mission and meet its fiduciary and workforce responsibilities. OARM's primary responsibility is to enable EPA and its partners to deliver on their shared commitment to the environment. To fulfill this role, OARM will: take a fresh look at the service, information, and infrastructure needs of its customers; realign its services, systems, and processes to better support the Agency's mission and programs; strengthen stewardship and management of the Agency's resources; and engage the diverse talents of EPA's workforce to meet new challenges. This approach represents a fundamental shift in management philosophy and a culture shift in how EPA conducts its work. The next stage of OARM's strategic planning will be a three-part process that includes the development of: (1) a more detailed and long-term implementation plan; (2) short-term operating plans; and (3) mechanisms for consistently monitoring and measuring the success of (1) and (2). These plans will provide the overall approach OARM will take in achieving its mission and objectives, and will provide the basis for OARM's operations in fiscal years 1995 through 1999. SUPPORTING THE GUIDING PRINCIPLES OARM's first and foremost priority is to provide management services, infrastructure, operations, and workforce support for the new generation of environmental programs and priorities. OARM has identified the following key actions in support of the Agency's strategic plan during the next five years. 1. Ecosystem Protection and 3. Pollution Prevention OARM will provide the tools and infrastructure required by the Agency to implement the ecosystem and pollution prevention approaches to environmental protection. OARM also will facilitate removing institutional barriers to ecosystem protection in the budget, information systems and data, organizational structures, and assistance programs. For example, EPA currently is designing the Bay City facility as a center for ecological research and ecosystems management. Home to the Agency's supercomputer and to its Great Lakes research vessel, the Lake Guardian, Bay City will have state-of-the-art research and information management facilities. OARM's aim is to create a center that brings together the nation's best minds and talent in research, information management, and other disciplines in order to support ecosystem management efforts nationwide. Bay City's training facilities will provide on-site and 56 July, 1994 ------- Agency-wide Strategic Plan Chapter 4 remote hookup training in the latest research and technology to EPA's workforce and its partners throughout the country. Working with others in EPA, OARM will: > Coordinate the acquisition and management of spatial information (land use/census, soils data) to support ecological and related environmental analyses; + Provide the technical information infrastructure that will facilitate inter- and intra-agency ecosystem protection efforts, such as telecommunications, scientific information (Envirofacts), spatial data, and taxonomic information; > Implement, support and showcase new approaches that integrate environmental protection and natural resource management to meet the needs of ecosystems such as prairies, savannas, the Great Lakes, the Chesapeake Bay, and the Gulf of Mexico; and > Support the Agency's efforts to building a national information infrastructure, and represent the Agency's interest on the Federal Geographic Data Committee. 2. Environmental Justice OARM will lead the Agency in the adoption and integration of environmental justice principles into all EPA activities. The goal of the environmental justice program is to ensure that no segment of the population bears a disproportionate burden of the consequences of environmental pollution, and that all peoples benefit from clean and sustainable communities. We are committed to the education and empowerment of affected communities, community organizations, federal agencies, tribal, state and local governments, academic institutions, businesses, and industries, and to the creation of partnerships to achieve environmental justice. Working with others in EPA, OARM will: > Develop a strategy for integrating environmental justice into every Agency activity (e.g., policies, rulemaking, enforcement, research, planning, and budgeting); ^ Implement the President's Executive Order on Environmental Justice which require integration of environmental justice principles in all relevant federal activities; >- Foster environmental justice by awarding demonstration grants, issuing advisory studies, and creating public-private partnerships with disadvantaged communities and > Empower EPA's environmental justice partners by supporting and enabling meaningful public access to EPA's information. 4. Strong Science and Data Top flight research facilities are required to support the Agency's mission. As new facilities come on line, OARM will work with the Office of Research and Development and the program offices to use those facilities as testing grounds for innovative energy conservation, state-of-the-art information technology, and pollution prevention technologies. We are designing the new Research Triangle Park (RTP) facility, in concert with its future tenants, to be a center for scientific excellence. Sound management of our information assets also is needed for strong science and data. To advance the Agency's scientific capabilities OARM is investing in the ability to perform multi-pollutant and multi-media pollutant assessments with high performance computing tools, July, 1994 57 ------- Chapter 4 Agency-wide Strategic Plan and will work with the Agency's partners to develop standards and practices for sound management of scientific information. 5. Partnerships OARM will work with EPA's workforce, unions, governmental partners (federal, state, tribal and local), and the public to develop a shared vision and strategic approach that leverages combined resources for maximum environmental results. With Office of Policy, Planning, and Evaluation (OPPE), OARM will open the Agency's planning and budgeting processes to actively involve its partners in goal- and priority-setting. OARM also will work with EPA's program offices to create funding mechanisms that provide state and local governments with flexibility to fund priority environmental problems and develop alternative financing mechanisms (e.g., the network of Environmental Finance Centers at Syracuse University, and the Universities of Maryland and New Mexico) to help state and local governments fund vital environmental infrastructure. Working with others, OARM will: > Build State capacity in learning tools, information management, and technology, and improve access to EPA data and analytical capability; > Foster public-private partnerships to address resource shortfalls at the national level and unfunded federal mandates at the state and local level; > Lead the development throughout EPA of a labor-management partnership e.g., establishing councils and other mechanisms to include unions in pre-decision phases, and to train management and union representatives on techniques, such as alternative dispute resolution, that helps the partnership succeed; *- Forge collegial alliance with the General Accounting Office in providing Congressional oversight on program implementation goals and results, program effectiveness and efficiencies, and program resource requirements. 6. Reinventing EPA OARM manages the systems and processes that provide the people, money, data, and infrastructure needed by the Agency and, in many cases, its federal, state, tribal, and local partners. We are committed to revitalizing OARM so that we deliver services in a more effective and efficient manner at lower cost, while strengthening its stewardship for the Agency's resources. Toward that end, OARM will re-examine its processes across the board and test alternative ways of doing business. EPA will measure our ultimate success by improved performance and customer satisfaction. OARM is committed to the implementation of the National Performance Review (NPR) initiatives. We want to ensure that OARM services and processes help managers and employees reach their objectives instead of serving as barriers. Working with OPPE and others in EPA OARM will: ** Develop and put into place an integrated approach to Agency-wide strategic planning, budgeting, financial management, and program evaluation that will guide the Agency's program and investment decisions and meets the mandates of the Chief Financial Officers 58 July, 1994 ------- Agency-wide Strategic Plan Chapter 4 (CFO) Act, the Integrity Act, and the Government Performance and Results Act, (GPRA), an effort that OARM and OPPE co-lead; ^ Develop an Agency-wide Information Resources Management Strategic Plan. This plan will guide the Agency's investment in and management of its hardware, systems, and technical infrastructure to facilitate the work and decisionmaking of all EPA employees and their colleagues in the environmental community (e.g., government, academia, and private industry); ^ Further develop and implement a comprehensive resources-management training program covering acquisition, assistance, budget, financial management, and management integrity to ensure that EPA employees have the knowledge and skills to effectively manage resources; > Establish a Working Capital Fund to provide more appropriate and efficient administrative services, better identify the cost of running programs, and logically plan for and purchase capital equipment; > Carry out the CFO's Financial Management Five-Year Plan to strengthen accountability, financial management practices, and decisionmaking throughout EPA; * Create the framework to improve organizational and workforce performance by pursuing NPR and Labor-Management Partnership initiatives; > Reinvent the Agency's administrative processes, beginning with personnel and contracts management; > Re-engineer EPA's implementation of the Federal Managers Financial Integrity Act, building core integrity principles into the primary functions of planning, budgeting, fiscal management, and program evaluation; and > Provide all employees with a quality work environment that is safe, healthy and secure (e.g., completing the move from Waterside Mall into EPA's new complex). OARM also is committed to designing workplaces that provide state-of-the-art communications, learning and energy conservation technologies, plus improved access for the handicapped. 7. Environmental Accountability To support the Agency's effort to assess compliance by type of industry, specific facility and geographic location, OARM will make it possible to combine information from the Agency's many data sources. OARM will develop the information policies, standards, and tools which will allow the Agency to analyze such issues as the distribution of risk and environmental justice and to display the results in easily understood maps and charts. This will allow EPA to target enforcement actions by ecosystem, geographic area, and affected population. The sharing of the Agency's information will empower greater public involvement. It will support their efforts to make informed choices as consumers, to comply with EPA's requirements, and to advocate sound environmental policies in their communities. OARM will promote policies, tools, and technologies that improve the public's access to EPA's information. As part of this effort, OARM will plan and develop the communication and computing tools to support this expanding July, 1994 59 ------- Chapter 4 Agency-wide Strategic Plan access. OARM also will develop information partnerships with states, localities, and others to improve their compliance assessment and enforcement capacity. Another key OARM program which promotes environmental accountability is the Environmental Justice outreach program. Through this program, minority and low income citizens will be educated and empowered to advocate for environmental fairness within their own communities. OARM's aggressive suspension and debarment program will continue to ensure that EPA does business only with responsible contractors and grantees. Through this program, EPA will take action against contractors and grantees who commit waste, fraud, or abuse, or who perform poorly on projects funded by EPA. OARM will also continue its work with state and local agencies in establishing partnerships which will enhance information and document exchange in suspension and debarment matters. This partnership will improve our joint capacity to protect the integrity of our contracts and grants investments. 60 July, 1994 ------- Agency-wide Strategic Plan Chapter 4 OFFICE OF CIVIL RIGHTS INTRODUCTION The Office of Civil Rights (OCR) serves as the principal advisor to the Administrator with respect to the Agency's civil rights responsibilities. OCR provides Agency-wide direction, coordination, monitoring, and evaluation of equal employment opportunity, affirmative employment, and external compliance programs. The programs' OCR administrators in one way or another have an impact on every employee and every program in the Agency. SUPPORTING THE GUIDING PRINCIPLES The Office of Civil Rights has responsibilities that support the strategic vision in three principal areas. The goals of these overarching guiding principles, when fully realized, will fundamentally change the way the Agency does business into the 21st century. 2. Environmental Justice The Office of Civil Rights is responsible for enforcing a number of crosscutting civil rights statutes prohibiting discrimination by recipients of EPA assistance. The principal statute for addressing environmental justice issues is Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1963, as amended. Title VI prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, and national origin in federally assisted programs and activities. State and local governments are the largest recipients of EPA grants. The states carry out delegated environmental programs using EPA funds, and they play a major role in the siting and permitting of facilities. These activities affect minority communities, and they are at the crux of many environmental justice issues. During the next five years, OCR will focus its external compliance program activities on state and local governments. In cooperation with the Office of Grants and Debarment, OCR is developing a comprehensive compliance review reporting form for state agencies that will yield a variety of information enabling OCR to determine their compliance with the applicable civil rights statutes. OCR will use this information to identify environmental justice problems and target states for in-depth compliance reviews to correct these problems. OCR is processing complaints filed by or on behalf of minority communities raising environmental justice issues. These complaints are precedent-setting, and OCR will be developing the procedures, guidance, and analytical framework for processing and resolving these complaints. OCR will provide technical assistance to recipient state agencies in compliance with Title VI, and to communities and individuals on utilizing Title VI to address environmental justice issues. 5. Partnerships OCR will develop partnerships that enable the Agency to achieve its diversity and environmental justice goals. To enhance the Agency's ability to recruit minorities in the scientific and engineering fields, OCR is developing a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities that will lay the foundation for other MOUs with Hispanic July, 1994 61 ------- Chapter 4 ^^ Agency-wide Strategic Plan institutions to provide for a variety of educational, developmental, and employment opportunities with the Agency. OCR also will expand its relationships with Historically Black Colleges and Universities. In the environmental justice area, OCR will develop working relationships with state environmental agencies to foster compliance with Title VI. OCR also will work with communities to educate them on their rights under Title VI. Finally, OCR will work to improve its partnerships with EPA program offices, regions, and field offices. These partnerships are essential to achieving the Agency's goals. 6. Reinventing EPA Management One of the most controversial and critical issues facing the federal government in the next five years is the need to streamline the federal workforce, particularly at the supervisory and managerial levels, while at the same time increasing the representation of minorities, women, and people with disabilities. The Agency's Affirmative Employment Plan is the Agency's strategic plan for accomplishing increased diversity in the workforce. The plan provides a detailed analysis of the Agency's workforce and specific numerical and percentage goals to correct underrepresentation. The objectives outlined in the plan serve as a road map for how the Agency will achieve its diversity goals. In broad categories, the Affirmative Employment Plan's objectives include: eliminating underrepresentation of minorities, women, and people with disabilities; reducing discrimination complaints and expediting the process leading to complaint resolution; placing targeted group members at the GS-13 through 15 and SES levels through a recruitment and hiring program that produces qualified candidates; establishing and maintaining contact with minority academic institutions; providing employee development opportunities to increase the selection of minorities and women in supervisory and managerial positions; assessing the effectiveness of the affirmative employment program by reviewing results; developing manager accountability for achieving affirmative employment goals; implementing a program for prevention of sexual harassment; and making the hiring of severely disabled individuals one of EPA's top priorities. Achievement of these objectives will make EPA a model employer in the years to come and will bring the richness of diversity to the nation's environmental policies and programs. 62 July, 1994 ------- Agency-wide Strategic Plan Chapter 4 OFFICE OF COMMUNICATIONS, EDUCATION AND PUBLIC AFFAIRS INTRODUCTION Communicating with the public about evolving and complex issues is not easy for any organization. Such efforts have been especially difficult at EPA over the years, because officials did not always consider public knowledge to be a priority, because of limited staffing and funding for public outreach, and because outreach efforts were dispersed throughout the Agency and not always coordinated. Today EPA is addressing new policies and goals beyond the old "command and control" approach. Advances in protection of the environment will be a public that is educated, supportive, and involved. Thus, the Agency needs to reach out to people in new and better ways. Polls shows that people often are confused about environmental issues and that they want more information. They also expect to partake personally in finding solutions to environmental problems. That desire for more knowledge and participation matches well this Administration's support for greater public discourse ranging from town meetings to use of the electronic highways. Over the next five years, the Office of Communications, Education and Public Affairs (OCEPA) intends to ensure and augment the public's understanding of the environment and gain support for Agency actions by: > Integrating public communications planning earlier in the formation and implementation of significant Agency proposals and regulations. > Improving public understanding of multi-media efforts by increasing cross-program and headquarters-regional planning and execution. >- Making communications "work smarter" by consolidating and streamlining outreach efforts across the Agency, thereby improving planning and execution to maximize results at less cost. > Adapting polling techniques to better understand the public's level of environmental knowledge and areas of interest and concern. > Introducing electronic technologies beyond those now available at EPA, including sophisticated videos and television public service announcements, cooperative contacts with entertainment television, environmental shorts in movie houses, CD-ROMs, interactive videos, and regular feeds to computer networks. > Broadening the span of environmental education beyond K-12, with changes in the enabling legislation to reach college campuses, adult education programs, and nontraditional or informal education systems, thus helping EPA reach and teach the public. July, 1994 7 63 ------- Chapter 4 Agency-wide Strategic Plan *- Helping train EPA personnel to communicate better with the public by using words and images that fit audience levels of knowledge and areas of interest. SUPPORTING THE GUIDING PRINCIPLES In the future, public communications are more likely to vary according to audience needs and characteristics than by Agency program or project lines. 1. Ecosystem Protection and 3. Pollution Prevention Modern environmental programs require more public understanding and support than the early end-of-pipe, command-and-control systems, and they often involve multi-media approaches. So OCEPA intends to increase inter-program and headquarters-regional cooperative outreach efforts, forming communicators' networks to provide mutual support and ensure that the Agency speaks to the public with a clear, unified voice. OCEPA intends to work with programs and regions to develop language materials that will explain clearly to the public that subjects such as "ecosystems" can be understood as they pertain to their own neighborhoods and backyards. OCEPA will help train Agency officials to improve the delivery of messages on programs such as ecosystem protection and pollution prevention so that members of the public understand their own, personal role in the process and the personal value of their contributions. 2. Environmental Justice OCEPA intends to work more with EPA regional offices and community groups to improve the quality as well as the quantity of two-way communication with local communities. Headquarters- supported polling research and focus groups will support regional staff on-site to determine the informational wants and needs of inner-city, low-income, and minority communities. Related efforts will include use of focus groups so the Agency can sharpen its outreach methods. 4. Strong Science and Data The public should be aware of the depth and breadth of technical knowledge and information at EPA. OCEPA will help provide communication training for Agency technical and scientific staff so they can offer to the public, directly and through the news media, a better understanding of relative risks and solutions. OCEPA foresees EPA technical staff being widely recognized as experts for news interviews, public service announcements, and educational forums. OCEPA also intends to work with EPA program staff to help disseminate technical data to educators, students, and outside researchers. 5. Partnerships OCEPA, though its Public Liaison and Environmental Education divisions, will further expand its dealings with educators, civic organizations, environmental groups, business and industry associations, individual firms, labor unions, public health organizations, and environmental justice groups by expanding databases, introducing computer fax systems, engaging in outreach very 64 July, 1994 ------- Agency-wide Strategic Plan Chapter 4 early in the Agency's decisionmaking processes, and seeking partnerships with non-traditional education sources. OCEPA also will reach out to other headquarters and regional staff that engage outside groups in order to improve Agency-wide coordination of such efforts. 6. Reinventing EPA Management Streamlining will be assisted by intensifying cooperative communication among headquarters and regional offices. Duplication will be avoided and the quantity and quality of work will improve without adding staff. 7. Environmental Accountability In its role as the Agency's primary communicator to educators, constituents, news media, and the general public, OCEPA will promote responsible environmental behavior that leads to and beyond compliance with the nation's environmental laws. This effort will grow out of existing activities within this office, which already promotes personal activism on behalf of the environment and innovation by constituent groups. July, 1994 65 ------- Chapter 4 ^ Agency-wide Strategic Plan OFFICE OF CONGRESSIONAL AND LEGISLATIVE AFFAIRS INTRODUCTION The Office of Congressional and Legislative Affairs (OCLA) coordinates the Agency's Congressional and legislative strategies and activities, and serves as the Agency's principal point of contact for Congress. OCLA advises the Administrator on all Congressional and legislative matters and is responsible for: *- Legislative drafting and liaison activities; * Coordination with the White House and Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to ensure consistency with Administration positions; * The Agency's Congressional correspondence; and * The Legislative Reference Library. OCLA's main statutory priorities include: * Reauthorizing key environmental laws such as Superfund, the Clean Water Act, the Safe Drinking Water Act, and legislation to reform food safety. OCLA's non-statutory priorities in turn include: * Obtaining Cabinet status for the Agency; and * Supporting the Agency, its policies, and programs on Capitol Hill. OCLA also is developing new tools and processes to facilitate effective working relationships between the Agency and Congress. A long-term internal goal of OCLA, consistent with the Agency's streamlining plan and desire to do more with less, is a new process for outreach; i.e., reorganizing the Congressional Liaison and Legislative Analysis Divisions into media-based teams to promote coordination of issues expertise and political intelligence. These media teams will be expanded to include representatives from all EPA offices performing external communications functions. One such new tool is a working geographic database, shared at headquarters and in the regions, that will document EPA's interactions with individual members of Congress, record Senators' and Representatives' environmental interests, and allow cross-referencing of environmental issues and EPA activities in districts and states. This database will improve EPA's responsiveness to Congressional concerns, while underscoring the Agency's mission. 66 July, 1994 ------- Agency-wide Strategic Plan Chapter 4 SUPPORTING THE GUIDING PRINCIPLES Guiding Principles 1 through 4 OCLA will support the Administrator's strategic vision through all forms of interaction with Congress, including affirmative statements in testimony, responses to questions, and advocacy of supportive legislation. OCLA's work revolves around statutory mandates and thus by nature includes ecosystem protection, environmental justice, pollution prevention, and strong science and data. OCLA's role within the Agency is to weave together and emphasize Agency priorities, including the strategic vision, in written and oral communications with Congress, regardless of the program office of origin. In this way, the Agency is assured of delivering a consistent and cohesive message to Congress about goals, priorities, and commitments. Significant long-term changes in OCLA will be supplemented through increased emphasis on internal and external partnerships and on reinventing EPA through improved teamwork, technological advances such as the above-mentioned database, and improving employee diversity. 5. Partnerships The partnership principle has particular meaning for OCLA as an operational matter apart from a substantive policy principle. The success of the Agency's legislative calendar directly depends to a large degree on the strength of EPA's working relationship with partners such as state and local governments, regional entities, and tribes. OCLA is working to improve these relationships in its Congressional outreach and briefing efforts, and by responsiveness to constituent concerns. The Congressional database is a developing tool that will provide both headquarters and regional offices with improved informational assets to support EPA's partners at all levels. 6. Reinventing EPA Management Creation of the media teams will increase efficiency and improve communication. The teams also will provide a structure through which personnel will learn about work done by the team members. This will promote integration of the duties currently divided between divisions. In addition, this structure allows more flexibility for staff movement between issues and more opportunities for support staff to be part of a team and acquire substantive knowledge about their team's issues. EPA will be considering creative and innovative ways of allowing support staff to develop and gain expertise in substantive issue areas and in support techniques, thus empowering them and boosting their career potential. Over the past years, several positions have been created to develop and upgrade support staff to the professional level. Other improvements still can be made, however, and diversity must be a major factor in recruitment and advancement. OTHER MANDATES AND OBLIGATIONS Through its work with Congressional oversight committees, OCLA helps the Agency meet its statutory obligations. In terms of internal obligations, the Office of the Administrator and program offices expect OCLA to serve as their early warning mechanism to anticipate Congressional action, identify areas of concern and respond to them. July, 1994 67 ------- Chapter 4 Agency-wide Strategic Plan OFFICE OF ENFORCEMENT AND COMPLIANCE ASSURANCE INTRODUCTION EPA's mandate to protect public health and safety depends upon effective enforcement. The costs of violating environmental laws both direct litigation costs as well as costs resulting from remediation and the assessment of civil penalties or criminal fines and incarceration are great. Strong, deterrence-based enforcement as reflected, for example, in the rapid growth of EPA's criminal enforcement program creates a climate which forcefully motivates innovation, prevention and compliance by the regulated community. The newly organized Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance (OECA) will provide, through its consolidated multi-media structure, a single voice for national enforcement policy and direction. For the first time, OECA's national strategic plan will provide an integrated enforcement and compliance assurance strategy for targeting noncomplying sectors of the regulated community, sensitive ecosystems, and populations, and for fostering risk-based, multi-media, whole-facility approaches that emphasize pollution prevention and innovative compliance techniques. Principally through its Offices of Regulatory Enforcement (ORE), Criminal Enforcement (OCE), and Site Remediation Enforcement (OSRE), OECA will maintain a bedrock commitment to enforcement in order to deter noncompliance. At the same time, OECA's past success will enable the development of innovative ways to reach greater segments of the regulated community. OECA will develop additional strategies to assure overall compliance, using both formal enforcement tools to correct violations and industry-based and facility-specific assistance programs to prevent violations from occurring in the first place. OECA considers "compliance assurance" as an integrated set of activities including inspections, compliance monitoring, civil enforcement, criminal prosecutions, compliance assistance and promotion, deterrence-oriented publicity regarding enforcement actions, and environmental review of proposed federal actions all designed to accomplish consistent widespread compliance and maximize environmental protection. OECA will invest heavily in enforcement in order to improve compliance. SUPPORTING THE GUIDING PRINCIPLES 1. Ecosystem Protection During the past several years, the Agency has conducted "pilot" multi-media initiatives involving sensitive geographic zones, including the Great Lakes and the Gulf of Mexico. The experience gained in conducting these initiatives, as well as recent advances in geographic targeting, will help shape OECA's new, more focused efforts to protect sensitive ecosystems. One of the primary functions of the Office of Compliance's (OC) Agriculture and Ecosystems Division will be to work with the regions and other EPA offices to identify and target environmental impacts and activities in critical ecosystems, e.g., watersheds, and fashion 68 July, 1994 ------- Agency-wide Strategic Plan Chapter 4 compliance strategies. In addition, the Office of Federal Activities (OF A), acting pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and section 309 of the Clean Air Act (CAA), will conduct reviews of other federal agencies' actions, proposed regulations, and legislative proposals that emphasize effective mitigation of adverse impacts, and refer to the President's Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) those federal actions that may impact sensitive ecosystems. 2. Environmental Justice OECA will give prominent attention to environmental justice issues through compliance analysis and targeted data analyses of high-risk population areas and enforcement initiatives affecting specific groups, e.g., urban populations, farmworkers, and subsistence fishermen, as well as through review of other agencies' proposals under NEPA and CAA. In order to facilitate cooperative efforts in the enforcement arena among federal, state, tribal, and local governments to realize equal protection for all citizens, OECA has created an Environmental Justice Coordinator position. The coordinator will develop an OECA strategic vision for environmental justice and ensure that these concerns are integrated within all of the OECA component offices. The National Enforcement Training Institute (NETI), working in conjunction with minority institutions, will develop and deliver expanded environmental justice training. 3. Pollution Prevention OECA has developed multi-media settlement policies to advance the incorporation of pollution prevention (source reduction) and innovative pollution control technologies in enforcement settlements. The OC and the Federal Facilities Enforcement Office (FFEO) will assure that auditing policies identify methodologies and opportunities for considering process changes that will result in pollution prevention; multi-media investigations and inspections undertaken by the National Enforcement Investigations Center (NEIC) and the regions will consider pollution prevention and waste minimization opportunities; and ORE's Multi-Media Enforcement Division will ensure that facility-wide pollution prevention options are explored during the settlement process, both as injunctive relief and as Supplemental Environmental Projects (SEPs). NETI will provide enforcement-oriented pollution prevention training and material to federal and state personnel. Working in conjunction with the Agency's pollution prevention division, OECA will develop a systematic understanding of pollution prevention technologies that can be applied to specific industries and sectors of the economy. While OECA will not have the resources to develop "particularized" pollution prevention expertise in all areas, OC's Manufacturing, Energy and Transportation and Chemical, Commercial Services, and Municipal Divisions will integrate pollution prevention into the full spectrum of compliance and enforcement activities. 4. Strong Science and Data By reorganizing, OECA has pulled together in one office all headquarters legal, technical enforcement, and compliance assurance personnel, and most of the Agency's compliance data systems. This reorganization should promote improved science-based enforcement decisionmaking as well as consistent, well-integrated enforcement data that the Agency needs for carry out its regulatory responsibilities. July, 1994 69 ------- Chapter 4 ^ Agency-wide Strategic Plan OECA will standardize compliance and enforcement information and provide sector, pollutant and geographic reports and analyses to identify problems, promote compliance, and target national initiatives. The use of data quality/data integrity compliance initiatives, such as the TSCA 8e CAP program (submission of data regarding potentially adverse chemical health effects), Good Laboratory Practices (GLP) data audits, and Section 313 Toxic Release Inventory (TRI) data are effective tools for improving the quality of environmental data. Other initiatives will ensure that the regulated community is operating within the regulatory system and enhance the quality of compliance data (e.g., RCRA's "Second Illegal Operators Initiative," which began July 1993). OECA will rely on "good science" and "good data" to assess the impact of compliance and enforcement efforts. Traditional enforcement activity measures will be supplemented and strengthened by efforts to develop improved measures of success that will better gauge the environmental and public health benefits of compliance and enforcement efforts. Examples include measuring reductions in pollution emissions or discharge loadings achieved in consent orders and decrees, measuring the investment value of improvement projects secured through enforcement, as well as measuring increases in national compliance rates achieved through the enforcement and compliance program as a whole. OECA will expand its data integration efforts to allow EPA and state managers and staff to easily access consistent, useful compliance and enforcement information for facilities across the country and across media programs. OECA also will pursue more efficient data entry and management techniques such as electronic data interchange to reduce generation of paper and improve data quality. 5. Partnerships An effective national enforcement and compliance assurance program must involve federal, state, tribal, and local cooperation, as well as communications with, and the participation of, the public. The Office of Enforcement Capacity and Outreach (OECO), OF A, and OC will work with states, tribes, localities, and environmental justice organizations to ensure their involvement in program planning and implementation. OFFE and OFA will work with other federal agencies to promote multi-media, innovative, and holistic approaches to environmental compliance, while the OSRE will ensure citizen input at Superfund sites. OECA also will make compliance data more assessable to states and citizens. OECA also will develop strategies to work out roles and responsibilities with states in the implementation of the new comprehensive enforcement approach. Some states with delegated or approved enforcement programs may want to adopt EPA's targeted, multi-media focus, while others may prefer to emphasize the more traditional single-media focus. OECA's liaison efforts must consider the different authorities, capabilities and environmental priorities of individual states and tribes, and develop effective differential oversight, grant assistance, and cooperative agreement procedures to ensure the most effective overall national enforcement response. OCE will expand coordination and communications among federal, state, tribal, and local law enforcement units by designating state contacts to serve as focal points for exchanging information regarding the status of criminal investigations and cases, engaging in cross referral of cases, technical support and training, and coordinating state/federal civil and criminal proceedings. State, local, and tribal civil and criminal law enforcement capability will be enhanced through the 70 July, 1994 ------- Agency-wide Strategic Plan Chapter 4 NETI-sponsored training delivered by the state association networks and the National Association of Attorneys General (NAAG). OFA will establish, improve, and expand coordination and communications with federal agencies and with EPA program offices to assure agency compliance with federal statutes, regulations, and executive orders relating to the protection and conservation of special and natural resources (e.g., the Endangered Species Act, National Historic Preservation Act, NEPA, the Floodplains Executive Order, etc.). OECA will build environmental enforcement capabilities internationally and cooperate with Mexico and Canada to protect shared environmental resources. This includes NAFTA implementation and the work of the Trilateral North American Commission on Environmental Cooperation to improve environmental enforcement, as well as Mexican and Canadian cooperation in implementing the multi-media enforcement initiatives for the Gulf of Mexico and the Great Lakes. OECA will provide technical assistance on environmental compliance and enforcement to Eastern Europe, Russia, the former Soviet states, Central and South America, Africa, and the Middle East. 6. Reinventing EPA Management The decision to reorganize the Agency's compliance and enforcement program is itself a recognition of the need to allocate scarce resources more effective and more efficiently among priority areas. The integration of technical and legal enforcement personnel will enable OECA to develop a comprehensive strategic plan, thus providing a single, authoritative enforcement "voice" for the entire Agency. It also will enhance EPA's goal of assuring that rules, permits, and compliance strategies are clearly enforceable. As reflected by OECA's significant advances in streamlining its management structure (1:11 management to staff ratio for 90 percent of OECA's Washington, D.C., operation), OECA will be very much committed to empowerment of its personnel. Moreover, OECA is committed to making the regional/headquarter decisionmaking process as efficient as possible. It will assess existing delegations of authority and concurrence procedures to eliminate unnecessary or duplicative layers of review. 7. Environmental Accountability The Agency's cornerstone for implementing this principle is a strong compliance and enforcement program. In the coming years, OECA will intensify its efforts to promote compliance through improved targeting and deployment of available tools. Areas of emphasis will include compliance assistance, motivating compliance by improving access to compliance data for consumers and communities, and regulatory development. OECA will select the most appropriate enforcement response for any given violation to achieve the maximum environmental benefit. OECA will target its activities in noncomplying sectors of the regulated community and sensitive ecosystems and populations. A strong deterrence-based enforcement program will establish the type of climate that motivates compliance, encourages innovation, and promotes prevention. July, 1994 71 ------- Chapter 4 Agency-wide Strategic Plan OECA will undertake a range of activities that will build capacity for compliance. It will continue partnerships with other federal agencies, states, and tribes in implementing our field programs (including compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA)) and sharing information collected under OECA programs. OECA will work with the program offices in developing compliance assistance strategies for the various sectors, geographic areas, ecosystems, and populations. These strategies will be geared to those in the regulated community that the information or means to comply. OECA will build on the successes realized under the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act by improving public access to compliance information, thereby empowering consumers and communities to make informed choices and to participate more effectively in the regulatory process. OECA also will work to ensure that the implementing regulations for the Agency's statutes are more understandable to the regulated community and the public. In addition, OECA will work closely with the program offices and general counsel to ensure that regulations are more enforceable. OTHER MANDATES AND OBLIGATIONS While OECA proceeds to implement its multi-media, sector-based strategy, it also recognizes that most of its current mandates and legislative authorities are media-specific. A large portion of OECA's short-term activity will continue to support media program priorities by addressing single-media violations, and it must be careful not to lose its media-specific expertise and experience during the transition to an integrative, multi-media approach. ORE will include Air, Water, RCRA, and Toxics and Pesticides Divisions, in addition to the Multi-Media Division. These media divisions will work with the regions and states on media-specific case development and prosecution, including national initiatives to promote media-specific enforcement priorities. REFERENCES 1. "Revised Office of Enforcement Four-Year Strategic Plan: 1994-1997,"July 1992. 2. "Revised Policy Framework for EPA/Stale Enforcement Agreements, " August 25, 1986. Subsequent revisions to the Revised Policy Framework include the Criminal Enforcement Addendum (February 1, 1993), the Multi-Media Addendum (May 13, 1992), and the Oversight of State and Local Penalty Assessments (July 20, 1993). 3. "Policy on the Use of Supplemental Environmental Projects in EPA Enforcement Settlements, " February 12, 1991, and the Interim Policy on the Use of Pollution Prevention Conditions in Enforcement Settlements, February 26, 1991. 4. "New Strategic Enforcement Organization, " Memorandum from Administrator Browner, October 12, 1993. 72 July. 1994 ------- Agency-wide Strategic Plan Chapter 4 OFFICE OF GENERAL COUNSEL INTRODUCTION The General Counsel is the chief legal officer for EPA, supervising staff in the Office of General Counsel (OGC) and the counseling activities of the Offices of Regional Counsel (ORCs). OGC will strive to foster the independent critical analysis and cross-cutting vantage point that are the hallmark and strength of its approach, and that can serve as key resources for moving EPA in a new direction. OGC's key goals revolve around several themes: * Providing sound and creative legal advice. OGC will need to anticipate problems that arise under the Administrator's initiatives to position the Agency to deal successfully with them. Central to these efforts will be assisting the Agency in retaining control, to the maximum extent possible, of its own policy agenda. By using advance planning and thinking to anticipate or avert legal challenges that can impose outside priorities on the Agency, OGC can assist in keeping the Administrator's new initiatives on target. Furthermore, the emphasis on decentralization of decisionmaking processes in the Agency will require that the Agency's attorneys deliver legal services to more decisionmakers; > Participating in new Agency partnerships. The formation of new or additional partnerships with states, local governments, tribes, businesses, other agencies, and other countries will likely involve cross-cutting issues and new combinations of expertise, as well as the need to service a new range of stakeholders; and * Supporting and facilitating new organizational and management approaches. The replacement of some of EPA's more rigid ways of carrying out its own business in such areas as personnel and procurement, while avoiding the pitfalls which some of these procedures were written to protect against, will require increased training, better efficiency, and the improved use of new information technologies. OGC can become a model for these innovations in its effort to anticipate future trends in legal services. In working toward achieving the Administrator's strategic vision, OGC and ORCs will rely upon their current counseling functions whereby they serve as the government's environmental law experts and their ability to provide forward thinking and creative problem solving for the Agency. The General Counsel will use a combination of: careful priority setting to eliminate those functions that can be carried out in other parts of the Agency; accomplishing current functions more efficiently; and requesting the addition of new resources where necessary. The ability of the Agency to perform its mission effectively is tied directly to the ability of OGC and ORCs to provide timely and effective legal advice and review. OGC and ORCs are generally depended upon to find creative legal solutions to complex and difficult problems. The capacity of OGC and ORCs to provide sound but creative legal support for the Administrator's new strategies is at a critical point that will require hard choices on how resources will be allocated within and for the legal counseling function. July, 1994 73 ------- Chapter 4 Agency-wide Strategic Plan SUPPORTING THE GUIDING PRINCIPLES 1. Ecosystem Protection OGC and ORCs have started to build their capacity to advise EPA programs on ecosystem management protection, including the development of ecological approaches to implementing EPA's existing authorities and new, integrated approaches that focus on particular ecosystems. The Agency's recognition over the past year that EPA needed to improve its management of Endangered Species Act (ESA) requirements has been a critical component of the Agency's foundation for ecosystem management protection, including the promotion of biodiversity, within EPA programs. OGC has provided initial guidance and organized a workshop in conjunction with other EPA offices and the Interior and Commerce Departments to provide a better understanding of the ESA requirements. There is, however, a definite need for OGC and ORCs to increase their capacities to address ESA issues and a wide variety of issues concerning implementation of ecosystem approaches under the Agency's organic statutes. OGC also has provided substantial participation in the Convention on Biological Diversity, which takes an ecosystem management approach. OGC has made a large contribution to ecosystem-related geographic initiatives such as the Great Lakes. OGC has a demonstrated expertise in trade and environment issues directly relevant to sustainable development and ecosystem protection. OGC will target its recruiting requirements for new attorneys to build capacity in these areas as well as in the other areas discussed below. OGC also will create training opportunities both within and outside the Agency for its staff. OGC also will establish pilot programs using cross-media or cross-cutting teams to address individual ecosystem protection issues and broader Agency-wide initiatives. With its experience over the past year, OGC is well positioned to work with program offices in developing an understanding of ecosystem management protection and in advising on ways to conserve biodiversity and to protect endangered and threatened species under the ESA consistent with other authorities. OGC will need to increase its expertise and capacity so that OGC can advise on ways to combine protecting the health of ecosystems and promoting economic development to enhance integrated ecosystem management. 2. Environmental Justice OGC and ORCs are uniquely situated to contribute to the early, understandable, and workable articulation of principles by which the Agency can incorporate environmental justice considerations as it carries out its mission. The early commitment of resources to this effort, including coordination with the regions and the development of national guidance, should serve EPA its customers, and the public well. OGC has started to develop a core expertise on environmental justice. OGC played a substantial role in shaping the recently issued Executive Order on this subject. OGC is also participating in all of the Agency's environmental justice initiatives. An internal OGC workgroup has started to assess the flexibility within EPA's statutory and regulatory authority to address environmental justice issues, highly complex areas of law in which OGC will have to refine its expertise. For example, OGC will assist the Agency in using Title VI of the Civil Rights Act to help implement its environmental justice principle. 74 July, 1994 ------- Agency-wide Strategic Plan Chapter 4 It is crucial to have OGC increase its capacity on environmental justice in part, by increased training to assist, for example, in examining statutory and regulatory barriers, authorities related to siting of facilities, financial assistance options, opportunities for increased public participation, and risk and exposure issues. It is also important that OGC have the capacity to assist the Administrator in implementing the President's Executive Order within the Agency and within the Executive Branch. It is also crucial to have ORCs increase their capacity to deal effectively with environmental justice implementation issues. 3. Pollution Prevention OGC has played an important role over the last few years as the Agency has steered toward explicit emphasis on pollution prevention, including a strong role in drafting the Executive Order on Pollution Prevention and Community-Right-to-Know. OGC continues to provide a critical role in identifying the flexibility within EPA's statutory authorities to adopt pollution prevention opportunities in EPA regulations, policies, permits, guidance documents, and compliance activities and in implementing the new Executive Order. OGC still needs to increase its capacity to promote new pollution prevention opportunities. For example, the Administrator's Pollution Prevention Policy Statement will encourage new approaches in all of EPA's activities. EPA's new sector initiative will offer enhanced opportunities for pollution prevention. In addition, pollution prevention guiding principles will need to be built into EPA's partnership relationships and international agreements. The success of these opportunities in large measure will depend upon the flexibility that OGC can define within EPA's statutory authorities. It is equally important that ORCs increase their capacity to address pollution prevention opportunities at the regional level. 4. Strong Science and Data OGC has a core expertise in science and risk issues. OGC has been an active participant on these issues in the context of rulemaking and has been asked by the Administrator in limited instances to lead initiatives such as the current dioxin regulatory review. Historically, OGC has not created or designated an organizational unit to provide continuous legal services on media-related issues to the Office of Research and Development (ORD) as a client office. As a result, OGC has not had a recognized role in any of the Agency's ORD-led science and data initiatives. Rather, OGC provides legal services on an ad hoc basis. OGC will explore with ORD whether the current relationship should be expanded and, if so, in what ways. OGC can provide a vital role in analyzing the place of risk in EPA's statutes as a decision criterion. OGC also can assess the amount of data and research that is legally required to defend the Agency's science. OGC also can continue to provide assistance to Agency scientists in obtaining patents or licensing them to the private sector. If OGC is to provide legal services to ORD on a regular basis or increased legal services on science issues in the program offices, OGC will have to increase its capacity. To do so may result in a net saving to the Agency's resources by having OGC participate early in the development of the Agency's science and data initiatives rather than later when the research and data are used to make regulatory decisions. July, 1994 75 ------- Chapter 4 Agency-wide Strategic Plan 5. Partnerships OGC currently has expertise to address partnership issues that are raised by state, tribal, and local governments, other nations, and other stakeholders. With the strong priority placed by the Administrator on more effective, frequent, and extensive relations with these stakeholders, OGC can play an even stronger and more important role in bringing these groups together. OGC can work toward depolarization of environmental regulation by undertaking exploratory discussions with all litigants against the Agency. As the role that stakeholders play in rulemaking activities increases, OGC's role may have to increase to ensure that Administrative Procedure Act and Federal Advisory Committee Act requirements are met, just as OGC will be a critical advisor in finding more flexible financial assistance arrangements for stakeholders. Furthermore, with the Administrator's clear commitment to delegate processes to state and local government authorities where appropriate including under extensive Clean Air Act provisions, such as the operating permits program OGC may play a critical role in facilitating these efforts and ensuring a coordinated, legally defensible national approach. OGC can also assist in devising creative and effective new means for cooperating with other countries on common environmental issues. OGC will likely need to educate members of the public on the legal requirements of EPA's mission as the public participates on a greater basis in cooperative regulatory approaches. OGC also may sponsor training opportunities for OGC's counterparts in state environmental agencies or state attorneys general. There are sufficient issues of mutual concern that an annual conference, for example, may facilitate communication and understanding between OGC and state legal offices on how those issues should be resolved. OGC also has developed the lead core expertise regarding the unique legal status of Indian tribes. OGC needs to increase its capacity to work more closely with program offices to develop and implement regulations addressing EPA authorization of tribal regulatory programs and tribal eligibility for EPA grant funding. Such increased capacity also would be used to anticipate Indian law issues so that they could be addressed with increased dialogue with the interested stakeholders. OGC also would develop an Agency-wide Indian law training course to provide better understanding of Indian issues. Working directly with OGC, ORCs also need to increase their capacity to ensure more effective legal analysis and review of Indian law issues and greater consistency within the Agency on significant matters of Indian law. OGC has led the Agency-wide effort to draft a strategy for innovative technology, putting emphasis on creating effective new partnerships with the private sector and other federal agencies to substantially increase the number of technological innovations available to solve environmental problems. An equally important thrust of the draft strategy is the adaptation of the EPA policy and regulatory framework to provide incentives for innovation and to impose fewer barriers. It is this latter area where continued OGC involvement will be especially important, as the Agency seeks to provide flexibility for technological innovations within its existing statutory and regulatory requirements. 6. Reinventing EPA Management OGC will actively contribute to the Agency's efforts on streamlining. Many of the new initiatives will require careful legal analysis to identify the best ways to structure increased flexibility for Agency managers and staff within the statutory requirements. The legal counseling resources 76 July, 1994 ------- Agency-wide Strategic Plan Chapter 4 within OGC and ORCs are not exercised in a vacuum, but in support of other Agency functions. For this reason, OGC's strategy will be revised as OGC works with other EPA components while they implement their guiding principles. Internally, OGC is committed to examining its processes and looking for opportunities to re-engineer the way OGC operates to emphasize employee development, empowerment, and diversity. OGC will develop a strategy to use its existing resources, both attorneys and support staff, in the most efficient manner. OGC will strive over the next five years to become the "Law Office of the Future". Critical to this effort will be the use of new information technologies for providing more efficient legal services. OGC will visit some private-sector legal offices that are recognized leaders in new technology. OGC will eliminate duplication between OGC and ORCs and program attorneys. OGC will provide training to share its expertise with other EPA legal staffs. OGC also will improve its records management to ensure that the office's institutional memory is preserved. Agency-wide, OGC will work to minimize the possibility that streamlining fewer employees, more flexible grants, changes in procurement and contracting procedures will not result in unanticipated legal consequences. 7. Environmental Accountability The Office of General Counsel will remove, to the extent legally permitted, legal barriers that may have hindered implementation of this principle in the past. This will require construing its authorizing statutes and the appropriation laws that govern the expenditure of funds in ways to further environmental accountability. OGC will assist in encouraging responsible environmental behavior by construing information law requirements, to the extent legally permitted, to allow EPA to provide information, education, and environmental data to the public and the regulated community in support of environmental accountability. July, 1994 77 ------- Chapter 4 Agency-wide Strategic Plan OFFICE OF INTERNATIONAL ACTIVITIES INTRODUCTION In his Earth Day address of April 1993, President Clinton laid out a comprehensive strategy and vision for protecting the global environment. The President noted the inter-relationship between the nation's environmental, foreign policy, and economic and social goals, and called for a more active U.S. role in addressing such global environmental problems as climate change, ozone depletion, marine and polar contamination, and the loss of forests and biological diversity. The President also stressed the importance of developing and disseminating innovative environmental technologies internationally. The Office of International Activities (OIA) envisions a role for EPA in which the Agency leads both within the U.S. government and internationally in achieving the President's vision for the global environment. This vision includes partnerships with foreign governments and international organizations in solving environmental problems at the global, regional, and national levels; with other federal agencies in promoting broader U.S. objectives on foreign policy, international competitiveness and trade, and international economic and social development; and with international and domestic non-governmental organizations and other stakeholders in promoting the goals of sustainable development. Within EPA, OIA envisions an integrated and strategic approach in which international considerations permeate the programs and objectives of every single office, division or branch within the Agency. According to this vision, the Agency speaks with one voice and acts as an effective advocate for international environmental policy and technical objectives. International initiatives are carefully coordinated and managed throughout the Agency, ensuring incorporation of a wide range of different issues and perspectives. Budgetary decisions are linked to priorities, and resource needs and constraints are identified at the earliest stage possible. The vision includes increased recognition throughout the Agency of the important domestic environmental benefits of international cooperation. Beyond purely altruistic considerations, such cooperation will be an integral component of EPA's ability to fulfill its domestic environmental mandate. OIA envisions its own role within EPA as the primary focal point and catalyst for the Agency's international activities, working closely with other offices and regions in providing overall policy and programmatic coordination and facilitation. All these components will further a broader vision of a world in which natural resources are properly valued and preserved and in which, at the most basic level, individuals and local communities have access to safe food and drinking water supplies, are protected from health and environmental threats, and are able to make informed choices and participate in government decisions affecting them. 78 July, 1994 ------- Agency-wide Strategic Plan Chapter 4 SUPPORTING THE GUIDING PRINCIPLES 1. Ecosystem Protection The Great Lakes, the Rio Grande, and other water bodies and airsheds spanning U.S. borders with Mexico and Canada demonstrate that many ecosystems cross national as well as state and local boundaries. Other sensitive ecosystems, such as polar and marine environments and other parts of the global commons, fall outside the jurisdiction of individual nations; they can only be protected through joint action with others. OIA's cross-media perspective helps ensure that all environmental dimensions are incorporated into the Agency's approach for protecting fragile ecosystems, that, because they cross national borders, that may fall outside EPA's domestic environmental mandate. One example is the effort currently underway to develop a Coral Reef Initiative that will include integrated domestic and international programs aimed at the protection of coral reefs, mangroves, sea grasses, and other critical marine ecosystems. 2. Environmental Justice EPA's international programs will play an important role in extending the principle of environmental justice beyond U.S. borders. EPA's draft Environmental Justice Principle proposes the creation of international partnerships, particularly among the most ecologically fragile and politically and economically disadvantaged regions of the world, to strengthen the internal capacity of governments and local communities to participate in environmental protection. The Agency's experience in enhancing environmental education and in promoting community-right-to-know and public participation principles also have important applications internationally. OIA will play a central role in establishing an interagency International Environmental Justice Coordinating Council, if approved, and in expanding cooperation with foreign governments and international organizations. OIA's participation in the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) Capacity 21 and the United Nations Conference on Women for example, will foster greater and more equitable distribution of environmental protection. EPA's environmental activities in connection with the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) also will boost environmental protection for disadvantaged communities along the U.S.-Mexico border. 3. Pollution Prevention International cooperation enables EPA to promote the principles of pollution prevention throughout the international community. The Agency played a major role in incorporating pollution prevention principles into Agenda 21 and other documents of the Earth Summit, as well as into other global and regional environmental treaties and conventions. EPA has also promoted their adoption through bilateral programs, both government-to-government and project-specific. EPA's technical assistance programs under the Support for Eastern European Democracy (SEED) Act and Freedom Support Act (FSA), for example, focus on the demonstration of pollution prevention and waste minimization technologies and cost-effective pollution control options. Another example would be the AID-funded Environmental Pollution Prevention (EP-3) operating project-by-project throughout the world. July, 1994 79 ------- Chapter 4 Agency-wide Strategic Plan 4. Strong Science and Data EPA can learn much from the experience of other nations, both industrialized and developing. The Agency can strengthen its scientific and technical base through bilateral programs with Germany, Japan, Russia, Canada, Mexico, and other nations. Through the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, the World Health Organization, and other scientific and technical organizations, EPA also promotes the adoption of common data collection and testing procedures that have widespread benefits for domestic programs. 5. Partnerships International cooperation with foreign governments and international organizations enables EPA to influence and benefit from the experience of others in addressing common environmental objectives. Within the United States, partnership with other federal agencies and with other stakeholders enables EPA to influence the international practices of these organizations affecting the environment and to contribute to broader Administration objectives on foreign policy, international competitiveness and trade, and international economic and social development. Helping other countries adopt and enforce environmental regulations and standards protects ecosystems and creates a more level playing field for international trade. Finally, greater outreach to non-governmental organizations and other stakeholders throughout the world permits EPA to promote the goals of sustainable development as widely as possible. For example, the exchange of scientists and technical experts, environmental training, and institution-building programs under SEED, the FSA, and the US-Asia Environmental Partnership enables the Agency to work with the Agency for International Development and other federal agencies in achieving U.S. environmental and other objectives in many other parts of the world. In addition, the Agency's review of the environmental lending policies and practices of the World Bank and other multilateral development banks enables EPA to influence the lending of almost $40 billion a year. 6. Reinventing EPA Management International cooperation greatly leverages U.S. resources, thereby economizing on the use of limited resources for greater environmental results domestically. Vast expenditures in the United States on non-ozone depleting chemicals, processes, and technologies can be completely nullified by unabated emissions of chlorine-containing chemicals in other nations. Provision for "joint implementation" within the framework convention on climate change is another example of the potential for achieving a nation's environmental objectives more cost-effectively through action in another country. OIA's role within EPA enables the Agency to coordinate and integrate international programs and activities and avoid wasteful duplication and overlap. OIA also coordinates and co-funds assistance programs with all EPA regional offices and many state environmental offices, thereby leveraging their support. 7. Environmental Accountability International programs of cooperation and technical assistance are strengthening environmental accountability in countries that are U.S. neighbors and trading partners. Pursuant to bilateral programs and the new trilateral Commission on Environmental Cooperation, EPA is working actively with Mexico and Canada to promote compliance and to address vigorously violations of environmental requirements. EPA are also is encouraging cooperative targeting of enforcement 80 July, 1994 ------- Agency-wide Strategic Plan Chapter 4 resources on industry sectors and ecological resources that cross national borders. Strong compliance and enforcement programs are vital to protect the U.S. environment from pollution crossing international borders and to create a level playing field for trade with these new partners in the North American Free Trade Agreement. Outside of North America, EPA is supporting programs of technical assistance to strengthen enforcement and compliance institutions in selected countries around the world. EPA efforts leverage resources available from foreign assistance appropriations and international institutions to develop the critical capacity in other countries to translate the words of laws and treaties into actual environmental protection. With expanding world trade, U.S. competitiveness will be enhanced by encouraging strong environmental enforcement programs with trading partners. OTHER MANDATES AND OBLIGATIONS Many of EPA's international programs, including those related to acid rain, climate change, and ozone depletion, are specifically provided for in EPA's statutory mandates. In addition, the Agency has assumed a number of other obligations for which OIA is now responsible. Cutting across all six guiding principles described above, these obligations include management, implementation, and/or coordination in the following areas: > Technical assistance programs under SEED, FSA, and the US-Asia Environmental Partnership. * Integrated Environmental Plan for the U.S.-Mexico Border and, on behalf of the Deputy Administrator, post-NAFTA activities, including those related to the North American Commission on Environmental Cooperation and the Border Environmental Cooperation Commission. * International agreements on marine pollution and land-based sources of pollution, biodiversity, forests, desertification, and the Global Environment Facility. + U.S. Technology for International Environmental Solutions (U.S. TIES) program under the President's Environmental Technology Initiative (ETI). > GATT/World Trade Organization and other trade-related organizations. > Agency follow-up to the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro > Gore-Chernomyrdin Environment Commission. >- Government-to-government and agency-to-agency bilateral agreements with Germany, Japan, Canada, China, Russia, and others. > Formal agreements and Agency participation in the OECD, UNDP, the NATO Committee on the Challenges of Modern Society, and numerous other multilateral organizations. > Review of the environmental lending practices and policies of the World Bank and other multilateral development banks. > Review and tracking of EPA's international travel and the International Visitors program. July, 1994 81 ------- Chapter 4 Agency-wide Strategic Plan OFFICE OF INSPECTOR GENERAL INTRODUCTION The Office of Inspector General (OIG) supports the Agency's strategic plan by seeking to enhance its role in assisting the Agency deliver its programs to EPA's diverse customers. The Inspectors General, as a community, recently adopted the following vision statement: "We are agents of positive change striving for continuous improvement in our agencies' management and program operations, and in our own offices." This statement reflects the commitment of the Inspectors General to be a positive factor in improving management and program operations within their respective agencies, while at the same time fully carrying out the Inspector General's responsibilities under the Inspector General Act. The mission of the Inspector General stated in the Inspector General Act of 1978, as amended, is to: > Conduct and supervise independent and objective audits and investigations relating to Agency programs and operations. * Promote economy, effectiveness, and efficiency within the Agency. > Prevent and detect fraud, waste, and abuse in Agency programs. * Review and make recommendations regarding existing and proposed legislation and regulations relating to Agency programs and operations. ^ Keep the Agency head and the Congress fully informed of problems in agency programs. To ensure objectivity, the Act provides the IGs: * Independence to determine what reviews to perform. ** Access to all information necessary for the reviews. * Authority to publish findings and recommendations based on the reviews. In carrying out this mission, EPA's Inspector General will strive to: > Work with management and the Congress to improve program management. > Use investigative and program compliance reviews to improve the effectiveness of program operations, elevate government integrity, and recommend better systems to prevent fraud, waste, and abuse. > Be innovative and question existing procedures; suggest improvements. * Build relationships with program managers based on a shared commitment to improving program operations. > Continue to improve the quality and usefulness of EPA products. 82 July, 1994 ------- Agency-wide Strategic Plan Chapter 4 >- Work to identify and address government-wide issues. The main priorities of the OIG for 1995-1999 will be: * Identifying major areas of agency-wide concern and vulnerability that significantly impact the economic, efficient, and effective fulfillment of the environmental mission, including acquisition management, financial and management integrity, and data/information management. > Monitoring the Agency's implementation of the reauthorization of Superfund and the clean water legislation. ** Engineering a culture change within OIG so that our employees more clearly understand that one of then major roles is to assist EPA managers (customers) to achieve their program objectives. To improve assistance to EPA managers, OIG is striving to: > Obtain more extensive Agency involvement in the annual and strategic planning processes and for individual audits to ensure EPA addresses its most critical needs. > Establish early and continuing communication with Agency personnel during audits to minimize non-productive adversarial situations. >- Survey customers to determine their specific concerns and needs. > Expand all audits, and especially audits of EPA's programs, to include more thorough evaluations of management control systems. * Use risk-based assessments to focus OIG work where it will have the most impact and be most helpful to the Agency. The principal changes EPA anticipates are: > Development of a set of commonly understood measurements to evaluate OIG success and relate it to Agency success in meeting customer needs. EPA is working cooperatively with other IGs to develop such measurements. *" A stronger partnership between OIG employees and other EPA employees, with interaction at all levels. SUPPORTING THE GUIDING PRINCIPLES Guiding Principles 1 through 3 The OIG is committed to working cooperatively with the Agency in ensuring that these guiding principles are fulfilled. The OIG will solicit and consult with program management and employees to get more of their input on strategic and annual work plans to ensure that the OIG focuses on these critical areas of the Agency's operations. The OIG reports will expand on examples of successful program management practices, when possible, that can be adapted for use in other and emerging Agency programs. July, 1994 83 ------- Chapter 4 Agency-wide Strategic Plan The OIG seeks opportunities for up-front consultation, in order to utilize its experience and knowledge, to help Agency personnel avoid pitfalls when developing new programs or innovative approaches in current programs. The OIG consistently will stress the need for strong controls in the development of Agency initiatives to ensure the integrity of the mission and the use of resources. As a member of EPA's National Environmental Goals Project, the OIG will continue working with the Agency to establish measurable environmental goals to be achieved by early in the 21st century. These goals will be instrumental in EPA's planning, management, and budgeting. 4. Strong Science and Data The OIG is continuing audits/investigations of the contract laboratory program, as well as the ORD labs. The OIG is concerned that the Agency gets the results it pays for, and that important decisions are based on accurate data. The OIG will promote appropriate controls that protect the integrity of scientific research and results. In response to Congressional requests for broad, top-level reviews of EPA's financial management and information resources management program, the OIG is working with Agency personnel to catalog all significant causes of EPA's problems in these areas and to make joint recommendations to the Administrator for effective solutions. 5. Partnerships and 6. Reinventing EPA Management The OIG always has taken a cooperative approach with EPA management in resolving and implementing results of its audits and investigations. In this regard, the OIG has begun to place even greater emphasis on building partnerships with Agency program managers based on a shared commitment to improving operations. The OIG has taken or planned a number of other initiatives to enhance this cooperation. More OIG resources are being directed to conducting performance audits to analyze how well programs are meeting their program goals, and the OIG is recommending changes in program design and management techniques to increase efficiency and improve program results. The OIG will focus more on causation and provide more balanced reporting by identifying effective corrective actions taken by Agency management and examples of good management practices, when possible. The OIG has begun a streamlining process with three themes: 1) Increased Delegation and Decentralization of Authority The OIG plans to delegate to the lowest practical level the responsibility and authority to make managerial decisions and increase autonomy over its audits, investigations, and administrative support activities. 2) Increased Empowerment of Employees with Appropriate Accountability The OIG will review present requirements for periodic reports from field divisions to headquarters to streamline or eliminate unproductive or overly burdensome requirements. The OIG will continue to seek ways to increase the use of electronic data exchange to facilitate reporting between field and headquarters offices. The OIG will seek to streamline the number of specific measurements and the narrative justification for employee ratings, 84 July, 1994 ------- Agency-wide Strategic Plan Chapter 4 while meeting EPA requirements. The OIG will examine the feasibility of empowering the field divisions with more authority and autonomy in personnel matters. 3) Improvement of Work Processes and Systems The OIG has devoted considerable time soliciting ideas from staff at all levels to improve work processes. Several major theme areas have emerged from these discussions. First, as stated above, the OIG will focus more attention on assisting EPA managers to achieve their program objectives. While the OIG continues to conduct compliance reviews as part of its audits, it will work more cooperatively with customers to ensure that OIG products meet their needs. Internally, the OIG will undertake a comprehensive review of OIG policies and procedures to ensure that each requirement in the audit process adds value to final products. 7. Environmental Accountability The Office of Inspector General will work cooperatively to build partnerships with Agency compliance and enforcement personnel in order to ensure that taxpayers' funds are properly and effectively spent in this important effort. The work of the OIG especially focuses on the adequacy of controls over environmental and administrative programs and operations, identifying risks and vulnerabilities, and recommending appropriate actions to ensure accountability over EPA's resources and delivery of its environmental mission. In audit reports of all Agency programs, the OIG will highlight "best practices" to encourage their application in other areas. The OIG will continue to stress the importance of sound data to compliance decisions. OTHER MANDATES AND OBLIGATIONS The OIG has other statutory requirements, such as auditing the Agency's annual Superfund report (required by the Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization Act) and the Agency's annual financial statement (required by the Chief Financial Officers Act). In addition, the OIG operates EPA's personnel security program, under delegation from the Administrator. The OIG does not anticipate these objectives to require any significant reallocation of resources except shifting some resources from Superfund to the General IG account. July, 1994 85 ------- Chapter 4 Agency-wide Strategic Plan OFFICE OF POLICY, PLANNING AND EVALUATION INTRODUCTION The new generation of multi-media, place-based, and service-oriented environmental programs will be implemented through partnerships within and outside the government. By providing unique services and working with others in teams, Office of Policy, Planning and Evaluation (OPPE) will be a catalyst for this new generation of programs. As part of EPA's strategic plan, OPPE will have three main priorities: strengthening the relationship between the economy and the environment; integrating environmental decisionmaking; and improving Agency and OPPE management. 1) Strengthening the relationship between the economy and the environment In the past, the public has been presented with false choices between economic well-being and environmental protection. By developing more accurate measures of economic well-being and innovative policy instruments, OPPE will demonstrate that economic well-being and environmental goals are mutually reinforcing, and that sound environmental policy reinforces environmental and economic sustainability. Specifically, OPPE will: > Promote policies that improve the functioning of markets through legal and institutional structures, thus encouraging the more efficient deployment of production capital. OPPE will coordinate implementation of the President's Environmental Technology Initiative (ETI). It will accomplish widespread use of innovative technologies by 1) adapting EPA's policy framework to promote innovation; 2) strengthening the capacity of technology developers; 3) accelerating the diffusion of innovative technologies; and 4) strategically investing EPA funds in the development and commercialization of promising new technologies. ^ Develop regulatory and non-regulatory policies, such as market incentives, to promote environmental protection and economic growth. Specifically, OPPE will work with program offices and other federal agencies to develop innovative policies in the agriculture, transportation, and energy sectors that will achieve goals efficiently in those sectors and decrease their impact on the environment. OPPE also will develop measures of economic progress that account for environmental quality. > Bring environmental considerations into economic decisions. In partnership with other EPA offices and federal agencies, OPPE will help incorporate environmental considerations into the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) and help develop eco-labeling schemes. OPPE will help EPA provide services to empowerment zones being established by the Department of Housing and Urban Development. OPPE also will suggest ways to restructure tax and expenditure policies to protect the environment through greater economic efficiency. 86 July, 1994 ------- Agency-wide Strategic Plan Chapter 4 2) Integrating Environmental Decisionmaking The new generation of environmental programs will integrate environmental protection across media and will focus on specific places. OPPE will catalyze this change by working with many programs simultaneously to achieve environmental goals. Specifically, OPPE will: > Lead cross-program development in several sectors in EPA's Sector Initiative. Focusing on the photography, metals plating, and organic chemicals sectors, OPPE will help firms use pollution prevention to improve management and reduce emissions to all media. > Serve as a catalyst for refocusing the Agency's work from programs to places. OPPE will work in partnership with OW and OARM to implement the Agency's ecosystem guiding principle, which will emphasize using EPA programs to protect specific ecosystems. OPPE is developing training and analytical tools and demonstration projects that will help the Agency's Regional offices solve environmental problems in particular places. OPPE will work with stakeholders to identify a specific place to demonstrate environmental justice precepts and mitigation methods. > Promote climate change policies that extend national and international commitments to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and reduce risks to ecosystems and the economy beyond the year 2000. 3. Improving Agency and OPPE management Building on Vice President Gore's National Performance Review, OPPE will act as a catalyst to alter EPA resource allocation procedures so that, by the turn of the century, budget decisions will be based on strategic plans formulated to achieve national environmental goals. OPPE also will implement changes to the Agency's policy development process so that rules are developed more efficiently. OPPE will be a catalyst for improved management at EPA by demonstrating innovative management techniques and becoming a model of human resources management. Specifically, OPPE will: > Catalyze a public discussion of national goals for the environment. OPPE also will lead the development of Agency-wide strategic planning to direct EPA's work and shape budget decisions. OPPE also will develop ways to measure our progress toward environmental goals, and those measurements and program evaluations will act as feedback mechanisms for the strategic planning process. ** Continue working with the rest of the Agency to implement the new policy development system. By operating a system that identifies and raises issues to management attention early and focuses management attention and analytical resources on the most important rules, OPPE will help streamline EPA's policy development system to produce high quality rules and policies more efficiently. OPPE will collaborate with the rest of the Agency to support policy and regulation development. > Work with the Innovative Technology Council to make matrix management successful in implementing the Environmental Technology initiative. July, 1994 87 ------- Chapter 4 Agency-wide Strategic Plan > Streamline its operations by Devaluating organizational structure to determine the most effective use of its experienced leaders and developing new career paths for technical and support staff. SUPPORTING THE GUIDING PRINCIPLES 1. Ecosystem Protection OPPE will support the Agency's ecosystem protection principle by reorienting its work to develop tools to support environmental management at specific places. Among other things, OPPE will develop an integrated ecological and economic model of the Patuxent Watershed and will use the data and methodology developed through that project to apply the model in other areas. OPPE already is developing models of wildlife risk from exposure to toxic chemicals that will help local ecosystem managers evaluate ecosystem health. OPPE will develop contingent valuation data to help regions evaluate ecosystem impacts. OPPE will develop a bulletin board of environmental economic literature and data that will be available to the regions. OPPE will develop and conduct an ecosystem risk and decisionmaking workshop to help carry out the education component of the ecosystem protection guiding principle. OPPE will complete and distribute ECOVIEW, an easy to use mapping software that will assist ecosystem managers in decisionmaking. Finally, OPPE will asses the global and national effects of climate change on forests, agriculture, wetlands, and water resources. 2. Environmental Justice OPPE will support the environmental justice principle by conducting a major demonstration project and by incorporating environmental justice issues into its analyses of major environmental policies. OPPE has begun what promises to be a fruitful working relationship with two historically African American colleges. Over the next three years, OPPE will work extensively with local stakeholders to identify a specific place to demonstrate environmental justice analytical techniques and mitigation methods. The results of that demonstration project will be used to develop a model that will help other communities use environmental management techniques that involve all members of the community. OPPE will incorporate environmental justice concerns into its analyses of major environmental policies and rules by developing models to compare risks across populations and by developing innovative policy tools to address those risks. 3. Pollution Prevention OPPE will support the pollution prevention principle by helping to combat global climate change and focusing on economic sectors. Over the next five years, the Agency will face challenges and opportunities in the area of global climate change. As a major implementor of the Climate Change Action Plan, OPPE will design and implement, in partnership with other federal agencies and the states, several programs that will help the United States slash greenhouse gas emissions to 1990 levels by the year 2000. OPPE's climate change initiatives on source reduction and recycling, transportation planning, industry incentives to reduce emissions, and state and local outreach serve to further the Agency's broader goal of pollution prevention. OPPE also will focus on broad economic sectors that affect the environment across all media and will help prevent pollution 88 July, 1994 ------- Agency-wide Strategic Plan ChaPter 4 through innovative policy mechanisms. OPPE's transportation planning program will help prevent air pollution and wetlands destruction by encouraging alternatives to highway construction through pricing policies and by developing planning tools for state and local transportation planners . OPPE will implement innovative policy ideas in agricultural pollution prevention. OPPE's sustainable industry program will work with a set of industries over the next five years to help them satisfy their customer demand through non-polluting or less-polluting production processes. OPPE's energy program will develop innovative policies to help provide clean energy and cut energy demand. 4. Strong Science and Data As a repository of economic, statistical, and science policy expertise within the Agency, OPPE will support the strong science and data principle by innovating in the social sciences and laying the foundation for the prospective Department of Environmental Protection's Bureau of Environmental Statistics. OPPE will help strengthen the relationship between the environment and the economy by improving benefits analysis, supporting the use of contingent valuation by developing innovative methods, helping to develop measures of economic progress that take environmental quality into consideration, and enhancing the Agency's ability to consider intergenerational equity in decisionmaking. OPPE also will work with the rest of the Agency to update and implement the December 30, 1991, draft EPA "Social Science Research Agenda". OPPE's environmental data group will form the core of the Bureau of Environmental Statistics in a new cabinet-level environmental department. OPPE will help the Agency plan to assume those new responsibilities by creating partnerships with other federal statistical agencies and developing appropriate data-gathering and analytical capabilities. 5. Partnerships In the new generation of environmental programs, EPA will be the center of partnership building within the federal government, and OPPE will be the center of partnership building within EPA. OPPE will foster mutual relations with other federal agencies to strengthen the relationship between the environment and the economy and to incorporate pollution prevention into key economic sectors. OPPE also will develop partnerships with the Department of Commerce, the Department of Energy, other federal agencies, and technology development and production firms to implement the ETI. OPPE will implement its climate change program by forming partnerships with other federal agencies and state and local governments. As the Agency moves to a place - based approach to environmental policymaking, OPPE will provide policy services to regional, state, local, and tribal customers, specifically in the areas of ecosystem management and environmental justice. OPPE will develop partnerships with private industry to provide pollution prevention services through the Common Sense Initiative, and it will involve industry in the Agency's strategic planning process. 6. Reinventing EPA Management OPPE will support the Agency's streamlining principle by acting as a catalyst for effective environmental management. OPPE will reach out to all parties affected by EPA programs to develop national environmental goals. These goals will help focus EPA's efforts on the highest priority environmental problems. OPPE will help the Agency develop strategic plans in 1994 and July, 1994 89 ------- Chapter 4 Agency-wide Strategic Plan succeeding years that will allow the Agency to use its resources as efficiently as possible. OPPE will develop indicators of environmental progress to determine whether EPA's actions are helping to achieve national environmental goals. This information will be used to adjust the Agency's strategic plan to ensure that the Agency is focusing resources on activities that are having the greatest effect. OPPE will work in partnership with EPA's media offices, cross-program offices, and regions to implement the new policy development process, which will increase the efficiency of EPA policy and rule development by focusing senior management attention on the most important Agency actions. The system also will increase efficiency by reducing the time staff in cross- Agency offices spend developing rules and policies that do not apply outside of particular programs or do not address major policy issues within programs. This system will require the development of an analytic blueprint for each significant rule or policy, so that resources are used as efficiently as possible. OPPE will help make this system successful by ensuring that important issues are raised to upper management as early in the process as possible, and less important issues are decided at the lowest possible level. OPPE is dedicated to being a stimulating and satisfying place to work. OPPE will improve communications and empower its workers. OPPE will continue to develop and implement innovative management support approaches through the Administrative Support and Career Management System. To realize the Agency's streamlining objectives, OPPE will explore re-engineering administrative processes, restructuring management systems, and developing potential new career paths for EPA's uniquely talented work force. OPPE will work with OARM and other parts of the Agency to reduce, to the greatest extent possible, unnecessary delay and redundancy in the Agency's procurement and personnel systems. 7. Environmental Accountability OPPE will support the principle of environmental accountability by working with the rest of the Agency to identify high priority industrial sectors and ecosystems on which to focus Agency efforts, including compliance assistance. OPPE also will develop a new generation of measures of environmental accountability. Through its Climate Wise program, OPPE will help a broad spectrum of firms be good corporate citizens by assisting them in reducing green-house gas emissions. OPPE will work with the rest of EPA to develop technologies through the ETI that will allow firms to comply with environmental mandates at less cost. 90 July, 1994 ------- Agency-wide Strategic Plan Chapter 4 OFFICE OF PREVENTION, PESTICIDES AND TOXIC SUBSTANCES INTRODUCTION The Office of Prevention, Pesticides and Toxic Substances (OPPTS) is experiencing dynamic change as it considers its agenda for the next five years. While basic chemical and pesticide regulatory programs and information reporting requirements continue as mandated by existing legislation, in the future OPPTS will devote increased attention to a new and expanded mission. The new mission for OPPTS is (1) to promote safer designs, wiser use of materials, products, processes, practices and technologies, and disposal methods using pollution prevention as the guiding principle of first choice; and (2) to provide information, education, and technical assistance to empower the public to make informed decisions on the risks associated with pesticides and toxic substances. To obtain these ends, OPPTS plans to make greater use of the scientific data and information used for long-standing regulatory programs for pesticides and industrial chemicals. These new risk reduction and pollution prevention opportunities fall into eight major categories: 1) Reducing the use of pesticides by removing higher-risk pesticides from the market, and accelerating regulatory decisions on safer pesticides and promoting increased use of integrated pest management techniques. 2) Improving the safety of the nation's food supply by implementing health-based tolerances for pesticide residues. 3) Identifying sectors of the general population that are at greater risk from pesticides for example, children and farmworkers and taking action to reduce exposures to these groups. 4) Expanding the use of pollution prevention guiding principles in the Agency, the federal government, the states, and the private sector, including the development of safer chemicals, products, and technologies in the industrial sector. 5) Empowering the public with information about chemicals that will help identify significant risks and define pollution prevention opportunities for reducing those risks. 6) Reducing exposure to chemicals of national interest such as lead, other heavy metals, PCBs, and other complex organic compounds. 7) Providing expertise in chemical risk assessment, using tools such as structure activity relationship assessments to provide highly accurate predictions about the toxicity of chemicals and making information available both within and outside the Agency. 8) Meeting statutory responsibilities to register pesticides and ensure that chemicals in commerce do not pose unacceptable risks to the public or the environment. This agenda for OPPTS is clearly related to the Agency's vision and strongly supports several of the guiding principles. July, 1994 91 ------- Chapter 4 Agency-wide Strategic Plan OPPTS has declared activities under the guiding principles that are the most appropriate. However, many of the specific activities OPPTS undertakes to carry out this agenda make very substantial contributions to several of the guiding principles. SUPPORTING THE GUIDING PRINCIPLES 1. Ecosystem Protection OPPTS' primary activities supporting ecosystem protection are the programs for protecting endangered species and groundwater. Financial and technical assistance provided to the states, territories, and tribes has laid a firm foundation of cooperation with the Agency in implementing these guiding principles. In the near future, this foundation will be expanded to develop ecosystem-based pilot projects designed to reduce aggregate pesticide risks. These pilot projects will contribute to a goal for development of Integrated Pest Management (IPM) programs and implementation guiding principles for 75 percent of U.S. total crop acreage within seven years. 2. Environmental Justice The EPA lead guiding principle, including Title X implementation, is one of the Agency's preeminent environmental justice initiatives, aimed at reducing the prevalence of lead poisoning among inner-city children. Incidents of lead poisoning in children, particularly children living in inner-cities, have received considerable notoriety and Congressional interest. As more is learned about the extent of lead exposures, pressures for positive corrective actions will rise. The Agency will have to expand technical and financial assistance to address lead exposures. While initial steps have been taken to work with the states on abating hazards from lead-based paint, especially to children living in older buildings in disrepair, other sources of lead exposures need attention. For example, low-income residential neighborhoods adjacent to abandoned metal smelters are contaminated by lead in dust and soil in many urban areas. The Toxic Release Inventory (TRI) empowers communities by providing information on chemical releases from facilities in their locales. TRI-related tools, such as Geographic Information System (GIS) mapping, can help identify communities that face disproportionate environmental effects and assist those communities in addressing the problem. In addition to continuing implementation of these programs over the next five years, OPPTS will focus on new initiatives that will reduce risks to specific segments of the population that are at disproportionate risk from environmental pollutants. Of particular concern are exposure to lead and chemical releases from industrial facilities. The evolving farm worker protection program also makes significant contributions to environmental justice. The farm worker protection standards are designed to protect agricultural workers on farms land in forests, nurseries, and greenhouses from pesticide exposures. The standards set requirements for training, notification, posting of treated fields, restrictions on entry into treated areas, and access to protective equipment and decontamination facilities. 92 July, 1994 ------- Agency-wide Strategic Plan Chapter 4 3. Pollution Prevention OPPTS is the leading advocate for promoting pollution prevention as the guiding principle of first choice to achieve environmental stewardship. This advocacy applies within the Agency to other programs and outside the Agency to the states, the general public, and constituent groups. OPPTS now has reoriented its chemical programs to support the emphasis on source reduction in the Pollution Prevention Act. The new chemicals program, the Agency's first opportunity to practice pollution prevention guiding principles, keeps dangerous chemicals from entering commerce. It also is being used to instill a "green chemistry" ethic in industry, aimed at selecting chemical synthesis pathways that avoid the generation of toxic waste. OPPTS will continue to reform the existing chemicals program to promote the use of safer chemicals, materials and technologies in the industrial sector. The Design for the Environment (Dffi) program, which is an outgrowth of the existing chemical program, will become a key component in the Agency's Environmental Technology Initiative. The pesticides program's pollution prevention priorities will focus on promoting sustainable agriculture. Increased emphasis will be given to promoting the wider application of alternative agricultural practices including IPM, education and outreach to growers and other pesticide users, and recycling of pesticide containers to encourage pollution prevention. Initiatives to reduce the use of high-risk pesticides are also an important on-going part of OPPTS pollution prevention activities. The TRI program will take a more prominent role as one of the cornerstones of the Agency's pollution prevention activities. The program will be expanded to include federal facilities, additional chemicals, and new categories of reporting facilities. Providing usable information from the TRI to many diverse groups of customers is essential to assist and enhance participation in environmental decisionmaking. 4. Strong Science and Data The regulatory programs for chemicals and pesticides in TSCA and FIFRA, respectively, require that decisions to permit the production or use of the chemical or pesticide be based on scientific test data on health and environmental effects, risk assessments, and risk management. Advances in EPA's understanding of health and environmental effects of chemicals and pesticides, improved testing protocols, and new measurement systems constantly expand the Agency's knowledge base. For example, the recent National Academy of Science (NAS) report, "Pesticides in the Diets of Infants and Children, " made a variety of recommendations concerning how the Agency evaluates pesticide toxicity, residue levels, and food consumption, and how this information should be used in risk assessment. The NAS recommendations cite the need for higher standards for the quality, quantity, sensitivity, and scope of data used in evaluating the risks from pesticides. In response, OPPTS will develop new types of testing to support the establishment of tolerances for pesticide residues, multiple tolerances for residues in food at different points in the food production and distribution chain, and the unique aspects of infants' and children's diets. This represents a major change for OPPTS's tolerance activities. July, 1994 93 ------- Chapter 4 Agency-wide Strategic Plan New pesticides are submitted regularly to the Agency for review and registration. More and more, these pesticides are biologicals, transgenic plants, and other "safer" pesticides. These new types of pesticides will expand the scope and complexity of scientific analyses and review. Considerable progress has been made in developing a process for evaluating the risks of the 70,000 existing chemicals and enhancing pollution prevention. Sharpening the focus to the approximately 14,000 non-polymer chemicals produced in quantities above 10,000 pounds per year still represents a tremendous work load involving complicated risk assessments, structure activity relationship assessments, and other analytic tools. The use of these tools, however, relies on chemical, lexicological, and other scientific data. In addition to making the required regulatory decisions, these scientific data constitute a vast information base on chemicals. The challenge before the Agency is to use and apply this scientific information in innovative ways to advance risk reduction and pollution prevention opportunities. 5. Partnerships Partnerships with other federal agencies, the states and tribes, and internationally are important components of OPPTS programs. Activities such as food safety and lead risk reduction require coordination with other federal agencies including the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the Untied States Department of Agriculture (USD A), the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), and the Department of Labor (DOL). State assistance in implementing OPPTS field programs (i.e., groundwater protection, endangered species protection, farmworker protection, lead-in-ecosystems protection, and environmental justice) is invaluable, and OPPTS will continue to encourage and support state efforts in these areas. The lead program includes joint grant programs with HUD and training and demonstration programs with state and local authorities. The pollution prevention program helps build a national network of prevention programs among state and local governments. State grant programs and technology transfer/technical assistance help develop state prevention programs and provide prevention information to industry and the public. OPPTS will continue to build international partnerships through activities related to test guideline harmonization; chemical testing through the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development Screening Information Data Set (OECD SIDS) program; and the notification of foreign countries receiving pesticides that are banned for use in the United States, through EPA's prior informed consent program. 6. Reinventing EPA Management Over the next few years, OPPTS intends to continue its efforts to make its programs more effective, efficient, and responsive to the public. In the toxics area, OPPTS will continue efforts to streamline the new chemical review process, emphasizing the identification of chemical categories that do not need to be reviewed. The existing chemicals and chemical testing programs will accelerate efforts to achieve practical environmental improvements through the use of consent agreements and voluntary actions. Within the pesticides program, OPPTS will continue to explore new ways to streamline the registration, reregistration, and special review processes. OPPTS also will begin implementation of a new strategic planning process. 94 July, 1994 ------- Agency-wide Strategic Plan Chapter 4 7. Environmental Accountability In the coming years, OPPTS will continue its efforts to promote compliance. These efforts will be in the areas of regulatory development, compliance/technical assistance, and support to the OECA. OPPTS will ensure that the implementing regulations for its programs are more understandable to the regulated community and the public. In addition, OPPTS will work closely with OECA to ensure that regulations are more enforceable. OPPTS undertakes many activities that relate to compliance and technical assistance. OPPTS will continue its partnerships with other federal agencies, states, and tribes in implementing EPA programs. OPPTS will continue to operate its various program hotlines and sponsor and participate in workshops and conferences that deal with complying with OPPTS's program requirements. OPPTS will work with OECA in developing compliance assistance strategies for various high-risk sectors, geographic areas, and ecosystems. The regulatory programs for chemicals and pesticides in TSCA, EPCRA, and FIFRA collect a vast information base on chemicals and pesticides. Over the last few years considerable progress has been made in developing processes for evaluating the risks of chemicals and pesticides. The risk assessment analytical tools coupled with the vast information bases on chemicals and pesticides will allow OPPTS to assist in determining the areas of highest risk, where compliance assistance and enforcement activities should concentrate. In addition, OPPTS will continue its technical and regulatory assistance in support of traditional enforcement actions undertaken by OECA and EPA regional offices. July, 1994 95 ------- ChaPter 4 ____ Agency-wide Strategic Plan OFFICE OF RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT INTRODUCTION The Office of Research and Development (ORD) strives to improve the scientific and technological bases for EPA's environmental protection actions; to exert national leadership in environmental science and engineering; and to provide expert scientific and technical advice and problem solving for the Agency. In response to two reports1 of the EPA's Science Advisory Board and the report of an expert panel2, ORD has undertaken several new directions: > Build the scientific knowledge base needed for managing the nation's ecosystems. > Conduct research to improve the ability to do human health risk assessment with special emphasis on human exposure. *- Shift the emphasis in research and development from pollution control to preventing pollution, and become a catalyst for innovations in environmental technology. * Conduct long-term research programs to address current and future environmental problems as well as continue short-term research and technical support to support EPA regulatory, compliance, and enforcement programs. While revamping its research program places ORD in a good position to support the Agency's strategic vision over the next five years, several decisions have to be made by the Agency about the scope of its research and development program. The competing objectives of short-term program support research, technical support activities, and long-term fundamental research exceeds ORD's ability to maintain high-quality programs in every area. Only through a clear and open agency-wide process for deciding how best to balance these objectives can ORD's contribution to the Agency's strategic vision be realized. SUPPORTING THE GUIDING PRINCIPLES 1. Ecosystem Protection Strategic Direction: > Move toward an integrated ecosystem research program that provides the science and the tools to support ecosystem management efforts. > Continue to develop an interagency capability to provide national and regional assessments of ecosystem status and trends. * Through Agency authorities and cooperative programs, engage industry to provide ecotoxicology and transport and fate data on xenobiotics. Historically, a large portion of ORD's ecological research program has been devoted to providing methods for assessing the risk of specific chemicals to individual species. These methods have 96 July, 1994 ------- Agency-wide Strategic Plan Chapter 4 made a major contribution to the risk assessments that the program offices have used to set standards for reducing the ecological impacts of regulated pollutants. However, as controls have become more widespread and our scientific understanding has increased, ORD has recognized a need to develop a comprehensive understanding of ecosystems and how they are affected by multiple, interacting chemicals and many other non-chemical stresses. During FY 1994, ORD is implementing a major transition of its ecological research program that will provide the Agency with the science and tools necessary for ecosystem management. ORD is reorganizing its ecological research program into three major components: monitoring, risk assessment, and geographically focused research and modeling. The program will address questions related to ecosystem status and trends; understanding and predicting how ecosystems respond to multiple stressors and how this response translates into ecological conditions; and assessing risks and predicting how an ecosystem would respond to various management scenarios. The research focused in geographic regions will produce scientific knowledge and tools (e.g., models and methods) that will be tested and developed in an integrated fashion in selected geographical areas and then transferred for use in other areas with similar characteristics. In FY 1995 and FY 1996, ORD will consolidate its ecological research program to reflect the design and transition work completed in FY 1994. Over the next five years, the new focus will move the program to the leading edge of ecological research where ORD's expertise can be applied most productively and leveraged with other research organizations. Consistent with this effort, ORD phased out its separate Arctic research program in FY 1995 and will participate in Agency Arctic activities through a project under the Regional Environmental Monitoring and Assessment Program (REMAP). Under this project, ORD will work with the state of Alaska, EPA's Region 10, and the Office of International Activities to train U.S. and Russian scientists in monitoring methods developed by the Environmental Monitoring and Assessment Program (EMAP) that can be applied in the Arctic region. While the focus and design of the program is fairly well defined, ORD needs to resolve how fast to move towards an integrated program and how to distribute resources among the three components of the program. Two major issues that must be addressed are how to meet the continuing short-term ecological research needs of the program offices, and whether the ORD should accelerate implementation of the EMAP in FY 1996. 2. Environmental Justice Strategic Direction: * Maintain a strong health research and risk assessment program. > Improve risk assessment capabilities by addressing data gaps in human exposure. * Address weaknesses in risk assessment capabilities identified in the National Academy of Sciences report on hazardous air pollutants. > Ensure that all data collection and assessments consider environmental justice. ORD's most important contribution to the environmental justice issue is to improve the Agency's ability to conduct human health risk assessments by focusing on a major weakness in risk assessments, i. e., human exposure. Many are concerned that minorities and low-income groups July, 1994 97 ------- Chapter 4 Agency-wide Strategic Plan experience higher-than-average exposure to selected pollutants. However, with the exception of lead, there is a significant lack of data that provide a reliable indication of environmental exposures and health effects for different minority and income groups. ORD is addressing the exposure issue in three main areas; methods development, monitoring data, and model development. Significant advances are needed in all these areas to address widely recognized gasps in EPA's risk assessment capability. To address the monitoring component, ORD is developing the National Human Exposure Assessment Survey (NHEXAS). Full Implementation of NHEXAS will provide an exposure profile for the U.S. population that may serve as the baseline to which minority and low income group exposures can be compared. In addition, ORD is considering approaches to NHEXAS that will allow early consideration of the equity issue at least on a limited basis. ORD also plays a significant role in supporting the Agency's environmental justice activities through several research projects that will help answer specific scientific questions directly related to the environmental justice issue. These research projects range from the development of methods to measure exposure to aromatic hydrocarbons among inner city and rural children to determining the fish ingestion rates and adverse exposures to contaminants for Native Americans. The recent report issued by the National Academy of Sciences3 (NAS) found the Agency's risk assessment practices to be basically sound but provided 70 recommendations necessary for improvement. Although the report was specifically on air toxic risk concerns, the recommendations in the NAS report are generic and cut across the Agency. Because Agency's risk assessment practices are a focus of major science controversy, it is important to adopt quickly all the recommendations in the report. During FY 1994 and FY 1995, ORD will complete pilot NHEXAS programs and also work to structure multi-agency support and participation in NHEXAS implementation. The Agency must decide whether to adopt a national NHEXAS program or some other approach that would improve human exposure data and ensure that environmental justice concerns are dealt with in all data collection efforts. Deliberations are currently underway to address the research planning and resource implications of the NAS report. The Agency must determine if a special research effort will be necessary. 3. Pollution Prevention Strategic Direction: + Build partnerships between innovators, sources of capital, and users of technology. *- Sponsor limited in-house technology development/evaluation when partnerships are not appropriate. * Solicit investigator-initiated grants focused on specific innovative technology needs. ORD's pollution prevention and technology development programs are moving in a new direction that will harness expertise and resources outside of the Agency to bring about innovative technology development. ORD's shift from an internal research focus to promoting and facilitating outside activities is one that will be pursued wherever possible to meet the technology needs of Agency programs. With the Agency, ORD is expanding from a narrow focus on 98 July, 1994 ------- Agency-wide Strategic Plan Chapter 4 developing control technologies for a few EPA-administered programs to promoting innovations and fostering pollution prevention across all sectors of the economy. ORD will use the ETI model to refocus its engineering and demonstration program in areas where there are opportunities to build partnerships. These partnerships would be sought with parties that could use innovative technologies or have sources of capital to develop and commercialize them. In addition, ORD will build into its program the concept of "fast finish", a strategy by industry to assess a project's potential for success or failure as early as possible in the project. ORD believes that properly focused investigator-initiated grants could be a valuable tool for furthering the development of innovative technologies and should be pursued as part of this effort. ORD believes it is very important to have an adequate number of senior scientists and program managers to manage the great deal of money associated with these programs. While both ETI and pollution prevention are based on partnerships with the public and private sectors, there is a need to provide considerable coordination, oversight, and direction to ensure that these programs produce. This new approach also requires a different skill mix than has been traditionally fostered for the in-house research program. 4. Strong Science and Data Strategic Direction: + Build EPA's reputation as a strong science agency by redefining ORD's research program to ensure continuous improvement in the quality of science in all EPA's endeavors. * Build an awareness among EPA's scientists and engineers that their scientific reputations require continual attention in all Agency activities. * Strengthen the interaction of Agency scientists and engineers with academia and professional scientific societies. > Use evaluative techniques such as benchmarking against the best in research to measure continual improvement. *- Reinvent the Agency's regulatory, compliance, and enforcement processes by improving the science policy interface, and use peer review, quality assurance, and risk assessment to ensure science quality in decisionmaking. Improving the quality of the science and data for the Agency's decision-making requires effort in a number of areas outlined in chapter two. ORD's contributions to these efforts in the past have been significant; in the future, ORD will be expected to continue to provide leadership for these efforts. However, ORD's mission is much broader than the resources that are available to carry it out. Consequently ORD will clarify and focus its mission, and develop an operation plan that explains how ORD resources (people, facilities, and extramural funds) are allocated and managed. ORD's greatest resource is its scientists and engineers, who in many cases are world leaders in their disciplines. Their contributions to the Agency's mission and the credibility of its decisions can be improved only by their continual attention to and participation in all Agency activities. In addition, their active involvement in professional scientific organizations will promote the July, 1994 " ------- Chapter 4 Agency-wide Strategic Plan cross-fertilization of ideas, initiate research partnerships, and enhance the Agency's scientific reputation. ORD will encourage and support its scientists and engineers to participate in Agency decisionmaking and to interact with peers in academia and the private sector. As a possible way to improve the use of science by the regulatory programs, ORD proposes to divide its program into four components: strategic research, program support, national assessment and evaluation programs, and programmatic assessments. This approach of distinctly separating program support from the rest of the research will strengthen the links between the program and regional offices' science needs and ORD's research. Changes in allocations among these categories would be made through an explicit Agency-wide decisionmaking process. In addition to redefining ORD's program, the Agency laboratory study will develop a baseline description of all EPA's laboratories and assess options to enhance the quality, effectiveness, and efficiency of all the Agency's laboratory operations. While it is uncertain what actions will be taken, all results will be benchmarked against other research organizations with similar mission and staffs. 5. Partnerships Strategic Direction: * Based on experience gained from successful partnerships forged to date, strive for continued growth in public/private research activities that address the broad environmental research agenda. * Build partnerships with other federal agencies to help focus their research activities on EPA science policy issues. * Encourage industry to support high quality research through the Federal Technology Transfer Act (FTTA), joint research planning and other cooperative arrangements. * Build science capacity at the state level and ensure the transfer of the latest science and technology into state programs. In its 1990 strategic plan, ORD recognized the need to build science partnerships to enhance the quality of its science and leverage its resources. From its stated goal to "Collaborate with other federal agencies, industry, academia, and other countries to enhance . . . national and international research efforts," ORD has developed a variety of partnerships. In addition to FTTA agreements and the Superfund Innovative Technology Evaluation program, ORD has formed research consortia with industry to plan and carry out research in areas such as ozone transport, fuel additives, and disinfectant byproducts. The Environmental Monitoring and Assessment Program .(EMAP) is an example of a broad partnership with other federal agencies such as the Forest Service, which conducts all forest sampling for the program. To promote interaction with academia, ORD has increased the use of competitive cooperative agreements for research conducted by universities. Because of its extensive experience in building research partnerships and the technology expertise in its laboratories, ORD is well prepared to contribute significantly to the ETI. Successful partnership building requires a highly trained staff in science and technology that has the credibility to focus and direct public and private activities in this area. While ETI provides an excellent opportunity for ORD to extend further the impact of its research program, there will ° ~~ " ~ July, 1994 ------- Agency-wide Strategic Plan Chapter 4 continue to be a significant strain on ORD's resources through FY 1996. Finally, the Agency needs to focus on building the capacity of state and local governments to independently address the scientific aspects of environmental problems. 6. Reinventing EPA Management Strategic Direction: > In the next five years, create an ORD to meet the challenges of the 21st century through implementation of an operational plan drawn around streamlining, the NPR action plans, measurable environmental goals, and the EPA laboratory study. As stated above, ORD's streamlining plan is based on an examination of fundamental guiding principles related to mission, organization, and customers. Over the years, different views about the role of ORD in EPA have resulted in conflicts regarding the needs for long-term research, program support, and assessments. ORD proposes the following four criteria to guide development of its operational plan: 1) Establish and maintain a high-quality, strategic research program focused on key long-term environmental issues, an extramural research program that harnesses the resources and creativity of the academic and private sector, and an in-house staff able to build effective partnerships. 2) Support the scientific and technical community while ensuring effective stewardship and adequate controls of these resources. 3) Focus resources on responding to the explicit needs of the Agency and its regulatory, prevention and enforcement agenda, and be explicit about resources that are available for these activities and the results expected. 4) Recognize that high quality research and development requires sustained research and development support. To implement the operational plan, ORD is undertaking the following actions: > Reorganizing and streamlining the headquarters and laboratory hierarchy. ** Simplifying internal administrative requirements into a true accountability system while ensuring effective stewardship of resources. > Making strategic decisions about future staffing needs to guide a large potential turnover of staff during the next five years. * Instilling a new spirit in ORD that values diversity. *- Empowering its workforce through enhanced communication, delegation, and teamwork. > Establishing four Committees for Change made up of members of the ORD Streamlining Task Force and other ORD staff to participate in the implementation of the overall plan. 7. Environmental Accountability Strategic Direction: July, 1994 101 ------- Chapter 4 ^ Agency-wide Strategic Plan * Provide data to support and justify Agency decisions. * Provide data on status and trends of ecological and human exposures and effects. ** Support environmental accountability through technology transfer, technical assistance and environmental science education. ORD's program of research, technology transfer, education, and technical assistance supports the Agency's compliance and monitoring efforts by: > Providing the scientific foundations for regulatory and policy decisions; +- Providing a scientifically valid baseline for measuring changes in ecological resources and human exposures to environmental stressors; and > Supporting the Agency throughout numerous technology and information transfer activities that assist in the achievement of compliance with environmental goals. During the next five years, ORD's EPA ecosystem research program will provide the science and tools that will enable us to better understand ecosystems and their stressors the first step for developing enforcement strategies to protect sensitive ecosystems. Of equal importance will be the ecological status and trends information provided by EMAP, which will permit decision makers at all levels to observe the impacts of their decisions and to monitor changes in the quality of this country's ecosystems. Similarly, NHEXAS will provide information about the trends of human exposures to toxic chemicals in the environment and will help to identify groups in the population who may be more heavily exposed than the norm. ORD's program of technology transfer and technical assistance provides information to states, local governments, the regulated community, and the public that enables them to most effectively and efficiently meet their environmental goals. Seminars such as Comprehensive Environmental Planning: A Guide for Small Communities build the capacity of small communities to identify environmental priorities and to assess their compliance across a range of regulations and environmental responsibilities. ORD's environmental education program, from the primary to the postgraduate level, expands the core of citizens and scientists who are better educated about the environment, and for whom environmental accountability has become a matter of daily concern and action rather than an occasional afterthought. REFERENCES 1 Future Risk: Research Strategies for the 1990s and Reducing Risk: Setting Priorities and Strategies for Environmental Protection. 2. Safeguarding the Future: Credible Science. Credible Decisions. March 1992. 3. Science and Judgment in Risk Assessment. National Academy Press, 1994. 102 July, 1994 ------- Agency-wide Strategic Plan Chapter 4 OFFICE OF REGIONAL OPERATIONS AND STATE/LOCAL RELATIONS INTRODUCTION A large and significant component of how the EPA does business involves relations with states, localities, and tribes. Their perspectives are all necessary components of reinventing EPA, because intergovernmental relationships, communication, and interaction with states, localities, and tribes are critical to achieving improved environmental protection. In building a network of strong environmental management, EPA must maximize utilization of all of the available resources. To achieve this, EPA will emphasize building and strengthening regional, state, and local capacity to manage environmental programs. EPA also must provide flexibility to address unique problems, or to address old problems in new ways. Working with the regions and state and local partners, EPA must identify, correct and remove barriers to achieving maximum environmental benefits in a way that makes sense and encourages innovation. SUPPORTING THE GUIDING PRINCIPLES 1. Ecosystem Protection As EPA moves toward a more holistic approach for key economic and geographic areas, the Office of Regional Operations and State/ Relations (OROSLR) intends to work with the regions and states to showcase new integrated approaches to environmental management. A new program, begun in FY 1994, will provide funding for each region, working with its state and local governments as appropriate, to begin assessing and addressing high-risk and high-priority environmental problems that are unique to each region. Some of these projects are ecosystem studies/assessments, and most of them are geographically based. The office will be directing an effort to institutionalize successful approaches demonstrated by the projects; develop criteria for selection of future projects; work out appropriate measures to evaluate progress of the projects; and develop effective mechanisms to communicate successes and difficulties encountered with these unique projects to the rest of the Agency. Another important function that OROSLR will provide is linkage with other Agency efforts such as the ecosystem management guiding principle, sustainable development, and particularly EMAP/REMAP. In the future, additional geographic problem areas will be chosen to highlight new and innovative environmental approaches. 2. Environmental Justice, and 3. Pollution Prevention In addition to showcasing ecosystem management approaches via regional geographic initiatives, a number of ongoing initiatives will use pollution prevention tools and environmental justice guiding principles to address existing environmental problems. OROSLR intends to document all results of these regional initiatives and convey lessons learned to the rest of the Agency. Of the additional regional initiatives selected in the out-years, some will be encouraged to demonstrate environmental justice guiding principles and the use of pollution prevention tools. OROSLR also July, 1994 103 ------- Chapter 4 Agency-wide Strategic Plan will work with local governments and especially small towns to address their environmental justice concerns as well as highlight their environmental justice approaches and successes. Finally, OROSLR will work closely with the regional leadership to encourage states to apply and promote pollution prevention and environmental justice approaches throughout their operating programs. 4. Strong Science and Data Although much data has been collected by the media programs, EPA continues to suffer from a lack of reliable, integrated, and accessible data nationally. Identifying unmet needs and linking data systems will be an important challenge over the next five years. OROSLR will pursue the following activities to address this challenge: * Build a database containing an extensive list of characteristics of small governments including their governmental forms, budgeting systems, environmental protection responsibilities, and environmental infrastructure. * Ensure widespread availability of the database for the purposes of Agency decision-making, planning, budgeting, and rule-making. * Identify and establish mechanisms to improve electronic communication and data exchange among the states, EPA headquarters, and the regions (i.e., E-mail, Internet, bulletin boards, early warning systems, etc.). Pursue the same goals for local and tribal governments as well. ^ Work with the national programs to ensure that state monitoring and tracking information is as useful and accessible to the states themselves as it is to EPA. > Continue to fund and improve the responsiveness of Regional Analytical Environmental Services. * Ensure that the technical support activities performed by the Environmental Services Divisions meet the applied scientific investigation, inspection, monitoring, and sampling needs of the region's media programs. > Work with ORD, the regions, and states to develop and implement a state lab certification program. * Work with Agency staff to share scientific and technical findings more effectively with state, local, and tribal co-regulators and implementers. 5. Partnerships OROSLR, working in tandem with the regions, is the catalyst to drive an agency-wide, ongoing effort to ensure the most effective working partnership between EPA and its governmental partners. OROSLR's role as catalyst will involve the following set of activities: * Build partnership with states and localities. ^ Increase opportunities for exchange of information between the headquarters program staff, the regions, states, local governments, and decision makers in the regulatory development process, to ensure more effective implementation of environmental protection objectives. 104 i 1994 ------- Agency-wide Strategic Plan Chapter 4 > Encourage and assist regular meetings between EPA officials (especially in the regions) and state and local environmental officials to promote, discuss, and resolve issues of concern such as state capacity building through training, technical assistance, and cross-state learning; multi-media and cross-program activities; and priority setting. Encourage state-to-state exchanges and meetings on these issues as well. >- Facilitate, within the Agency and among states and localities, dissemination of successful environmental management models. > Build a customer feedback mechanism from state and local governments to inform EPA regional management. > Support the media programs and regions in developing the least cost, most effective way of communicating with the states, and serve as a repository of in-house expertise for the rest of the Agency in conducting outreach to the states, localities, and tribes. > Implement the Small Town Environmental Planning Act of 1992 (STEP), including the establishment of a Small Town Ombudsman network throughout headquarters and the regions, and a Small Town Notification Program. * Explore the feasibility of a notification program for small communities, including an experimental on-line bulletin board. > Support the Administrator's Task Force on Tribal Relations and facilitate the implementation of their findings and recommendations. > Continue to facilitate headquarters/regional communication, as needed, to ensure a coherent Agency approach to environmental partnerships. 6. Reinventing EPA Management OROSLR will seek to promote changes at EPA and among the states and localities that will promote streamlined environmental management for improved environmental results. Activities to support this goal include: > Test the hypothesis that EPA can offer states and localities increased flexibility with accountability to improve overall environmental performance. Working with the regions, sponsor and facilitate state flexibility pilot projects, disseminate lessons learned from these projects, and make recommendations for Agency-wide change. > Work with regional programs to redefine the EPA/state oversight relationship, so that we moves toward measuring real environmental accomplishments, reducing paperwork associated with oversight, and rewarding states with high-performing programs. ** Facilitate the regular provision of cross-regional information in a format that facilitates management decisions in the regions and EPA national programs. * Use information from the state and local customer feedback mechanisms to further EPA's reinvention efforts. July, 1994 105 ------- Chapter 4 Agency-wide Strategic Plan 7. Compliance Assurance In supporting this principle, OROSLR, working with OECA, the regions, and others throughout the Agency, will attempt to identify ways in which the state/EPA compliance assurance relationship can be improved for better environmental outcomes. Activities under consideration to support this principle are: > A study to identify how the EPA can better assess the quality of state/EPA compliance assurance and enforcement programs. There are many ways to gauge the quality and effectiveness of enforcement programs that go beyond activity measures. This study will attempt to identify which such alternative measures would present a more robust assessment of the effectiveness of state and federal compliance and enforcement programs. > An assessment of and recommendations on ways in which the EPA/state oversight relationship can be changed to foster better EPA/state relations and more effective environmental management. The compliance assurance and enforcement relationship will be a component of this assessment. * As part of a larger National Performance Review initiative, OROSLR will evaluate and disseminate information on several state pilots in which states are trying new and innovative approaches to environmental management, including compliance measurement and assessment. For example, the states of New York and Massachusetts will launch pilot projects that will showcase targeted multi-media inspections coupled with pollution prevention compliance assistance. 106 July, 1994 ------- Agency-wide Strategic Plan Chapter 4 OFFICE OF SMALL AND DISADVANTAGED BUSINESS UTILIZATION INTRODUCTION The Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization (OSDBU) was established in 1978 to develop and administer Agency policies, procedures, and guidelines that not only will assist small, disadvantaged (minority and women) businesses in securing opportunities in EPA's direct and indirect procurement, but also increase the participation of Minority Business Enterprise (MBE) and Women Business Enterprise (WBE) firms in the Agency's procurement processes. Assistance is provided through conferences and seminars, environmental training in the cleanup and abatement of various environmental hazards, workshops, networking sessions, and consultations with prime contracting and socioeconomic contracting consultants. Policies include procurements subcontracting goals for small businesses, small disadvantaged businesses and women-owned businesses, as well as "fair share" goals for subcontracts obtained through grants and other procurements under assistance. In addition to these responsibilities, OSDBU maintains the Asbestos and Small Business Ombudsman, also serves as the Administrator's internal advocate on economic issues affecting the small business community, provides information and technical assistance to the small businesses required to comply with Agency regulations, serves on regulatory workgroups to convey small business concerns speaks on behalf of small businesses works with national and state trade associations to disseminate and exchange information that will promote voluntary compliance and operates a toll-free Small Business Ombudsman "Hotline" for small business questions and concerns. SUPPORTING THE GUIDING PRINCIPLES 2. Environmental Justice OSDBU was part of EPA's original working group in the development of the Agency's environmental equity program. In FY 1992, OSDBU provided $115,000 to the Office of Environmental Equity for the study of the clean air issues affecting small businesses in small/rural communities. This study was conducted by Xavier University, a Historically Black College, located in New Orleans, Louisiana. In the first quarter of FY 1993, OSDBU provided funds and initiated a working agreement with the environmental equity office to benefit the District of Columbia by providing technical training to low-income residents living in public housing where lead paint was a known hazard. OSDBU was joined in this effort by the Department of Commerce and the Department of Housing and Urban Development. Ten low-income residents not only were trained in asbestos removal and lead abatement, but they also were guaranteed employment with the District of Columbia. In the first quarter of FY 1994, ten more low-income in the District of Columbia were trained through OSDBU's support of the environmental equity initiative and they all were placed by the District of Columbia government in private sector jobs. These residents now earn an average of $10.50 per hour. July, 1994 107 ------- Chapter 4 Agency-wide Strategic Plan For FY 1995, OSDBU proposes to implement two initiatives. The first initiative will focus on enhancement of the environmental training for minority and women contractors and entrepreneurs in support of the environmental justice initiative. Specifically, OSDBU will develop a cadre of qualified and trained minority and women contractors to perform work and provide services to minority communities at risk. OSDBU in FY 1995 will add more course material to the training programs so that more minority and women contractors are qualified to work at environmental justice-designated sites. OSDBU plans to conduct a demonstration program in FY 1995 in at least one environmental justice-designated site where the minority and/or women contractors will serve as contractors as well as the subcontractors; bonding requirements, if any, waived by EPA. In FY 1996, OSDBU, as part of a two-year pilot program, will require all EPA prime contractors to give preference to OSDBU-trained minority and women contractors and to 8(a), women-owned, and small disadvantaged business firms registered with OSDBU. 5. Partnerships In FY 1995 through 1997, OSDBU will promote a pilot program that will focus on the participation of minority academic institutions (especially historically black colleges and universities) in partnerships with minority and women businesses seeking greater involvement in the Agency's Environmental Technology Initiative. Joined by the Department of Commerce's Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA) and the Small Business Administration (SBA), OSDBU's pilot program will identify private sector funding to supplement a special public sector funding mechanism designed to assist in technology transfer, innovation, and commercialization. This demonstration project will adhere to the four guiding principles established by EPA in the administration of the Environmental Technology Initiative. A second partnership envisioned by OSDBU focuses on greater outreach efforts to minority- and women-owned businesses interested in doing environmental work either directly for EPA or indirectly for a grantee such as a state or municipality. This partnership involves a shared responsibility with the SBA, MBDA, and EPA's proposed overall coordinator, the National Association of Minority Contractors, Inc. OSDBU envisions a complete overhaul of its state conferences to increase the amount of business information disseminated to minority and women contractors in order to enhance their marketing skills. 6. Reinventing EPA Management The re-inventing of EPA's OSDBU will be conducted in four phases beginning in FY 1995 and completed by the end of FY 1997. * Phase One: A disinvestment of the Small Business Ombudsman function an operation currently administered by two FTEs with four American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) employees to be transferred to OPPE because of the role it plays in the regulatory process. An investment of one professional FTE and one clerk typist to assist in the expansion of the procurement and business opportunities initiatives of OSDBU. The disinvestment will be accomplished by the end of FY 1995. The investment will be accomplished by the end of FY 1996. * Phase Two: Establishment of a Quality Action Team (OSDBU, OARM, SBA, MBDA) to increase coordination, information, and accomplishments in support of small and 108 ------- Agency-wide Strategic Plan Chapter 4 disadvantaged businesses. This Quality Action Team will meet quarterly beginning in FY 1995 to review progress made toward the goals negotiated with SB A and the 8 percent goal incorporated in EPA's appropriations language. * Phase Three: Establishment of regional staff fully dedicated to OSDBU's mission (one person per region) serving as associate directors, OSDBU. Phase Three will be implemented in FY 1996. In FY 1995, OSDBU will pilot this program in Regions 4, 5, and 8, using the existing staff and resources. > Phase Four: Creation of a workgroup with specified staff from grants administration, the Cincinnati and Research Triangle Park, NC buying facilities to meet with headquarters staff to promote the utilization of disadvantaged businesses. Phase Four will be implemented in FY 1995. July, 1994 109 ------- Chapter 4 Agency-wide Strategic Plan OFFICE OF SOLID WASTE AND EMERGENCY RESPONSE INTRODUCTION The Office of Solid Waste and Emergency Response (OSWER) has four long-term strategic planning goals: 1) Minimize the quantity and toxicity of waste created by residential, commercial, industrial, and government activities. 2) Ensure the environmentally sound management of solid and hazardous wastes. 3) Prevent harmful releases of oil and hazardous substances into the environment. 4) Prepare for and respond in a timely and effective manner to releases of hazardous substances into the environment. These four goals apply across OSWER's programs and provide a common thread to its statutory mandates of protecting public health and the environment from the effects of waste management and the release of harmful substances. While OSWER's programs (Superfund, Underground Storage Tanks, Solid and Hazardous Waste Management, and Chemical Emergency Preparedness and Prevention) were established by six different laws, these goals distill the essence of OSWER's mission, reflect underlying values and provide criteria for making operational decisions. Each OSWER program has developed program-specific priorities and guiding principles for meeting the four goals. In Superfund, OSWER just completed an extensive outreach process to build consensus on statutory reforms to make site cleanups faster, fairer, and more efficient. Superfund's goals anticipate statutory changes but also work within the current legal framework. * Speed the pace of cleanups, * Rely on "enforcement first", *~ Meet annual numerical goals for site completion, * Ensure a fair enforcement process, > Enhance environmental justice and community involvement, + Increase the role of the states and tribes, ** Speed military base closures, *" Improve contracts management, > Encourage innovative technologies, *- Work on the worst sites first, and * Reduce administrative costs. 110 July, 1994 ------- Agency-wide Strategic Plan __ Chapter 4 The Oil Spills Program goals are to respond to spills quickly and effectively minimize the extent and frequency of spills. The goals of the Underground Storage Tank (UST) Program are to: > Build stronger state/tribal/local partnerships, >- Speed up corrective actions through streamlining and new technologies, +- Promote full compliance with leak detection requirements, and * Prevent leaks by promoting early compliance with the 1998 UST upgrading deadline. The Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) Solid and Hazardous Waste Program aims to: ^ Increase source reduction and recycling, > Tighten safeguards on waste management, including combustion facilities, * Remediate worst sites first, *> Build stronger state and tribal partnerships, > Enhance environmental justice, *- Ensure environmental protection at federal facilities, and > Enhance safeguards on waste exports and imports. The goals of the Chemical Emergency Preparedness and Prevention Program (CEPP) are to: * Reduce risks from accidental releases of hazardous materials, +* Improve the hazardous materials emergency infrastructure, and * Enhance the preparedness, prevention, and response capabilities of private and public sectors. SUPPORTING THE GUIDING PRINCIPLES Even a cursory review of OSWER's strategic planning goals and program-specific priorities reveals strong links to the EPA strategic vision. Pollution prevention and ecosystem protection (along with public health) are an inherent part of OSWER's mission and goals. The other elements of the strategic vision environmental justice, strong science and data, partnership building, and streamlining play key roles in OSWER programs. The following are some examples of how OSWER supports the new approach. 1. Ecosystem Protection OSWER targets funding to states to address waste management's contribution to environmental protection in a range of sensitive ecosystems. These include the Great Lakes, Gulf of Mexico, Mexican border, Chesapeake Bay, and the Caribbean. July, 1994 111 ------- Chapter 4 ^ Agency-wide Strategic Plan 2. Environmental Justice OSWER was the first EPA office to establish an Environmental Justice Task Force. The task force is developing a strategy to address public health and environmental risk concerns across all our programs. OSWER has a cooperative agreement with the NAACP to address environmental justice concerns at Superfund sites. To assist in graphically depicting geographic areas of concern for environmental equity and justice issues, CEPP has developed LandView, a tool for combining maps and demographic data. 3. Pollution Prevention OSWER's Solid and Hazardous Waste, CEPP, and Oil Pollution Programs are true pollution prevention programs. The Office of Solid Waste reaches out to business, industry, government, and individuals to demonstrate that waste reduction and use of recycled material can stimulate economic growth, corporate competitiveness, and job creation. The Combustion Strategy puts waste reduction efforts ahead of new combustion capacity. In addition, pollution prevention guiding principles are written into enforcement settlements with responsible parties, making OSWER's approach one of the most proactive in the Agency. The CEPP Program encourages pollution prevention by helping states, local governments, and industry with risk management planning, chemical safety audits, and community right to-know activities. The oil program prevents harmful releases of oil into the environment by ensuring that facilities have response plans in place to handle spills. The UST program is achieving pollution prevention by making steady progress toward a 1998 deadline for equipping all USTs with corrosion protection and spill prevention. 4. Strong Science and Data OSWER is the only EPA office with a Technology Innovation Office (TIO) that promotes development and technology transfer of new cleanup and remediation methods. 5. Partnerships The UST program has empowered state and local programs to a greater degree than any other EPA-delegated program. The Office of Solid Waste continues to seek new ways to address state funding and priority needs and to enhance state and tribal capabilities. The Office of Solid Waste works with government at all levels, business, industry, and institutions. Efforts to increase state involvement in Superfund and Oil programs will continue through partnerships with the National Governors Association (NGA), National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL), and Association of State & Territorial Solid Waste Management Officers (ASTSWMO). 112 July. 1994 ------- Agency-wide Strategic Plan Chapter 4 CEPP leverages industry resources to improve local preparedness and response effectiveness. TIO has developed an extensive partnership with federal facilities, industry, and others to demonstrate and verify the performance of remediation technology. OSWER contributes to EPA's international partnerships through participation in international agreements, standard-setting, international emergency response planning, and technical assistance. 6. Reinventing EPA Management OSWER's Office of UST is a leader in working with states and industry as customers to improve program implementation. The UST program pioneered the use of field citations as a streamlined enforcement tool and has helped the states streamline their corrective action processes to cut cleanup costs and time. Superfund has a number of administrative improvements underway to accelerate site cleanup and reduce costs. 7. Environmental Accountability OSWER reaches out to the public and regulated community using technical guidance, the RCRA/Superfund industry hotline, and training seminars on regulations and their enforcement. OSWER manages varied and complex information systems to ensure that the enforcement data needs of headquarters, the regions and the states are met. OSWER will strive to enhance public involvement in all aspects of the cleanup programs. OTHER MANDATES AND OBLIGATION As EPA's basic "command-and-control" regulatory structure was put in place, the Agency shifted its attention toward the methods outlined in the strategic vision. These hold the promise of allowing the Agency to leverage the resources of all sectors, to obviate problems, to accomplish its mission more scientifically and less expensively, and to ensure that EPA considers the impact of its actions on the community as a whole. OSWER expect to place even greater emphasis on the strategic vision approaches in the future. OSWER foresees both opportunities and barriers in moving toward the strategic vision. Opportunities include the upcoming reauthorizations of CERCLA (Superfund) and RCRA. The Administration's proposals for Superfund will foster a much stronger partnership with the states and tribes, allow EPA to consider the cumulative and multiple source risks to minority communities, will provide economic redevelopment in distressed communities, and streamline remedy selection. While revisions to RCRA are not developed at this point, OSWER anticipates a movement toward a more flexible, innovative, and delegated program that emphasizes locally tailored solid and hazardous waste programs, promotes pollution prevention and recycling as a central strategy, and advocates effective use of data and information. OSWER expects to maintain or increase its support for risk assessment and for innovative technologies such as bioremediation and alternative in-situ treatment technologies. OSWER will July, 1994 113 ------- Chapter 4 Agency-wide Strategic Plan take advantage of these successes to spur public and private sector efforts to improve scientific knowledge in waste remediation and risk assessment. OSWER anticipates important payoffs in the areas of environmental data. Local Emergency Planning Committees are the recipients and users of sound environmental data. They provide OSWER an opportunity to track success in effective response and ecosystem protection. Science and data areas that could benefit particularly from increased investment include efforts to put practical information about science in the hands of people (such as site and facility cleanup managers) who really need it and can apply it. Also, OSWER's programs suffer from an inability to develop and track environmental indicators that allow it to measure its impact on ecosystem protection; increased funding for data gathering and analysis, and increased sharing of existing data, would enhance OSWER's ability to protect ecosystems. There are numerous opportunities for increased partnerships to achieve OSWER's mission. OSWER would like to expand efforts such as joint projects with industry to develop voluntary underground storage tank standards as an alternative to prescriptive rule making. Regarding state and tribal partners, in five years OSWER anticipates that states and tribes will run a large share of the Superfund program. The RCRA and UST programs are recognized as Agency leaders in state delegation and in flexibility in administering grant programs. The Office of Solid Waste (OSW) has pioneered the "co-regulator" concept with states to effect a true partnership in hazardous waste protection. OSWER will continue to look for ways to provide increased flexibility to states to achieve national goals as well as state priorities. 114 in* July, 1994 ------- Agency-wide Strategic Plan Chapter 4 OFFICE OF WATER INTRODUCTION The Office of Water (OW) envision a nation that has clean, safe, and sufficient water resources to sustain living things and societal needs.1 Over the past several years, water programs have shifted to innovative, risk-targeted approaches to assuring safe drinking water and a watershed-based approach to environmental improvement. OW's work on the President's Safe Drinking Water Act (SOWA) and Clean Water Act (CWA) Reauthorization Initiative,2'3 as well as its FY 1994 and FY 1995 budget investments and redirections, 4 reflect our commitment. The watershed approach mobilizes "traditional" programs (permitting, enforcement, and standards setting), orients them to geographic areas, and supplements them with new tools to address drinking water supply or quality problems, nonpoint sources, habitat loss, and other ecological stresses through partnerships with other federal agencies, state and local governments, industry, landowners, and the public. Both approaches are consistent with the objectives of the President's "Vision of Change for America", mandates in the National Performance Review, the Reinvention Initiative, new Executive Orders on streamlining, recommendations in EPA's Science Advisory Board report, "Reducing Risk", Congressional interest, and OW's stakeholders' belief that current programs must be supplemented with, and to a degree replaced by, local/regional efforts that focus on priority areas. OW's goal is to integrate programs on a watershed basis and empower water quality agencies and others to do the same. The OW program will transform from a focus on specific point sources of pollution in stream segments to one that emphasizes the watershed as the functional unit necessary to meet both human and ecosystem health. Over the next five years, watershed activities will cut across virtually all water programs. To accomplish this goal, OW is implementing a major reprogramming of personnel and resources. SUPPORTING THE GUIDING PRINCIPLES 1. Ecosystem Protection OW is committed to a watershed-based program using ecosystem management guiding principles. In 1994, geographic initiatives in all ten regions and 130 state, and local watershed projects used ecosystem management techniques. By 1999, the number of federal, state and local organizations managing water resources on a watershed/ecosystem basis will increase exponentially. The Agency's Ecosystem Task Force, co-chaired by the Assistant Administrator for Water, is critical to policy and institutional changes necessary for this transition. Current watershed projects will demonstrate the effectiveness of ecosystem management techniques and will allow continuous evaluation and refinement. Several efforts highlight this priority on developing and implementing national, state, and tribal strategies to transition water and aquatic habitat protection programs to a watershed-based approach. In FY 1995, the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit program will refocus 50 percent of its resources to integrate permitting functions into a broader July, 1994 115 ------- Chapter 4 Agency-wide Strategic Plan watershed context and to support development of state-wide basin management approaches. In February 1994, OW completed a draft NPDES Watershed Strategy.5 The document outlines key activities to be taken by regional offices in FY 1994 to ensure that the watershed approach is incorporated into FY 1995 regional and state programs. In 1995, OW will launch the Source Water Protection Program as a tool for states and localities to protect drinking water supplies on a watershed basis. Also starting in FY 1995, a significant portion of CWA Section 319 funds will be targeted to specific state-designated local restoration projects for riparian, wetland, stream channel, and shoreline habitats. OW will be implementing President Clinton's recent Wetland Protection Plan over the next five years and have requested a $5.0 million increase in funds for FY 1995 wetlands grants. Over the next several years, OW will strengthen the institutional framework for the watershed management approach in other areas by integrating grant, planning, standard setting, and assessment and reporting processes per watershed.6 Some examples include; > Combining/linking 15 separate surface water, ground water, and drinking water planning processes into a coordinated watershed process, ^ Using the Great Lakes Water Quality Initiative as a model for developing consistent, watershed-wide water quality standards to protect human health, aquatic life, and wildlife, + Coordinating the issuance of storm water permits with watershed plans, ^ Establishing Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLS) ahead of permits, * Standardizing monitoring and information management practices across federal organizations through efforts, and * Encouraging the use of state revolving funds to support projects in priority watersheds. Additional activities are planned to incorporate ecosystem management practices into water programs. In FY 1995, OW will consolidate several water quality research issues into an ecosystem protection research cluster. Projects conducted under a multi-media approach will provide the scientific basis for sustainable management and protection of ecological systems in specific watershed areas. OW is expanding the coverage of water criteria beyond human health and aquatic life by considering sediment, wildlife, and biological criteria, and augmenting the assessment methodology with tools besides whole effluent toxicity testing. By FY 1999, many tools (e.g., revised human health and aquatic life methodologies) will be in place for the'watershed protection approach. Biological assessment measures linked to eco-regions and indigenous species, which help states incorporate bioassesment into their ambient monitoring programs, will be complete for rivers, streams, lakes, and estuaries by FY 1999 and in progress for wetlands. In FY 1995, OW will begin reporting on some environmental indicators that measure the effectiveness of water quality programs in protecting and improving ecosystem health. All these tools are the basis for the ecological risk assessment (ERA) methodologies that will enable OW to more directly measure the overall state of a watershed/ecosystem. By evaluating effects from all stressors in the watershed and analyzing their impacts on the physical, chemical, and biological components, OW will be better able to identify and rank those watersheds at greatest risk, particular stressors in a watershed with the greatest impacts, and target resources appropriately. 116 July, 1994 ------- Agency-wide Strategic Plan Chapter 4 2. Environmental Justice Both the CWA and SDWA Reauthorization Initiatives recognize the needs of small, economically disadvantaged and rural communities. These communities often are impacted disproportionally by pollution and need innovative solutions for their water-related problems. The CWA initiative allows states to use the State Revolving Fund (SRF) for disadvantaged community needs; permits zero and negative interest loans with extended repayment periods; places priority on urban watersheds whose residents often rely on subsistence fishing; and encourages states to restore and protect urban watersheds. The SDWA proposals address the higher costs per household that small community water systems face in meeting regulatory requirements, allowing "Best Available Technology" (BAT) alternatives for small systems. Native Americans as well as minority groups consume larger amounts offish than the average U.S. citizen. The Criteria and Standards Program is evaluating whether water quality criteria should be based on risk to recreational and subsistence fishermen instead of the national average consumer. OW leads an Agency-wide task force, monitoring fish contamination in the Columbia River Basin to evaluate the health risks to Native Americans from fish consumption. In FY 1995, OW, together with key local organizations, will identify and address environmental justice issues in selected minority communities. Region 10 and OW are leading an effort to coordinate federal programs to help Alaskan Native American village officials address severe sanitation problems. The Indian and Alaskan Native American set aside for wastewater treatment facilities, the FY 1995 budget request of $50 million in grants to support wastewater treatment for the Hispanic residents in Texas colonials, and the FY 1995 request for $100 million for wastewater infrastructure for US/Mexico border cities also support EPA's environmental justice goals.7 3. Pollution Prevention Pollution prevention is a significant component of both the CWA and SDWA Reauthorization Initiatives. CWA pollution prevention proposals include: allowing permit and pretreatment programs to require industrial dischargers to consider pollution prevention, including recycling and pollutant reduction, expanding the SRF to programs promoting water conservation and pollution prevention; and encouraging pollution prevention to be considered in the development of effluent guidelines and best management practices. Similarly, the SDWA proposals have a strong emphasis on pollution prevention. The Source Water Protection Programs for both ground water and drinking water allow states to protect drinking water supplies by addressing pollution from all sources, looking beyond jurisdictional borders, and building local efforts to prevent and control source contamination. Ultimately, preventing contamination of drinking water sources will reduce the burdens of treatment required of water systems. OW is integrating pollution prevention into its operations including: the development of national water discharge standards (effluent guidelines); conditions in NPDES permits; comprehensive, site-specific pollution prevention plans under storm water general permits in 29 industrial sectors; conditions in enforcement settlements; and encouraging Municipal Water Pollution Prevention Programs for municipal waste treatment plants. OW also initiated the Water Alliances for Voluntary Efficiency (WAVE) to promote water use efficiency with the hotel industry. Preventing pollution is the aim of the Wellhead Protection Program and the national Comprehensive State July, 1994 117 ------- Chapter 4 Agency-wide Strategic Plan Ground Water Protection Program (CSGWPP). OW is working with other EPA offices and the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) to develop an interagency agricultural pollution prevention guiding principle. This guiding principle will establish goals for pollution prevention through direct and indirect (technical/financial assistance) Agency actions, and public and private partnerships with agricultural trade organizations. OW's efforts to incorporate pollution prevention into all its program activities will increase over the next five years. 4. Strong Science and Data OW's scientific focus has been strongly influenced by two Science Advisory Board (SAB) reports8'9 that emphasized the importance of: sound science in decision making; Agency programs working together to reduce risk to the environment and to human health; and giving ecological risk reduction the same emphasis as human health risk reduction. Providing access to quality data from a variety of sources for cross-program and multi-media analysis is critical to the success of the watershed and ecosystem management approaches. Over the next five years, OW will incorporate these guiding principles into its program by: * Developing science, methods, models, criteria, and other tools to better identify, assess, and quantify risks for both human health and ecosystems. * Advancing science and technology to reduce risks from unaddressed sources or unregulated pollutants. > Co-chairing the National Science and Technology Council's Committee on Environment and Natural Resources Research. The Committee will develop a national environmental and natural resources research and development (R&D) Strategy to address the Administration's goals of improving linkages between science and policy and enhancing federal coordination. > Participating in the President's Environmental Technology Initiative. > Incorporating social sciences into OW's decision-making process to demonstrate the relationships between the environment and the economy. ** Implementing action plans (1-5 years) for the environmental indicators recommended by the OW Indicators Workgroup10 and working with several states to pilot the use of selected indicators. This effort also will support the requirements of the Government Performance Review Act. >- Improving nationwide11 and EPA monitoring12 and data management practices, including improving quality assurance practices,13 and complying with agency-wide data administration standards to facilitate the sharing of data across organizations. > Modernizing and upgrading data systems14'15 so they better meet new program needs associated with risk and watershed-based programs. 118 July, 1994 ------- Agency-wide Strategic Plan Chapter 4 5. Partnerships A key OW strategic guiding principle is to strengthen the capacity of non-federal partners, primarily states and municipalities, to meet shared environmental goals. The success of newer programs will depend heavily on local involvement and competency. The CWA and SDWA Reauthorization Initiatives recommend "designer partnerships" among federal, state, and local governments, private landowners, industry, and the public so they can collaborate on flexible, innovative, efficient solutions to water quality problems, increasingly making watersheds the basis of analysis and action. A key EPA role, as indicated in the FY 1995 budget, will be to provide local governments, the agricultural community, citizens, and industry with technical and financial and evaluation tools as they explore alternative approaches to solving significant water quality problems. Partnerships must include strategies to help state and local governments meet the financial and other challenges they face in achieving CWA and SDWA goals. EPA recognizes the burden faced by states and localities, and OW intends to respond through increased technical assistance, site-specific assistance, training, and tailored innovative approaches to program funding and implementation. In FY 1993, OW pursued new partnerships with the regulated community and environmental groups. For example, rather than taking the traditional rulemaking approach, OW expended significant time and resources on two highly successful rulemaking processes involving external stakeholders: (1) a negotiated rule on disinfectants and disinfection by products, and (2) the pulp and paper industry integrated rule for water and air. It is OW's goal to involve states in all OW rulemaking. OW also initiated the Water Alliances for Voluntary Efficiency (WAVE). WAVE is designed to promote water use efficiency, with the hotel industry as partners in educating the general public. In FY 1992- FY 1993, OW used consensus-building among a diverse group of stakeholders to develop a comprehensive strategy to address problems from combined sewer overflows (CSOs). OW plays an important leadership role in international activities, because so many basic environmental needs are linked to water supply, wastewater treatment, watershed protection, and regulatory development. OW's highest geographic priority has been to work closely with this country's nearest neighbors, Mexico and Canada. The new North American Commission on Environmental Cooperation should foster EPA's work on the Mexican Border and the Great Lakes. Other significant near-by activities include developing protocols for addressing land-based pollution impacting the Caribbean, as well as the ongoing work on the London Dumping Convention that impacts the U.S. marine environment. Other OW geographic initiatives include extensive work on Middle East water issues; water scarcity and security are growing areas in importance and impact the United States. Future geographic initiatives will be undertaken when they have continental or global environmental consequences. 6. Reinventing EPA Management President Clinton's CWA Initiative provides new flexibility to meet CWA goals more efficiently while reducing base program cost. It proposes grant consolidation, multi-year workplans, streamlined administrative requirements for states electing to use the watershed approach, and simplified revolving fund requirements to assist local communities. These measures will reduce substantially State and EPA paperwork. Substantially OW already has begun efforts to streamline July, 1994 119 ------- Chapter 4 Agency-wide Strategic Plan CWA Section 319 and 106 grants. In response to the National Performance Review (NPR), OW is working with the states and OMB to allow the use of a computerized grants system. OW's Office of Science and Technology is working with the Effluent Guidelines Task Force to identify ways to expedite the promulgation of effluent guidelines. OW will continue to coordinate rule development with the air, toxics, and waste programs, and the public for early issue resolution of all rules and to ensure that regulations minimize industrial investments. A regional workgroup currently is evaluating the NPDES permit program and will provide suggestions for streamlining to OW. Recommendations may include eliminating evidentiary hearings by having permit appeals go directly to the permit appeal board and expanding the use of general permits or permits-by-rule for certain classes of dischargers. Employee development, empowerment, and diversity are key components of the January 1994 OW Streamlining Plan.16 The plan calls for: individual development plans for all OW employees; establishing mentoring and Position Exchange Shadow Assignment programs; multi-media training opportunities, specific slots for career growth, and rotations on a regular basis to broaden management experience and provide opportunities for growth. OW intends to increase the use of the team approach and matrix management. These teams will focus on multi-media, cross-cutting projects vital to OW mission. They will provide OW employees with more flexibility to develop innovative approaches. Recruitment of diverse candidates for middle and upper level positions will be expanded. Management will work with the OW Minority Focus Group to address issues surrounding the hiring, training, recruiting, and promoting of minorities. Efforts also will continue with Virginia State University and a consortium of 34 historically black colleges and universities to amplify training and career opportunities for minorities. Progress toward achieving a diversified work force will be documented for staff in an annual report. 7. Environmental Accountability Over the next five years, the Office of Water (OW) compliance assurance activities will continue to support and promote a strong compliance and enforcement program. OW will target high-risk ecosystems, geographic areas, waterbodies, populations, and sectors. This approach will be integrated into the watershed management and source water protection strategies now being emphasized in water programs. The OW compliance assurance activities will focus on regulatory development, outreach, and enhanced citizen participation, capacity building, compliance/technical assistance, supporting the new Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance (OECA) with its compliance and enforcement activities, and jointly developing compliance assistance strategies with OECA for targeted areas. The Office of Water will continue efforts to assure that its regulations are clear to the public, its regulatory partners, and the regulated community, and that scope and regulatory responsibilities are defined clearly. OW also will develop regulations for which compliance can be measured easily. Staff will conduct training on new regulations shortly after they are promulgated. Working closely with OECA early in the regulation development process to ensure that regulations and regulatory programs are enforceable will be a priority. 120 ------- Agency-wide Strategic Plan Chapter 4 Compliance assistance, including outreach and technical assistance, will continue to be a key component of water programs. The Office of Water will continue and strengthen its partnerships with federal agencies, states, tribes and local governments in developing their capacity to manage programs that achieve and go beyond the requirements of environmental law. This includes continuing efforts to ensure compliance data are fully and accurately reported and to share information widely using new communication technologies. The Office of Water will continue to sponsor and participate in workshops and conferences pertaining to compliance with OW program requirements. For example, OW will continue to work on interagency wetlands enforcement workgroups to identify ways to improve federal wetlands enforcement through better processing of cases, training, communications and outreach, and setting of priorities. OW will coordinate these programmatic meetings (e.g., national meetings of regions and states) with OECA to ensure mutual objectives and common interests are served. Publications, training, and seminars will be provided to increase public awareness and accountability regarding protection of the nation's wetlands, surface waters, and ground water resources. This includes: publication of annual reports on compliance of public water systems, promoting National Drinking Water Week, continuing efforts with the National Training Coalition, implementing the Safe Drinking Water Hotline, conducting training and outreach on storm water program requirements, and working with the regulated community to develop a national control program for combined sewer overflows. OTHER MANDATES AND OBLIGATIONS Public Health Protecting and enhancing public health is an OW strategic goal.1 The Administration's September 1993 package often recommendations for SDWA Reauthorization2 addresses fundamental issues that will better safeguard public health and provide safe drinking water to all Americans. The SDWA reauthorization and its implementation is a top priority over the next five years. The Administration's proposal includes: a Source Water Protection Program, flexibility for states with enhanced source-water protection programs, a drinking water state revolving fund, a program to ensure the viability of small systems, an improved process for selecting contaminants for regulation, and optional SDWA-authorized user fees. Wet Weather Sources of Pollution and Persistent Toxics The greatest sources of water pollution are agricultural and urban nonpoint sources. In response to the Administrator's review of Agency base activities, OW is shifting its emphasis to managing nonpoint source pollutants. OW requested $20 million dollars in FY 1995 for controlling nonpoint sources of pollution. This will be directed toward controlling both urban/suburban and agricultural runoff produced by wet weather conditions and restoring watersheds impacted by nonpoint source pollutants. Another key priority is to address persistent toxics. The President's CWA Initiative strengthens authorities to restrict or prohibit discharge of highly toxic and bioaccumulative pollutants, includes authority to address loadings from all media, and establishes a more risk-based approach to developing water quality criteria for toxics. Base Programs OW is committed to preserving its base programs as it moves toward solving the remaining pollution problems. OW has tried to maintain the level of resources for national July, 1994 121 ------- Chapter 4 Agency-wide Strategic Plan baseline programs. This is critical so that water quality progress made to date is not significantly compromised and becomes the foundation upon which to build watershed and risk-based approaches. REFERENCES 1. 'Water Planet IV; The Water Program's Strategic Plan, " Draft, USEPA, Washington B.C., July 1993. 2. Administration Recommendation for Safe Drinking Water Act Reauthorization, USEPA, Washington B.C., September 8, 1993. 3. President Clinton's Clean Water Initiative. EPA 800-R-94-001, Washington B.C., February 1994. 4. Summary of the 1995 Budget, USEPA, Washington B.C., February 1994. 5. Draft NPDES Watershed Strategy, USEPA, Washington B.C., February 15, 1994. 6. Office of Water Directors Meeting on Watershed Protection: Programmatic Opportunities to Promote the Watershed Protection Approach, Washington B.C. Becember 1992. 7- U.S.- Mexico Integrated Border Environmental Plan (IBEP), USEPA, Washington B.C., February 1992. 8. Framework For Ecological Risk Assessment. USEPA/630/R-92/001, Washington B.C., February 1992. 9. Reducing Risk: Setting Priorities and Strategies for Environmental Protection. USEPA, Washington B.C., 1991. 10. Briefing on Office of Water Environmental Indicators; Measuring Progress to Reach National Goals, USEPA, Washington B.C. January 1994. 11. Ambient Water-Quality Monitoring In the United States: First year Review, Evaluation, and Recommendations; Report to the Office of Management and Budget, Intergovernmental Task Force on Monitoring Water Quality, Interagency Advisory Committee on Water Bata, Water Information Coordination Program, Washington B.C., Becember 1992. 12. Water Monitoring Strategy, USEPA, Washington B.C., November 1993. 13. Office of Water Quality Management Plan, Braft, USEPA, Washington B.C., Becember 1994 14. Information Strategic Plan for the Public Water Supply System, USEPA, Washington B.C., 1993. 15. STORETModernization Project Work Plan: Findings, Conclusions, and Recommendations, USEPA, Washington B.C., February 1991. 16. Office of Water Draft Streamlining Plan, USEPA, Washington B.C., February 7, 1994. 122 July, 1994 ------- Agency-wide Strategic Plan Chapter 4 REGION 1 INTRODUCTION Region 1 encompasses the six New England states and nine tribes, and ranges from densely populated coastal urban areas to pristine mountains and forests. Historically a center for the textile, paper, and metal plating/jewelry industries, and more recently for high-tech and health industries, Region 1 environmental challenges include old mills and industrial sites, contaminated sediments and water, urban air quality problems, acid deposition, radon, land use, and others. The vision for Region 1 is "A New England where 1) people freely include in their daily lives a concern for the environment and a commitment to prevent pollution at work, at home and at play; 2) a quality environment and a healthy economic climate are compatible and meet the needs of future generations; 3) rich and poor alike share in the benefits of a healthy environment; 4) the natural balance of all living things is not threatened; and 5) a Regional Office with a dedicated, highly skilled and culturally diverse workforce rewards achievement, creativity, teamwork and continuous improvement." Four years of strategic planning, resulting in a comprehensive, long-term (FY 1993 1998) strategic plan, has enabled Region 1 to focus its activities in priority areas by re-targeting resources and by undertaking new initiatives. Consistent with the Agency-wide guiding principles, Region 1's plan targets five long-term areas: 1) Protection of critical New England resources; 2) Pollution prevention; 3) Improving science and data, in-house and with partners; 4) Measurement of environmental results; and 5) Changing the organizational culture; collaborating with states and tribes is a key component of all Region 1 long-term strategies. In addition to pursuing long-term strategies, Region 1 will be implementing several new initiatives: a) the environmental technology industry initiative; b) assistance to the regulated community; c) reinventing EPA through bold experimentation; and d) targeted enforcement. Region 1 will target activities and shift resources into regional and Agency-wide priorities, and out of lower priority activities, using the disinvestment process. In FY 1994, Region 1 is reinvesting about 5 percent of its staff into multi-media teams in priority areas, and funding five positions from overhead to coordinate cross-program priority activities. There also have been significant shifts within divisions to carry out strategic workplans. The ultimate goal is to incorporate these new approaches into the way Region 1 does business in the region so that the disinvestment process becomes unnecessary. July, 1994 123 ------- Chapter 4 Agency-wide Strategic Plan SUPPORTING THE GUIDING PRINCIPLES 1. Ecosystem Protection Region 1's resource protection strategy entails management measures to protect high priority natural resources in New England, and integrating the resource protection approach into how the region does its work. Initiatives during the next five years include: * New Hampshire Pilot This pilot will identify and protect high priority resources in New Hampshire, in partnership with federal, state, and local agencies and other organizations; this approach will be expanded to the other New England states. > Comprehensive Ground Water Protection Strategy EPA will integrate ground water activities across its programs, and provide flexibility to states on ground water management. > Merrimack River Initiative EPA will work with federal, state, local, and private partners developing a multimedia, ecosystem protection plan for the watershed, with targeted outreach activities, environmental and ecosystem goals and indicators, and a monitoring plan. 2. Environmental Justice Region 1's environmental justice strategy includes implementation of Region I's Environmental Justice Policy (using a database Region 1 developed to target potential inequities), annual division workplans, and regular assessment of progress to integrate environmental justice into EPA, state, and tribal activities, and a strong focus on partnership with community groups, Indian tribes, and other agencies. The Urban Lead (Pb) Project, in collaboration with federal, state, and community organizations, has the goal of reducing risk of exposure to lead for urban children in ethnic/minority and low-income communities. 3. Pollution Prevention Region 1's pollution prevention strategy mandates annual division workplans of new and ongoing efforts to integrate pollution prevention (P2) into all EPA activities, flexible negotiation of state and tribal grants, and development of prevention measures. Region 1 supports new activities such as integrating environmental objectives with transportation planning and the P2 University Consortium. Region 1 and Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) are negotiating flexibility to implement DEP's "FIRST" program of whole-facility inspections. Air, water, and RCRA program outputs are negotiated as a package, and DEP is allowed to vary the inspection mix between type and major and minor sources. Among the many DEP innovations: identifying unpermitted waste streams and prevention opportunities during inspections. 4. Strong Science and Data The region's improving science/data and environmental measurement strategies focus on developing and utilizing scientifically sound data, methods, and environmental and performance measures that support regulatory actions and assessment of EPA program effectiveness. Actions include implementing a team approach to setting data quality objectives for data collection, 124 July, 1994 ------- Agency-wide Strategic Plan __ Chapter 4 developing regional guidelines, methods, and environmental indicators, nurturing scientific staff, and supporting EMAP and REMAP projects. Region 1 is establishing an indicators workgroup to work with states on environmental measures. 5. Partnerships Region 1 will be implementing a new approach to state and tribal partnerships to achieve better joint planning, more capacity building, enhanced flexibility, increased public involvement, and greater accountability for environmental results. A quality action team is addressing grants streamlining. The State/EPA Communities Workgroup is evaluating the burden of regulatory mandates on communities. The New England State/EPA Enforcement Committee will coordinate enforcement priority setting and planning. New initiatives will focus on building partnerships with states and tribes, and establishing collaborative relationships with other external stakeholders. 6. Reinventing EPA Management Region 1's changing organizational culture strategy recognizes the need for changes in EPA culture to foster new approaches to environmental stewardship in New England. Key elements include quality, cross-program approaches, teamwork, risk-taking, and diversity. Ongoing activities include Total Quality Management, cross-program coordination, streamlining, and the Organizational Health Survey (a periodic survey of employees' perceptions of progress on long-term objectives). Region 1 will be reinventing EPA Region 1 through a series of bold experiments with new approaches to more effectively and efficiently achieve environmental outcomes. 7. Environmental Accountability Through targeted enforcement initiative, EPA will work with the existing New England State/EPA Environmental Enforcement Committee to establish a cooperative State/Federal New England Environmental Compliance Network that will undertake a concerted, cross-program effort to strategically target state and federal compliance and enforcement resources. Region 1 will use two approaches: offering technical assistance to the regulated community, and pursuing vigorous enforcement actions against the right targets. Activities will include analysis of enforcement resources, joint priority-setting with states, public outreach, setting measures of success, and institution-building. July, 1994 125 ------- Chapter 4 ^ Agency-wide Strategic Plan REGION 2 INTRODUCTION Region 2 is responsible for carrying out EPA programs in New York, New Jersey, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands. Home to over 29 million people, the region claims unique features such as its vast coastal marine environment, the coral reefs and rain forests of the Caribbean, and three major waterways bordering Canada. The region's densely concentrated industrial sector, including printing, publishing, and manufacturing of chemicals, allied products, and electronic equipment is a major factor in regional planning. Region 2 fully embodies the Agency mission and shares the Administrator's vision for the future of environmental protection in this country. Region 2 priorities reflect the national agenda as well as local circumstances. SUPPORTING THE GUIDING PRINCIPLES 1. Ecosystem Protection At the heart of the region's efforts in ecosystem protection is the targeting of waters that continue to experience adverse ecosystem impacts. Region 2 is working with stakeholders to develop comprehensive plans to restore the ecological integrity of the Niagara River, Lake Ontario, the Long Island Sound, New York/New Jersey Harbor, the New York Bight, the Delaware Estuary, and San Juan Bay. Joint EPA/State/tribal strategic plans outline clear commitments for all parties to protect these watersheds and ensure EPA support of state and tribal initiatives on others. Region 2 also plays a leadership role in the protection of Onondaga Lake, Lake Champlain, and the Peconic Estuary, in response to Congressional mandates, and it is working with federal, state, tribal, and local partners to protect other unique ecosystems such as the Hackensack Meadowlands in New Jersey. Ecosystem protection will continue to be an integral consideration in the region's strategy for targeting both multi-media and single-medium enforcement activities. One primary cause of adverse ecosystem impacts in Region 2 is contaminated sediment. Toxics in sediments contribute to elevated levels of toxics in fish tissue, which impose significant risk for the health of humans and fish-eating wildlife. Contaminated sediments also make dredging and dredged material disposal problematic, threatening the economic viability of the region's ports. Therefore, Region 2 will focus in the coming years on the identification, characterization and remediation of contaminated sediments, and on environmentally responsible dredging and dredged material disposal. 2. Environmental Justice Region 2 can point to several environmental justice efforts, including the establishment of a cross-divisional regional workgroup on environmental justice. One of this group's most important functions is to recommend to senior management ways to ensure that environmental justice considerations figure prominently in technical and managerial decisionmaking. Most recently, workgroup members have begun to draft a multi-year plan to guide the region's environmental justice endeavors. At the same time, staff are active in bringing the benefits of environmental 126 July, 1994 ------- Agency-wide Strategic Plan Chapter 4 protection to all parts of the region. In the Catano area of Puerto Rico, which combines both residential and industrial zones, a multi-media risk assessment is being conducted in response to public health concerns raised by local residents. Regional enforcement resources also are being focused on Catano to assure industrial and municipal facilities are in compliance. These efforts will culminate in a long-term environmental management plan for the entire area that will mitigate environmental factors that may be contributing to reported health problems. The Superfund program also is engaged in an environmental equity study comparing remedial activities at CERCLIS National Priority List (NPL) and non-NPL sites with respect to racial and economic indicators. Objectives are to determine whether demographic groups are disproportionately represented among residents near these sites, and whether groups have been differentially served by any of the processes and procedures applied to Superfund site identification and remediation. Results are expected to help orient program planning well into the future. In recognition of the health problems related to subsistence fishing and the consumption of contaminated fish by minority populations in the New York/New Jersey Harbor, Hudson River, and Great Lakes, the region has implemented a fish advisories project. Grants have been given to the states to promote community outreach and education on fishing bans and the risks associated with fish consumption. Environmental justice factors will also be added to the criteria Region 2 currently uses to target facilities for coordinated multi-media inspections and the resultant enforcement actions. 3. Pollution Prevention In keeping with the Agency's emphasis on pollution prevention, Region 2's FY 1994 Pollution Prevention Incentives for States grant program encourages partnerships between state agencies and local government and/or non-profit private agencies; targeting of high risk areas; and implementation of special projects in support of environmental justice goals. Over the next five years, Region 2 will continue to support creative, local-level efforts to promote pollution prevention through outreach and training and by developing a network of university-based pollution prevention programs. Consistent with the Agency's internal Pollution Prevention Policy, Region 2 also will assess and implement pollution prevention approaches at the EPA facility in Edison, New Jersey (which is the largest EPA-owned facility), including waste reduction, downsizing, and product or method substitution. The region's strategy for using multi-media compliance and enforcement to support pollution prevention encompasses EPA, state and tribal initiatives. Region 2 are committed to incorporating pollution prevention elements in case settlements, including those that lend themselves to Supplemental Environmental Projects. The next few years will see the development of a partnership with the state of New York to carry out a risk-based multi-media inspection and pollution prevention audit program. This effort will target major toxic dischargers who generally represent higher-risk facilities and afford the greatest opportunities to prevent pollution. By offering training and technical assistance, Region 2 will encourage other state and local governments to adopt a similar approach. 4. Strong Science and Data Region 2's Geographic Information System (GIS) is a critical tool that ensures programs are managed on the basis of strong science and data with respect to multi-media sources, exposures, and environmental conditions. Region 2's database design is a blueprint for building the GIS July, 1994 127 ------- Chapter 4 Agency-wide Strategic Plan infrastructure over the coming years, setting priorities for data acquisition, and developing applications that meet regional needs. Several pilot applications are underway, including projects for the Niagara River and Multi-Media Aquifer Protection. Region 2 will continue to share data with state, tribal, and other federal agencies in order to obtain cost-effective information that is critical to local-area multi-media analysis. Region 2 also intends to promote quality science by providing analytical and technical support to programs and delegated states and tribes, and implementing state-of-the-art analytical methods in the regional laboratory. As a member of the EPA Environmental Monitoring Management Council steering committee, Region 2 will work toward Agency-wide, consistent, comparable monitoring methods. Region 2 will pursue similar goals on an interagency level through work with the Interagency Task Force for Monitoring and the Interagency Quality Assurance for Environmental Measurements Committee. This year Region 2 is initiating a pilot for an interagency environmental data information transfer system to facilitate federal agency sharing of environmental data, and to avoid duplication of monitoring efforts. The pilot will be governed by the highest standards of data quality to maximize its utility. Region 2 also plans to foster improved science dialogue with the public through implementation of Region 2's Peer Review Policy and continuation of the Region 2 Quality Assurance Outreach Program. 5. Partnerships Working to develop partnerships with stakeholders to improve the effectiveness of EPA's environmental programs and policies is another of Region 2's fundamental activities. Through FY 1999, the region will continue and expand its outreach programs with other federal, state, and tribal agencies to help develop and strengthen their capacity to deliver effective environmental programs. Building on successful pilot efforts with two states in the water program, the region will expand strategic planning efforts with state and tribal agencies to ensure that their needs and priorities are accounted for in all programs. In addition, the region will emphasize flexibility by reducing the level of oversight where state and tribal agencies have proven their capability to conduct effective environmental programs. Indian nations have used regional assistance to develop environmental consortia; the St. Regis Mohawk Tribe periodically publishes the Iroquois Environmental Newsletter, further promoting information sharing. Region 2 anticipates the further strengthening of EPA-Indian partnerships through specific unique initiatives. For example, the Seneca Nation of Indians is considering a program of tribal enforcement and outreach to mitigate the potential environmental impacts of petroleum storage tanks on their lands. The region's Indian program will become more directed to specific programs in the future, consistent with the partnership strategy. International programs in Bulgaria, Poland, and Asia should be viewed as an extension of EPA's domestic efforts, recognizing that pollution knows no boundaries. The region will continue to support the Agency's international program in a manner consistent with the strategic plan. The region's technical assistance to Bulgaria aims to support the creation of sustainable programs to protect human health and the environment. Region 2 anticipates that, in the coming years, Bulgaria will begin to institutionalize some of the components of previous Region 2 programs, especially in the area of drinking water protection and waste water treatment. Region 2 also plans 128 July, 1994 ------- Agency-wide Strategic Plan Chapter 4 to call upon New York State's expertise in air protection to assist Bulgaria in the development of its comprehensive monitoring, compliance, and enforcement program. 6. Reinventing EPA Management Region 2 views reinventing EPA management as an opportunity to re-examine its priorities, to restructure its operations to make the best use of resources, and to improve the quality of service and programs delivered to customers. Region 2 shares the goals articulated in the Agency's streamlining guidance and have devised, with input from all divisions and all staff levels in the region, a plan that addresses each goal in turn. Specific Region 2 efforts over the coming years will include establishing a process for organizational analysis and redesign; analyzing the feasibility of regional task force recommendations; and continuing an aggressive recruiting programs in support of workforce diversity, while providing a broad range of developmental opportunities to enhance employee readiness for managerial positions when vacancies occur. At the end of five years, streamlined work processes and increased delegation of authority and accountability will have contributed to significant managerial improvements in the region. 7. Environmental Accountability Region 2 has a variety of plans in place to enhance environmental accountability in the regulated community over the coming years. For example, the region will continue to concentrate both single-medium and multi-media inspections and follow-up enforcement activity (as appropriate) in geographic areas of ecological sensitivity and/or in communities with environmental justice concerns. These include the Niagara Frontier and Corning and Cortland aquifer regions of New York, the area of the Akwesasne Indian lands, and the Catano region of Puerto Rico. The next several years will see an increase in efforts to use SEPs to achieve pollution prevention objectives in connection with enforcement case settlements. Finally, Region 2 will continue to develop new levels of partnership with counterpart state agencies by encouraging their participation in Multi-Program Enforcement Steering Committee, which selects multi-media inspection candidates and oversees all aspects of Region 2's multi-media enforcement program. Media program staff will continue to offer educational programs on new and existing regulatory requirements. The region expects to replicate the positive results of the region's storm water permitting effort in Puerto Rico, which enabled the region to ensure that emerging compliance requirements were widely discussed, understood, and met prior to initiation of follow-up enforcement actions. The emphasis in future years for Clean Water Act programs will be on the combined sewer overflow policy/Clean Water Act requirements, wetlands, and the second phase of the storm water permitting program. Region 2 also plans to expand active compliance assistance programs in the areas of quality assurance and sound scientific data, laboratory, and field technical assistance, and the programs for asbestos, lead, PCBs, the transition to non-ozone-depleting refrigerants, and EPCRA Section 313 and federal facilities compliance. Region 2 will continue to refine its process for developing compliance assistance targets and strategies, especially through the use of GIS data and risk analysis. Regional staff also will expand public information, education, and assistance programs designed to address environmental justice concerns in low-income and minority areas. In selected areas, including Camden and Newark, New Jersey, compliance profiles will be developed in coordination with local and state agencies. July, 1994 129 ------- Chapter 4 Agency-wide Strategic Plan The region's Superfund program plans a number of advances in the area of environmental restoration over the coming years. Construction completions at the region's "worst sites first" will be a top priority, as will continued participation in the Superfund Accelerated Cleanup Model and Superfund Administrative Improvements Initiative. The region's focus on enforcement is expected to increase the number of timely cleanups it can undertake or oversee with existing resources. Procedures to be developed in the near future will ensure that potential responsible parties (PRPs) meet the terms of compliance vehicles, especially schedules to which parties have consented, and will do much to maintain patterns of timely compliance over the next five years. Other specific activities to be undertaken in support of the region's Superfund enforcement commitments during FY 1995 FY 1999 include the conduct of early PRP searches to favor negotiations and maximize their participation in cleanups, and the utilization of innovative techniques to promote settlements, such as alternative dispute resolution and non-binding preliminary allocations of responsibility. At the same time, the region will work to expedite the resolution of PRPs' liability, especially in cases involving small volume generators. The timeliness of these resolutions will be enhanced by full consideration of de minimis and de micromis settlements, opportunities for mixed funding, and prospective purchaser agreements to expedite the re-use of Superfund sites. It is difficult to segregate regional activities into discrete categories because in many cases Region 2 initiatives respond to a number of important concerns, in addition to a primary one: the protection of the environment and human health in all parts of the region. For this reason, a number of the region's endeavors exemplify the pursuit of more than one key strategy. This is a good indicator of Region 2's successes in multi-program, multi-divisional planning, which the region will build upon in the future. It is envisioned that implementation of these strategies will primarily involve targeting of regional programmatic activities and resources, rather than shifting from one area or medium to another. Through implementation of these strategies, in concert with strong base program activities, the region anticipates continued steady progress toward attaining national goals for environmental protection. 130 July, 1994 ------- Agency-wide Strategic Plan Chapter 4 REGION 3 INTRODUCTION Region 3 is the nation's mid-Atlantic region. It includes the states of Delaware, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and West Virginia, as well as the District of Columbia, which is treated as a state by most environmental statutes. EPA's Region 3 is located in Philadelphia, PA. The Central Regional Laboratory and the Chesapeake Bay Program Office are situated in Annapolis, MD. There is also a small staff in Wheeling, WV. Region 3 is characterized by densely settled urban areas, large agricultural areas that are cultivated intensely, mountain regions with significant coal mining and mineral extraction, and several areas with producing gas and oil wells. It is a center of steel-making, coal mining, and oil refining, and a secondary center for gas and oil extraction. Environmentally, the region is threatened by acid mine drainage, acid deposition, ozone violations, toxic releases from chemical plants and refineries, significant non-point source water pollution, and problems related to aging heavy industry. The region's major river systems include the Delaware, the Susquehanna, the Ohio, the Potomac, and the James. The region's rivers feed into two major estuaries, the Delaware and Chesapeake Bays. The Chesapeake Bay and most of its basin lie within the region. The Delaware Bay lies partially in Region 3 and partially in Region 2. Both estuaries face significant environmental stresses. The region has major program efforts underway in each. Region 3's overall approach and priorities for the next five years are similar to those in the Agency-wide strategic plan and support the Agency-wide plan. The region is looking forward to implementing both plans. Overall Approach Region 3 is implementing a regional strategic plan for FY 1994 through 2001 that complements the Agency-wide strategic plan. It is based on five strategic goals and twenty-one objectives that support the goals. The goal topics are Management, Reliance on Data, State Relations, Acid Pollution and Ozone. (A complete list of goals and objectives is included in Region 3's strategic plan which is available from the region's Strategic Planning and Program Integration Branch.) The region's goals are reflected by the activities the region will stress in addition to national priorities. There are a number of other initiatives underway in the region that support both regional and national priorities. For example, the Chesapeake Bay Program is an initiative that involves the region, the states in the region and several headquarters offices. Other initiatives of this type are the Baltimore-Washington Urban Risk Project, multi-media enforcement targeting, an emphasis on ecosystems and protection of biodiversity, development of environmental indicators, support of international programs, and a very active pollution prevention program. The region will support these activities by investing more resources over the next five years. July, 1994 131 ------- Chapter 4 Agency-wide Strategic Plan SUPPORTING THE GUIDING PRINCIPLES 1. Ecosystem Protection * The Chesapeake Bay program supports ecosystems on the broadest scale. Bay program efforts are multi-media, cross program, and inter-governmental. For example, the program has an initiative underway to assess the impact of air transport of nitrogen compounds as a major source of nitrogen as a nutrient in the Bay. This program will help achieve the nitrogen reduction target for the year 2000. *- The region's study of the inland and coastal bays focuses on a unique ecosystem, small bays that have extremely limited interchange of their waters and which are under development pressure. The study includes field sampling, data analysis, and a comparison with historical data to establish a baseline and trends to guide future environmental improvement efforts. * The Terrestrial Ecosystem Protection Initiative takes a proactive role in conserving terrestrial habitats and biological diversity in unique and threatened areas. The initiative is focusing on development issues in the Pocono region of Pennsylvania to protect habitats in areas that will be developed over the next five to ten years. * The Mid-Atlantic High/and Assessment (MAHA) enhances ecosystem protection and improves science and data. It is a major effort to chart the environmental health of a fragile ecosystem that is found throughout the Appalachian highlands. 2. Environmental Justice Each division has an environmental justice plan in place that is intended to make environmental justice part of the region's everyday work and not an afterthought. The plans will be implemented over the next five years. > The Baltimore-Washington Urban Risk project addresses environmental justice concerns. The project is examining the relationship between exposure to toxic substances and neighborhoods in Baltimore as well as working to raise awareness of environmental risks to city residents. Work has been underway in Baltimore for two years and is starting in Washington. There are three headquarters-funded comparative risk projects in Region 3 that will provide data on environmental justice. * The region's multi-media enforcement program supports environmental justice by targeting actions in areas where environmental justice is an issue. A study has been started to document environmental justice concerns in enforcement actions throughout the region. It should be available to the region's enforcement staff in FY 1995. 3. Pollution Prevention * Prevention strategies are an important part of Region 3's approach to compliance. Region 3 was a pioneer in using Supplemental Environmental Projects (SEPs) in enforcement settlements. The region has active 33/50 and Green Lights programs. July, 1994 ------- Agency-wide Strategic Plan Chapter 4 + Region 3 is part of the Tidewater Interagency P2 Project (TIPPP). TIPPP is an EPA, DOD, NASA pilot created under the EPA-DOD Chesapeake Bay Agreement. It has advanced from planning to implementation. Results will be used throughout DOD. 4. Strong Science and Data * The region has made reliance on data one of its strategic goals. The region has started a multi-year process to develop improved environmental indicators. Region 3 plans to have indicators in place and to produce a "State of the Region" report during FY 1995. > The MAHA project, described under the Ecosystem Protection section, also is intended to upgrade environmental data available to the region. * The region will improve its programmatic and administrative data as part of the reliance on data goals. Activity measures will be integrated into indicators. Data will be developed to support the management goal. The region's on-LAN (Local Area Network) management information system will be expanded to include data from all efforts. Most of this work should become operational during FY 1995. > The region is building a new environmental science center at Fort Meade, which will house the Central Regional Laboratory and the OPPTS laboratory in Beltsville. >- The region plans to study the use of neo-tropical birds as environmental indicators. Bird populations, migratory habits, and species diversity are unique indicators. 5. Partnerships * The region has adopted state relations as one of its strategic goals. State representatives are being invited to participate in the activities of the goal which include involving states in the region's priority setting/strategic planning process. > Region 3 is very active in its support of international activities. The region has the lead for managing EPA's partnership with Poland. * The management goal includes customer focus as one of its areas of emphasis. The region's external relations plan for FY 1994 focuses on the customer needs of various constituencies. Region 3 also is providing leadership for the Agency-wide work group addressing the President's Executive Order on Customer Focus. >- In the area of state partnerships, Region 3 is working with the state of West Virginia to address acid mine drainage, which is a significant environmental problem in the coal mining areas. > The Chesapeake Bay Program is dependent on the efforts of all of the states and many of the local governments in the region. In particular, Maryland, Pennsylvania, and Virginia are the prime movers behind the program and are keys to its success. In FY 1993, Region 3 acted to improve its state/federal enforcement partnership. Semi-annual meetings are held between senior state and EPA enforcement managers to identify areas where the state/federal enforcement partnership can be strengthened. July, 1994 133 ------- Chapter 4 Agency-wide Strategic Plan The region's Multi-Media Enforcement Initiative is an integrated regional approach to single and multi-media enforcement using various systems for information exchange, targeting, coordination, and case management. The initiative has established enforcement objectives from headquarters, regional, and state goals and priorities. Part of the region's effort will be directed to working with the newly established OECA to incorporate national strategies into the region's enforcement plan. 6. Reinventing EPA Management > The region's management goal emphasizes process improvement, empowerment, and cultural diversity. > The Region 3 Cultural Diversity Work Group, with the assistance of a consultant, will develop and implement a cultural diversity strategy for the region. *- Each major organization in the region is undertaking a review for possible realignment to meet the needs of changing programs and to reduce overhead. The region's streamlining plan also includes an outreach component to help work with customers on implementing changes as part of reinventing government. 7. Environmental Accountability Region 3 has a number of initiatives listed under Pollution Prevention, Environmental Justice, and Strong Science and Data which will enhance Environmental Accountability. In particular, a strong promotion of voluntary programs and development of environmental indicators will involve more actors in cleaning up the environment and boost Region 3's ability to assess the impact of its actions. Region 3 also has a number of enforcement initiatives underway to support Environmental Accountability: * The Multi-Media Enforcement Initiative is designed to target the region's enforcement activities in a systematic fashion by emphasizing environmental, health, and compliance problems and resolving them in a whole facility context with or without enforcement actions. *" Region 3 enforcement programs are developing innovative targeting strategies. For example, the NPDES program is redirecting its attention from significant non-compliers (SNCs) and to the issue of water quality and the numerous minor sources and non-SNCs that contribute to its degradation. *- The region holds semi-annual meetings with states. These meetings have established a continuing forum that addresses enforcement and compliance issues and emphasizes state/federal cooperation. 134 July, 1994 ------- Agency-wide Strategic Plan Chapter 4 REGION 4 INTRODUCTION By the year 2000, the population of Region 4 is expected to top 52 million, making this region most populous of all ten EPA regions. The special challenges associated with this growth make it imperative that the region enhance traditional regulatory approaches to environmental protection without the benefit of extensive new resources. The region must work externally to leverage the resources of states, local governments, the regulated community, environmental groups, and the general public. Internally, Region 4 must provide an environment that allows its employees to be creative and empowered, provide a more geographic focus for the region's actions, and put more emphasis on non-regulatory strategies while maintaining the region's regulatory base. Region 4 will use the National Goals Project as a starting point to begin work internally and with states and other customers externally to develop quantitative, results-oriented goals and indicators. Region 4 expects to begin working with states and other external customers following the National Goals Project Regional Roundtable. As the region moves toward goals and indicators, much of its work will take a more geographic focus. This will provide a framework to examine a variety of solutions to complex problems and better measure environmental results. SUPPORTING THE GUIDING PRINCIPLES 1. Ecosystem Protection The region is continuing several selected projects including South Florida, Atlanta Olympics, Southern Oxidant Study, Southern Appalachian Mountain Initiative, Savannah River Watershed, Flint Creek, several National Estuary Projects, and several Advanced Identification of Wetlands. Region 4 will increase investment in the Gulf of Mexico Program to meet the five-year environmental challenges set in 1992. The region will increase the emphasis on ecosystem-related projects in the future. In order to select the most critical priority areas for such projects, Region 4 will develop and use a system to characterize and prioritize ecosystems based on hydrologic and other ecosystem characteristics. 2. Environmental Justice Region 4 intends to integrate environmental justice concerns into its everyday program operations and improve internal communication on this issue. Over the next 18 months the region will be developing and delivering training to its employees. The region is now involved in a health risk targeting analysis project. Once the highest-risk areas are identified, Region 4 will overlay demographic information to identify areas of high environmental justice concern. Region 4 also plans to place special emphasis on environmental justice in all of its geographic/ecosystem initiatives. Region 4 will meet with its customers in each area to discuss their concerns. July, 1994 135 ------- Chapter 4 Agency-wide Strategic Plan 3. Pollution Prevention This plan seeks to broaden the understanding of pollution prevention beyond source reduction to include increased efficiency in the use of raw materials, energy, water, and other resources and conservation of natural resources leading to sustainable development. Region 4 will incorporate pollution prevention into its internal regulatory operations through opportunities identified by the Region 4 pollution prevention network. With a separate regional office pollution prevention focus group, Region 4 will build pollution prevention into daily office activities and work with the Government Service Administration to make the new Atlanta Federal Building, which will be occupied in 1996, a model of environmental efficiency. The region is seeking partnership opportunities with industries and local government to promote voluntary pollution prevention efforts and will promote environmentally beneficial technologies. 4. Strong Science and Data A major need in Region 4 is to redirect and increase monitoring and analysis to strengthen the regions understanding of geographic problems. Region 4 plans to leverage the resources of other agencies as much as possible in the sharing of environmental data and expand its ecosystem assessment capability of the use of GIS and EMAP to help develop solutions to problems and display indicator trends. This will be an invaluable tool as the region expand its geographic focus. By using existing data, knowledge, approaches, and best judgments, the region can meet the needs of broad assessments of ecosystems with sufficient information to develop goals and problem-solving strategies, and improve its capability to develop indicators. 5. Partnerships The development of goals and indicators with states will be a major effort in this area. The region is also planning to initiate a new partnership with the citizens of Region 4 by focusing environmental education efforts on the community at large to provide awareness of how individuals can play major roles in improving environmental quality. Region 4 will build partnerships with small business and communities by providing a greater emphasis on non-regulatory cooperative assistance. As part of its geographic and ecosystem focus, Region 4 will develop and strengthen partnerships with land acquisition and resource management agencies. The region also will continue its on-going partnership-building in Central and South America in collaboration with the Pan American Health Organization. The region also expects to continue to strengthen its working relationships with tribes and environmental groups. 6. Reinventing EPA Management Region 4's recently completed streamlining plan lays out a detailed set of activities with accompanying milestones. Specific regional goals addressed in the plan include flattening the organization and empowering employees to make decisions as appropriate, using diversity as a strength, creating GS-14 and higher positions to provide technical expert opportunities, and taking advantage of new technologies to improve operations internally. Region 4 intends to use the streamlining process to help create an atmosphere among all of employees of integrity, trust in the ability of co-workers, and encouragement of diverse viewpoints. The region believe these values are important factors in encouraging the maximum creativity from its employees. Another regional goal which is not specifically addressed n the plan is managing the organization to 136 July, 1994 ------- Agency-wide Strategic Plan Chapter 4 increase focus on geographic and non-regulatory activities. Region 4 expects the implementation of its streamlining plan to make these types of activities easier to accomplish by increasing flexibility in the organization. This increased flexibility is essential to begin dealing effectively with problems on a multi-media basis. Region 4 will be looking carefully at this issue as it examine potential organizational changes to improve the region's enforcement program. 7. Environmental Accountability The heart of Region 4's enforcement program is to maintain high levels of administrative and civil judicial enforcement actions. Region 4 will contain to maintain this level of enforcement activity. Region 4 will increase cross-program and multi-media targeting and compliance/enforcement planning activities. Region 4 also intends to increase the utilization of its enforcement resources in higher priority areas (e.g., sensitive ecosystems, environmental justice and other "hot" spots). Region 4 will increase the use of compliance assistance activities for "key" sectors and industries in Region 4, including both private and federal facilities. Region 4 plans to define and measure "compliance rates". Region 4 intends to communicate/develop "strategic enforcement" plan with states and to collaborate with the states on numerous compliance and enforcement activities. Region 4 intends to increase the use of SEPs and other innovative enforcement tools, as appropriate. OTHER MANDATES AND OBLIGATIONS Region 4 is strongly committed to meeting its regulatory obligations while at the same time carrying out the activities presented in this plan. Region 4 believes that a geographic, multi-media focus to its activities will lead ultimately to improved regulatory compliance. Most of the activities presented in this plan can be undertaken with out the expenditure of significant new resources. Region 4 is not requesting that resources be shifted from one medium to another. The region does expect to be targeting many of its base activities by geographic area rather than by program. However, there are some changes in the way the region does business that are necessary for full implementation of its goals. These changes include targeted resource shifts from regulatory activities toward non-regulatory assistance activities, changing emphasis from activity measures to tracking environmental results, greater regional flexibility in overview of state programs, and greater flexibility in state grants. If the Agency can make these changes in how it does business, the regions can put greater emphasis on achieving environmental results rather than meeting quarterly activity targets. July, 1994 137 ------- Chapter 4 Agency-wide Strategic Plan REGION 5 INTRODUCTION Region 5 and the six state environmental agencies and departments located in Region 5 (Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, Wisconsin) are dedicated to serving as stewards of the environment and its natural resources for present and future generations. In November 1993, Region 5 and the states completed an 18-month effort to reach agreement on strategic directions for the Midwest environment (1995 1999). Ten strategic themes that address protection of public health and the environment, reduction of pollution at its source, and improvement of the institutions that perform these responsibilities form the basis of a joint planning process. The ten themes are: human exposures to environmental hazards; ecosystem protection and restoration; diffuse and non-point source pollution; global atmospheric hazards; prevent pollution; reduce toxic releases; intergovernmental capacity and cooperation; enhanced public outreach; improved delivery systems, and local physical infrastructure. A fundamental shift in management philosophy is occurring among Region 5, the states, and the tribes. With the states, a series of annual one-on-one meetings will identify specific activities to pursue during the coming year. With the tribes, Region 5 currently is developing a strategic planning process to identify similar opportunities. In the near term, changes in workplans and budgets will reflect these strategic directions. In order to effect long-term changes, Region 5 will work with EPA headquarters to obtain the necessary flexibility in grants programs and systems of accountability to achieve environmental goals. The region intends to work with headquarters to shift from activity measures to environmental indicators and results. Ultimately, the allocation of resources and the accountability among Region 5, the states, and the tribes will be linked to attainment of environmental results. SUPPORTING THE GUIDING PRINCIPLES 1. Ecosystem Protection Traditional programs, effective in the past, no longer are sufficient to address threats facing Midwest ecosystems such as the Great Lakes, oak savannas, prairies, etc. Environmental protection and conservation programs must be re-oriented to meet the needs of ecosystems. The Great Lakes National Program Office has long-term planning specifically addressing the Great Lakes Basin. Actions such as the joint federal/state Five-Year Strategy for the Great Lakes, the Great Lakes Enforcement Strategy, and the EPA/State Great Lakes Wafer Quality Initiative ' are basin-wide efforts aimed at translating theory into practice. These efforts target existing tools or develop new tools to address specific, identified threats to the ecosystems. Lakewide Management Plan (LaMPS) and Remedial Action Plans (RAPS) are key management processes that integrate and coordinate management actions based on lake-wide or local impairments. Efforts are underway to integrate fishery management goals for lakes and local areas with environment goals established in LaMPS and RAPS. 138 July, 1994 ------- Agency-wide Strategic Plan Chapter 4 To implement the Great Lakes five-year habitat protection goal, work has begun with other partners to develop a strategic conservation plan for critical Great Lakes habitats. Demonstration projects are underway for habitat restoration and protection. These efforts present opportunities to bring about greater integration and coordinated management between environmental protection and resource management activities. Region 5 has forged a relationship with federal, state, and private land management agencies under an "Ecosystem Resolution". This framework enables Region 5 with its partners to define areas of ecosystem protection where joint efforts are essential for success. These areas include the sharing of information, resources and project planning and implementation activities. Through these efforts and strategic planning with the states and tribes, Region 5 is moving in the direction of integrated ecosystem management. 2. Environmental Justice Region 5 and the states are pursuing environmental justice by working towards the reduction of human exposures to environmental hazards, the reduction of toxic releases, the prevention of pollution and the enhancement of public outreach. In addition, environmental justice is being addressed in specific Regional initiatives such as brownfields and urban redevelopment, sustainable development and on-going geographic initiatives, notably Southeast Chicago and Cleveland, Ohio. 3. Pollution Prevention Region 5 and the Great Lakes National Program Office are working in collaboration with states, tribes, non-government organizations, and Canada on pollution prevention projects in the Great Lakes basin, such as the Bi-Nation Program to Restore and Protect Lake Superior, the Great Printers Project, and in the automotive sector. Region 5 and its partners will continue to work together to: 1) identify and remove barriers to pollution prevention; 2) develop incentives that encourage pollution prevention and conservation of environmental resources; 3) integrate pollution prevention into current programs; 4) educate and increase public awareness on pollution prevention; 5) support and promote research and development of pollution prevention technologies; and 6) develop methods of measuring achievement and tracking performance in preventing pollution. 4. Strong Science and Data The Great Lakes National Program Office has been cited as a national model for expanding the use of data integration. Region 5, the states, and other federal agencies are identifying existing and needed research for solving environmental problems, developing methods to share databases and GIS information, and devising methods to assess, maintain, and restore ecosystem biodiversity at the regional level. 5. Partnerships Region 5 has found that, when it works in partnership with others, it has been successful in operating outside of the regulatory framework to pursue more effective environmental protection. Region 5 and the states have developed a joint, multi-year strategic plan. They are developing a July, 1994 139 ------- Chapter 4 ^ ^ Agency-wide Strategic Plan joint strategic plan with the tribes. In partnership with 20 other state and federal agencies, the region has developed the resolution for Interagency Cooperation on Ecosystem Management (ICEM). ICEM is a consortium of midwestern state and federal agencies working together to coordinate ecosystem management activities. 6. Reinventing EPA Management Region 5 will implement its reinventing plan. The plan addresses issues such as empowerment, organization structure, diversity in the workforce, and improving work processes and systems. It lays out a detailed set of activities with accompanying milestones. The plan is designed to empower Region 5 employees and provide them with a clear sense of mission. 7. Environmental Accountability Region 5 will work with the states, the tribes, and other federal agencies to promote an effective enforcement program. Region 5 will target actions on multi-media initiatives, high-risk sectors, geographic areas, and ecosystems to accomplish its goal of protecting human health and the environment. In addition, Region 5 will continue to pursue pollution prevention and other innovative solutions. The region is committed to maintaining its strong enforcement presence. OTHER MANDATES AND OBLIGATIONS Region 5 has a unique role as the Program Manager for the Great Lakes National Program Office. This office has specific ecological objectives mandated by Congress for which the region is responsible. The region will continue to meet regulatory obligations and at the same time move ahead on new initiatives. Region 5 is committed to addressing the enforcement priorities identified with the states and tribes. Resource savings identified in the reinventing Region 5 process will be shifted to priority matters. 140 July, 1994 ------- Agency-wide Strategic Plan Chapter 4 REGION 6 INTRODUCTION The Region 6 vision is "To Meet the Environmental Needs of a Changing World." The region's employees are public servants dedicated to improving and preserving the quality of the environment and protecting human health. Region 6 encompasses an ecologically, demographically, and economically diverse five-state region of Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas, as well as 63 Indian tribes. The Region 6 strategic plan addresses environmental problems and issues in terms of the priorities determined by a region-wide comparative risk analysis that examined ecology, human health, risk management, and economic factors. To assist in this effort, Region 6 has developed an environmental justice assessment indicator process using the CIS. In support of the Administrator's seven guiding principles, Region 6 is focusing on geographic initiatives to address issues identified in the comparative risk report as posing the greatest risks to human health and the environment. The plan is not intended to be comprehensive nor to duplicate national program goals or initiatives that are accomplished, to a large extent, through regional base programs. Geographic specific concerns along the U.S./Mexico Border in the southern Louisiana are integrally tied to environmental justice. By combining ecosystem protection and pollution prevention as approaches to manage risk and address environmental justice in these areas, the region addresses not just symptoms, but the causes. Basing the Region 6 approach to prioritization on comparative risk assessments allows the region to direct effort and resources toward solving problems that pose the greatest danger to human health and the ecology first. In addition, this approach supports the commitment to strong science and data. Building partnerships is an approach key to accomplishing the region's goals. Region 6 is making, and will continue to expand its efforts with the various constituencies the Agency serves. Streamlining will be pursued in all of the region's efforts as government and the Agency move toward smaller workforces and fewer resources, with expanding missions. SUPPORTING THE GUIDING PRINCIPLES The region's strategic plan addresses its priorities in the context of the Administrator's seven guiding principles ecosystem protection, environmental justice, pollution prevention, strong science and data, partnership building, environmental accountability, and reinventing EPA management. These principles will form the basis of how the region implements the major initiatives. In addition, Region 6 will use community outreach to achieve its objectives. These priorities have been discussed with Region 6 states, and the Regional Administrator has committed to meeting personally with states/tribes on a regular basis to further this partnership of developing yearly outputs/activities in support of the region's initiatives. The region has eight major initiatives to be accomplished in the next five years that reflect the seven guiding principles. July, 1994 141 ------- Chapter 4 ^ Agency-wide Strategic Plan 1) State/Tribal Capacity Building to establish a framework for state/tribal/ regional relations emphasizing flexibility, a mutually supportive working relationship, and a recognition of shared and unique EPA, state, and tribal environmental priorities. 2) Multi-Media Enforcement to implement a more comprehensive, multi-media approach to solving environmental problems. Develop and implement an inspection program that targets facilities to be inspected on a multi-media basis. Refine and focus enforcement actions. 3) U.S./Mexico Border to provide for the long-term protection of human health and natural ecosystems in the border area through pollution prevention, monitoring, investigations, and mitigation of the effects of pollution. Integrate environmental justice into all decisionmaking in partnership with EPA regions, state and local agencies in Texas, and New Mexico, as well as affected public/private entities. 4) Southern Louisiana/Lower Mississippi River to minimize loss of natural ecosystems, reduce impact of air toxics, reduce pesticides exposure, identify and address Superfund sites in this highly populated and ecologically sensitive area. Develop and implement strategies with local, state, federal, and public/private partnerships to aid in protecting human health and restoring, protecting, and creating natural ecosystems. 5) Gulf of Mexico to develop and implement a comprehensive strategy for managing and protecting resources of the Gulf in partnership with EPA (Atlanta), other federal agencies, state and local agencies in Texas and Louisiana, as well as affected public/private entities. Aggressively implement Resource Conservation and Recovery Act permitting and corrective action programs to minimize releases that could affect the Gulf of Mexico. Protect, restore, and reduce the loss of coastal wetlands through implementation of Coastal Wetlands Planning, Protection and Restoration Act (CWPPRA), the Clean Water Act (CWA), and other remedies involving federal state partnership. 6) Petrochemical Industrial Sector to identify specific sites of this industrial sector (40 percent of the national total are located in Region 6) that are causing environmental problems and move toward an integrated, multi-media approach to pollution prevention, permitting, and compliance activities. In partnership with the states, establish coordinated EPA, state, and local programs to reduce environmental risk associated with the petrochemical industry through activities that promote chemical release prevention, regulatory compliance, and public interaction. 7) Watershed/Geographic Approach to work closely with state and tribal officials to develop a cooperative effort of pollution control and prevention in carrying out the watershed protection program with full participation of all stakeholders. As an example, the region currently considering the Mississippi Delta Project for inclusion in its plan. 8) Federal Facilities to achieve multi-media compliance at all facilities, timely and efficient remediation, expeditous property clean-up, transfer, and closing of bases, and participation of affected communities. Region 6 has directed resources within each program to focus on these high priority initiatives. The region will continue to work with headquarters counterparts to maximize flexibility within 142 July, 1994 ------- Agency-wide Strategic Plan Chapter 4 existing appropriations and laws. The region's strategic plan addresses its priorities in the context of the Administrator's seven guiding principles as shown below. 1. Ecosystem Protection Three initiatives Southern Louisiana/Lower Mississippi River, Gulf of Mexico, and Watershed Protection deal specifically with protecting natural ecosystems. They will aim to protect, restore, and reduce impacts in these geographic areas. 2. Environmental Justice Southern Louisiana/Lower Mississippi River, U.S./Mexico Border, Petrochemical Industrial Sector, Federal Facilities, and Multi-Media Enforcement initiatives all directly address the of environmental justice. The region's goal is to integrate environmental justice decisionmaking, particularly focusing on these initiatives. 3. Pollution Prevention The U.S./Mexico Border initiative, Petrochemical Industrial Sector initiative, and Multi-Media Enforcement initiative focus on pollution prevention strategies to achieve their goals. 4. Strong Science & Data In accomplishing the initiatives, the region is using the Geographic Information System (GIS) to create a consistent, organized process for programs to access, review, verify, and catalog data. Use of GIS as a data quality tool augments scientific credibility and promotes data integration. 5. Partnerships The State/Tribal Capacity Building initiative centers on the strategy of building and sustaining partnerships. Other initiatives that focus on the strategy of partnership include: U.S./Mexico Border, Southern Louisiana/Lower Mississippi River, Gulf of Mexico, and the Watershed Protection Program. 6. Reinventing EPA Management Region 6 will continue to refine and implement its streamlining plan, which promotes diversity and empowerment while moving forward in meeting the Administration's goals to increase supervisor-to employee ratios and reduce federal workforce. The region continues to focus on Total Quality Management (TQM) principles for improving work processes and systems. 7. Environmental Accountability The State/Tribal Capacity Building initiative, Multi-Media Enforcement initiative, and Petrochemical Industrial Sector initiative, as well as the environmental justice and pollution prevention principles, will serve as the cornerstone of implementing environmental accountability. Within these initiatives, Region 6 will stress societal accountability for protecting and enhancing the environment through compliance and enforcement. July, 1994 143 ------- Chapter 4 ^ Agency-wide Strategic Plan REGION 7 INTRODUCTION Region 7 is comprised of the states oflowa, Kansas, Missouri, and Nebraska, and is home to nine federally recognized tribal nations. Covering nearly 287,000 square miles, with a population of 12 million, the landscape is dominated by grassland prairies. Through a comprehensive set of strategies, Region 7 supports the Administrator strategic vision for FY 1995 1999. Region 7 will continue to deliver strong and effective regulatory programs. Enforcement and compliance will be critical elements in carrying out statutory mandates. Yet the region will enhance and expand its environmental protection efforts through use of a broad array of tools, featuring education and outreach, pollution prevention and partnerships, and a focus on places by emphasizing ecosystem management and other geographic-based initiatives. Region 7's goal is a sustainable environment together with a vibrant economy and culture for future generations. Protection of surface water, and groundwater from agricultural pollution is a major concern. Groundwater provides 75 percent of the drinking water for the region, and surface water is vitally important to the health of numerous riparian and other ecosystems covering the Great Plains, including the central flyway for migratory birds. Although the major industries are agriculture and agriculture-related, Missouri has been the center of the U.S. lead mining and refining industries for over a century. The region continues to address priorities established through its comparative risk analysis: statutory implementation, lead risk reduction, pesticides/nitrates risk reduction, toxic chemical releases risk reduction, and ecosystem assessment and protection. These strategic directions could be combined with additional priority areas identified through future analytical processes. The region will work closely with the states and other partners as it finalizes its agenda for the FY 1995 1999 planning period. SUPPORTING THE GUIDING PRINCIPLES 1. Ecosystem Protection Region 7 is employing a complement of programs and initiatives in support of this strategy. A major focus of Region 7's ecosystem strategy is the development of methodologies and tools to prioritize risk, measure progress, and communicate results. Increased emphasis on environmental assessment is illustrated by the region's partnership with The Nature Conservancy, Western Governor's Association, state agencies, other federal agencies, and Canada to identify risks to endangered species and critical habitat across the Great Plains region. The second component of this strategy is a focus on geographic, place-based programs, including the watershed protection program and larger-scale ecosystem initiatives. Both the Great Plains Program and the Platte River Basin Protection Program are examples of this approach. 144 July, 1994 ------- Agency-wide Strategic Plan Chapter 4 2. Environmental Justice Implicit in Region 7's approach to environmental stewardship is an emphasis on environmental justice. The region's multi-pronged strategy incorporates equity concerns in the conduct of statutory mandates, and provides a focal point for addressing issues through specific initiatives. For example, in cooperation with Region 5, Region 7 will work with state and local health officials and community organizations in the St. Louis/East St. Louis metro area to reduce health risks from exposure to lead. Exposure to lead potentially affects a disproportionate share of low-income and minority children in this area. Region 7 is targeting bilingual training information and instructions regarding toxic and agricultural chemicals to Hispanic farm workers. At Superfund sites with environmental justice implications, the region is utilizing communication forums to surface issues that could place low-income people and minorities at greater risk. The Great Plains ecosystem program offers opportunities to address specific Native American concerns through geographically-targeted initiatives. Internally, the region is employing a diverse workgroup to offer recommendations for more broadly incorporating environmental justice issues into its work. 3. Pollution Prevention Prevention is the first choice of action, with education, sound science, accessible data, and partnership approaches serving as the hallmarks of the program. Education and outreach have been continuing priorities in Region 7. "Charlie Chipmunk" helps the region publicize a wide range of environmental issues at schools and at civic events. The region also supports this strategy through grants to stimulate the development Environmental Education Training Center at the University of Kansas, and to encourage Haskell Indian Nations University's environmental curriculum. Seven million tons of fertilizer and 70,000 tons of pesticides are applied annually to 122 million acres in Region 7. Through partnerships with the farming community, extension services, agri-business, and federal and state agencies, the region is working to reduce this usage through Best Management Practices (BMPs) and environmental education. Region 7 is expanding its agricultural chemical container recycling program. And Region 7 will build upon a successful mix of pollution prevention and public-private partnership initiatives (e.g., 33/50), as it designs strategies for watershed, ecosystem, and other geographic-based programs. 4. Sound Science and Data. As the region broadens strategies for environmental protection, the accessibility of scientifically sound indicators and other data becomes critical for assessment and valuation purposes, and for management of multi-media projects. The region's IRM Strategic Plan REMAP, and related initiatives provide the framework for an aggressive strategy that incorporates development of predictive models (e.g., wetlands risk prioritization) and environmental indicators (e.g., measurement of the health of fisheries), with long-term data collection and management efforts. Related initiatives include innovative environmental technology, such as remote sensing of toxic air pollutants, a State-EPA Locational Data Program, and expansion of the region's Quality Assurance (QA) states through a technical assistance initiative. July, 1994 145 ------- Chapter 4 Agency-wide Strategic Plan 5. Partnerships Region 7 has established mutual environmental priorities with each of its four states, and it is finalizing a process to extend mutual planning efforts to Indian tribes. These will set the Region 7 environmental agenda for the future. In working with the states and tribes, the region will explore all opportunities for flexibility, and emphasize managing for environmental result over administrative activities. Region 7 is exploring a variety of approaches to capacity building, including technical training, IP As of EPA staff, enhanced data sharing, and joint project efforts. As part of sustainable development efforts, the region also will work with small communities to develop capacity and flexibility in protecting health and the environment at the local level. The region will expand its partnerships to include not only public sector entities, but also private sector groups with environmental concerns. Small business is a vital client group in Region 7. 6. Reinventing EPA Management Region 7 will continue to emphasize a strong fiscal and management control program to protect federal funds. New initiatives include technical assistance to the states in enhancing their program of internal controls, flexible grant programs and procedures, and automated systems to improve productivity (e.g., LANs) and safeguard the region's resources (e.g., ESD equipment and supplies inventory management system). The region has begun a program to streamline its operations and empower its employees. Region 7 will cut unnecessary red tape, reduce multiple levels of concurrence where appropriate, and involve its employees in central decisionmaking processes. Working jointly with states and headquarters counterparts, Region 7 will look for opportunities to reduce resources spent in oversight, and redirect efforts to areas that yield the most environmental results. 7. Environmental Accountability Region 7 will continue to maintain a rigorous and comprehensive enforcement program to ensure compliance with environmental mandates. The region also will emphasize compliance assistance, outreach, state and tribal partnerships, other form of compliance assurance, using multi-media and geographic approaches where feasible. Region 7's goal is to direct the region's compliance and enforcement resources to high-risk problems and areas as identified. OTHER MANDATES AND OBLIGATIONS As the region strives to encourage industry compliance, it will increase attention to mandatory and voluntary compliance initiatives (e.g., New Source Performance Standards, sector strategies, use of farm BMP and pesticide container recycling), and multi-media inspection and enforcement. Region 7 also will look for specific opportunities to amplify its ecosystem and pollution prevention initiatives. 146 July, 1994 ------- Agency-wide Strategic Plan Chapter 4 REGION 8 INTRODUCTION Region 8's vision and priorities for protecting the environment over the course of the next five years are grounded in its commitment to fulfill EPA's mission of protecting public health and the environment, and participate in the re-invention of government by implementing, as appropriate, the recommendations of the National Performance Review, the Agency's strategic vision, the Region 8 streamlining plan "A Framework for Change, " and the extension of the current Region 8 strategic plan. The geographic area contained in Region 8 is noted around the world for its unique blend of pristine and fragile environs, including, for example, its scenic national and state parks, wilderness areas, picturesque landscapes, rugged mountains, diverse prairies, arid deserts, trout fishing, and skiing. The six states and 27 Indian reservations in Region 8 cover 581,477 square miles (approximately 33 percent is federal and 5.2 percent is Indian land). The 1990 census population for the region is 7,686,060. Strategic Investment Goals As Region 8 streamlines, it will function with a more compressed organization, emphasizing stakeholders' needs (internal/external) and invest more strategically to: * Promote ecosystem protection and sustainable development guiding principles, policies, and partnerships to cultivate an encompassing, multi-media approach to environmental protection, and foster more risk reduction using the authorities and resources of the statutory programs; *- Promote pollution prevention guiding principles, and practices in all day-to-day activities; > Direct the region's enforcement efforts to maximize compliance in partnership with the state and tribe environmental statutes; > Expand partnerships with other federal agencies, the states, and tribes, local organizations, academia, and the private sector, resulting in more interregional and interstate working relationships and projects; > Promote environmental justice to ensure all citizens are equally protected by environmental laws with emphasis on information sharing and targeting compliance assessment in concert with local community interests; * Promote scientific excellence and data management to bolster linkages between science and decisionmaking; and +- If feasible, provide more training and technical assistance opportunities to ensure that the region, states, and the tribes acquire the skills necessary to carry out the strategic plan. These investments will require the region to be more cognizant of and deal more sensitively with such critical issues as unfunded mandates, resource shifts, sustainable development, cost and July, 1994 147 ------- Chapter 4 ^^ Agency-wide Strategic Plan benefit accounting, small communities, regulatory impacts on communities, delegations, and significant increases in population and tourism throughout the region. SUPPORTING THE GUIDING PRINCIPLES In support of the Agency's strategic vision and the media-specific Region 8 is dedicated to the following guiding principles 1. Ecosystems Protection Establish and participate in forums for sustainability and stewardship of ecosystems; support innovative initiatives through all statutory authorities and regulatory programs, and, by reinvesting resources in assessment and protection of public health (especially children and others at elevated risk) and ecosystem health, promote those initiatives that consider socio-economic well-being. Current examples are: the Region 8 Headwaters Mining Waste Initiative, the Colorado Plateau Ecosystem Project (co-lead with the National Park Service), and the Great Plains Initiative (a cooperative effort with Region 7). 2. Environmental Justice Implement the region's environmental justice plan working with the states, the tribes, and communities to reduce disproportionate environmental risks to people of color and low-income communities through grants, technical assistance, education, and outreach to affected parties; implement the region's Indian lands policy; and, provide cultural diversity training to Region's staff. 3. Pollution Prevention Focus more on market-based pollution prevention incentives; promote "life-cycle analysis" to better understand the flow of materials used by society, and assist in the design of methodologies to reduce the amount of materials that cause pollution; invest more in education and communication through information-based strategies; develop and implement Region 8's Pollution Prevention Federal Sector Enforcement Initiative, focusing on federal facilities and Indian country; establish for all tribes strong pollution prevention programs; expand approaches (like the Colorado pollution prevention partnership) across industry, government, and academia; and establish outreach to other federal agencies and facilities, formally inviting them to develop ' "green plans," including Green Lights, WAVE, Waste-Wise, etc. 4. Strong Science and Data Develop and use environmental indicators and indices and monitoring partnerships across all levels of government; expand the resource base to include more volunteers; improve quality assurance and data accessibility; expand the EMAP and the Regional EMAP (or REMAP) program potentials; and improve Environmental Services Division (ESD) capabilities to perform lab analyses and data quality assurance, and coordinate with the programs. 148 July, 1994 ------- Agency-wide Strategic Plan Chapter 4 5. Partnerships Across all levels of staff, improve working partnerships with the states, the tribes, the local governments, and private sector; invest more in ecosystem-oriented partnerships, e.g., the Terrestrial Regional Research and Analysis Laboratory (TERRA), the Colorado Ecosystem Partnership, the Canyonlands Coalition, the Yellowstone Coalition, the State Rural Development Councils; support organizations like the Colorado Pollution Prevention Partnership and the Utah Manufacturing Association; and, encourage Intergovernmental Personnel Assignments (IPAs). Region 8 also will strive to increase grant funding for tribes. 6. Reinventing EPA Management Implement Region 8's streamlining plan to create an office that works better and costs less; use total quality management (TQM), facilitation, and conflict management skills, and train employees in these and other skill areas; establish an ad hoc Streamlining Implementation Task Force to oversee progress and promote re-engineering of some core work processes, e.g., permits, inspections, enforcement, block grants, and budget. 7. Environmental Accountability In directing the region's enforcement efforts to maximize compliance in partnership with the state and tribe environmental statutes, Region 8 will address the highest priority, cross-regional enforcement initiatives, and utilize enforcement tools to help address environmental equity issues of disproportionate risk. July, 1994 149 ------- Chapter 4 Agency-wide Strategic Plan REGION 9 INTRODUCTION Region 9's primary mission is to protect public health and the environment by implementing and enforcing environmental statutes. Region 9 complements the Agency's mission through its vision of a sustained regional economy based on sound environmental policy decisions; effective pollution prevention measures; and constructive partnerships with states, tribes, municipalities, and economic and environmental interests. Part of this vision includes the infusion of environmental justice throughout the region's work to achieve equal environmental protection for all segments of the public. Region 9 includes the states of Arizona, California, Hawaii, and Nevada, as well as the Pacific Islands and numerous Indian tribes. Major environmental challenges facing the region include improving air quality for the south coast of California and other geographic areas; improving water quality, conserving water resources, and preserving wetlands for the San Francisco Bay/Delta Estuary; military base cleanup; and environmental renovation along the U.S./Mexican Border. Over the next five years, Region 9 will continue to address each of these areas by following the guiding principles outlined in the Administrator's vision. The region is continuing its emphasis on enforcement. One of the goals of Region 9's Regional Enforcement Management Council is to operate an integrated strategic program that targets Region 9's enforcement interests most effectively. SUPPORTING THE GUIDING PRINCIPLES Region 9 supports the Administrator's strategic vision through two regional initiatives: (1) San Francisco Bay/Delta Estuary Initiative and (2) Toxic Source Reduction Initiative. 1) The San Francisco Bay/Delta Estuary Initiative is a long-term geographic initiative that focuses on protecting and restoring the estuary's waters, wetlands, and aquatic ecosystems by informing and involving the public and agricultural and regulated communities in the pollution prevention process. The initiative emphasizes the region's commitment to ecosystem protection, pollution prevention, forming partnerships with federal and state counterparts, coordination with other projects (e.g., Central Valley Project Improvement Act), improving scientific technical capabilities, and fostering cross-media integration. The initiative has agriculture and wetlands components. The agriculture component emphasizes preventing pollution from agricultural sources, such as pesticide run-off, as well as promotion of water conservation practices. In FY 1995, activities will include determining the total maximum daily load of selenium into the San Joaquin River; and demonstrating an on-farm pollution prevention approach for priority pesticides found through comprehensive environment planning; public education; and advanced identification to improve wetlands function in the Bay/Delta area. The advanced identification effort will provide better information to target future enforcement cases to high value resources and/or areas with multiple violations that 150 July, 1994 ------- Agency-wide Strategic Plan Chapter 4 cause significant cumulative effects. California has been working with the region to implement their State Wetlands Conservation Policy, and has identified mitigation banking and Section 404 delegation among their pilot projects. FY 1995 activities include implementing the North Bay Resource Management Plan, a cooperative effort among federal, state, and local groups to coordinate resource protection activities in Marin, Sonoma, Napa, and Solano Counties; advance planning in rapidly urbanizing Sacramento County; and local planning assistance/outreach for communities and farmers throughout the Central Valley. 2) The goal of the Toxic Source Reduction Initiative is reduction of toxics emissions and reduction exposures to lead. The initiative emphasizes two major activities the Mutual Efforts to Reduce Industrial Toxics (MERIT) partnership and the lead exposure reduction project. The goals of the MERIT partnership are to reduce toxic emissions by promoting a pollution prevention partnership in southwest Los Angeles County, the area of highest toxic release inventory emissions in Region 9. The partners consist of industry and federal/state/local agencies. Guidelines were drafted for companies and agencies to develop methods to reduce industrial releases, including incentives for expedited consideration of permit applications. In FY 1995, Region 9's goal is to increase outreach activities to industry sectors like metal-finishing, aerospace, electronics, and oil refineries in order to facilitate implementation of actual pollution prevention projects. In the lead project, Region 9's goal is to reduce lead exposure risk through research, public outreach and education, and grant funding in partnership with states, industry, and the public. Activities to date include regional GIS lead study, establishment of a lead hotline, distribution of multi-lingual educational materials on lead hazards, a culturally-based home remedies survey, partnership development of state grants, and targeted outreach and education presentations. Region 9 plans to continue implementation of the Region 9 lead strategy to further identify areas of high lead risk. The region will use data from the TRI reporting program in conjunction with the GIS as a means of targeting areas of high lead risk for pollution prevention and future enforcement. The region will also work in partnership with states to develop lead programs and outreach and education to promote environmental justice. Resources for both the San Francisco Bay/Delta Estuary Initiative and the Toxic Source Reduction Initiative have come from existing regional resources (e.g., priority permit and EIS reviews) as well as funding for regional initiatives from EPA Headquarters in FY 1993 (SF Bay only) and FY 1994 (both). In recognition of the Administrator's desire to reinvent EPA to manage for better results among other activities, to implement a major streamlining, some of whose projected cost savings will be reinvested in regional initiatives. OTHER MANDATES AND OBLIGATIONS Part of Region 9 vision is to assure that equal protection under the law is infuse into everything done in the region. The region's environmental justice efforts promote this ethic through open communications with affected community groups, outreach and public education programs. Regional senior management recently developed an action plan that includes, as a first step, an July, 1994 151 ------- Chapter 4 ^ Agency-wide Strategic Plan assessment of the real and perceived impact of EPA's environmental protection programs on the distribution of risks in Region 9. One of the region's major environmental obligations is to its 139 Indian tribes. Among them is the Navajo Nation, for which Region 9 serves as the lead region responsible for coordinating EPA assistance among three regions. A recent study of Native American programs has resulted in new efforts to strengthen coordination between programs to better target resources to tribes. These efforts will require shifting some of the region's resources within programs to more up-front planning and coordination of tribal issues. SUMMARY The following is a summary of how regional initiatives and other regional activities support the Administrator's seven guiding principles: 1. Ecosystem Protection The San Francisco Bay Delta/Estuary Initiative (SFBAY) will promote fully the protection of the region's diverse aquatic ecosystems through its agricultural and wetlands components. This is being done in concert with several other efforts, including the The San Francisco Estuary Project. 2. Environmental Justice The Toxic Source Reduction Initiative's lead project will promote culturally-based community outreach and education in the Los Angeles area, as well as other environmental justice activities. 3. Pollution Prevention The region will promote pollution prevention through the MERIT Project by encouraging voluntary reductions to toxic emissions in southwest Los Angeles County. In SFBAY, the region will demonstrate on-farm pollution prevention approaches for priority pesticides. The region will continue to encourage states to integrate pollution prevention into annual grant workplans. 4. Strong Science and Data The region will promote scientific and technical expertise through participation n Headquarters technical workgroups, liaisons and exchanges with the Office of Research and Development, and through affiliation with various universities and scientific and professional organizations. 5. Partnerships The MERIT Project will promote a partnership of industry and federal/state/local agencies to reduce toxic emissions in the highest release area. Region 9 will continue to promote numerous other partnership activities, including alliances with Pacific Gas and Electric in San Francisco and the Arizona Public Service utility in Phoenix. 152 July, 1994 ------- Agency-wide Strategic Plan Chapter 4 6. Reinventing EPA Management Region 9 is implementing a major streamlining plan to refine its infrastructure and serve clients better. 7. Environmental Accountability The region will carry out its regional enforcement strategic plan under the guidance of the Regional Enforcement Management Council. The plan will help to ensure that the region's resources, both multi-media and traditional single medium, are directed towards clear goals that can be shared with its state, tribal, and local government partners. July, 1994 153 ------- Chapter 4 Agency-wide Strategic Plan REGION 10 INTRODUCTION Region 10's strategic directions, developed with input from public and private sector customers, are the foundation of its strategic plan. The directions embody the main priorities for Region 10 and tie directly to the Agency's strategic vision and guiding principles. Each of the region's strategic directions has a vision statement that represents environmental goals for the region. The five strategic directions and examples of required changes and resource shifts are listed below: 1) Environmental Outreach and Education More emphasis on seeking out customers/stakeholders to include their concerns in region's decisionmaking process will require a change of focus in some programs. 2) Pollution Prevention The goal of integrating pollution prevention into the region's daily business and decisionmaking will shift resources from cleanup to prevention. 3) Rethinking the Enforcement Mix This represents a shift in the way the programs are run. One of the activities of this strategic direction is a cost-benefit analysis of multi-media inspections, enforcement, compliance assistance programs, etc. 4) Geographic/Multi-Media Leadership Extra grants support will be required for a well-integrated, multi-media, geographical approach. 5) The Wholesale-Retail Concept of Program Delivery Program focus will change as the region works toward its goal of enabling others with an emphasis on providing technical assistance. SUPPORTING THE GUIDING PRINCIPLES Region 10 media programs chose a list of specific program activities to implement the strategic directions. Each ensuing year, different activities will be emphasized. Progress is reviewed through the region's Management System. The region also focuses on environmental benchmarks that help measure environmental progress, customer needs, and program outputs. 1. Ecosystem Protection As a direct outcome of the President's Forest Conference, Region 10 is part of a federal cooperation structure established to develop an ecosystem management design for northwest forests. Another Region 10 project, in the Mid-Snake River area, focuses on exploring options for enhancing sustainable agricultural practice, but it will require a significant redirection of resources. 2. Environmental Justice Underway for over a year, Region 10 coordinates a federal/state project to improve the health of Alaska natives by improving waste disposal/drinking water in their villages. The region will evaluate enforcement data to determine where regional enforcement actions have occurred and if 154 ju|y> 1994 ------- Agency-wide Strategic Plan Chapter 4 there is a trend related to environmental justice. The study will use methodologies similar to the National Law Journal study. The geographical area will be determined based on input from community organizations and local agencies. Additional outreach with affected communities, to better understand community perceptions of Region 10's enforcement efforts, will be a part of the project. 3. Pollution Prevention For the second year, Region 10 is working with the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation in a pilot to redirect state program grant funds to initiate multi-media pollution prevention activities. Year one provided the state's Pollution Prevention Office with three percent of its program resources. The amount was increased to four percent in year two, with a third year goal of five percent. This initiative is successful in two ways: helping Alaska integrate P2 into its program activities, and promoting Region 10 state/EPA partnerships. 4. Strong Science and Data Region 10 is involved in many cross-media activities unique to the region: using the GIS system to link to environmental justice by monitoring seafood consumption by minority groups and resulting exposure; working with ORD and Region 9's states/tribes to develop monitoring systems on an ecosystem instead of species-by-species determinations. The region also is developing hard science methodologies such as sampling and analyzing to ensure that the entire ecosystem is being addressed. The region's Career Tracks Order enhances the careers of scientific and technical staff, thereby maintaining and improving regional expertise and commitment to strong science. Exceptional scientific employees may advance to master level (GS-14) positions without assuming a supervisory role, thereby retaining their scientific expertise and functions. 5. Partnerships Region 10 has operation offices in each of its states. The offices provide Region 10 closer access to state offices, the legislature, and the public. With the operations office on the same site as state offices, it is easier for grantees to access EPA staff, and that helps build trust and familiarity. The cross-media organization of the operations office provides an advantage when meeting with customers, giving Region 10 a unique perspective on state programs and facilitates technical assistance to a variety of agencies. The Idaho Cumulative Mandates Pilot Project focuses on small towns in Idaho and seeks to develop environmental priority-setting approaches that enable communities to better target resources to their most significant problems. Partners in this project are the Idaho Department of Environmental Quality, four towns, three universities, and other federal, state and local organizations. 6. Reinventing EPA Management Region 10 has implemented Career Enrichment, which identifies temporary opportunities for supervisors and staff. The region is seeking ways employees can broaden perspectives, develop July, 1994 155 ------- Chapter 4 Agency-wide Strategic Plan additional skills, and meet changing Agency needs. Employees initiate their assignments or respond to Career Enrichment Opportunity announcements, which fit with streamlining. 7. Environment Accountability Building heavily on our existing Strategic Direction: Compliance (Rethinking the Enforcement Mix), Region 10 is already well positioned to implement the seventh guiding principle Environmental Accountability. To do so, Region 10 will continue to implement its Compliance Strategic Direction and emphasize the following elements: ^ Continue to target our compliance activities in high risk sectors, ecosystems, and populations. ^ Emphasize multi-media, whole facility approaches which emphasize pollution prevention and innovative compliance techniques. > Continue to evaluate our data reporting systems and work to measure all activities which contribute to compliance rates, not just traditional measures such as cases referred or penalties assessed. > Look carefully at environmental justice concerns in all our compliance activities, and provide leadership in fostering participation in international environmental compliance activities. OTHER MANDATES AND OBLIGATIONS Sustainable Development: Region 10 is serving as a major catalyst in promoting sustainable development. Areas of focus include pilot work with small communities, work with industrial sectors, extending a watershed focus in selected areas to incorporate sustainability, and working to build commitment in the business and university communities on this issue. There is also an ongoing internal effort to increase staff knowledge and awareness of sustainability concepts and implications. Enabling Customers and State Capacity Building: One of Region 10's strategic directions is the "Wholesale-Retail Concept" of program delivery. The direction's goal is to boost effectiveness through a clearer definition of the various partners. Strategies developed by each program division emphasize Region 10's preferred role of enabling state or local partners for successful program delivery. Activities also will focus on identifying the core skills needed to develop staff for the changing role of EPA. Multi-Media Enforcement: In Region 10, the Office of Enforcement serves as coordinator for the regional multi-media program and is responsible for ensuring that the region is using state of the art, risk-driven targeting as well as coordinating joint multi-media inspections. Examples of the guiding principles supported by this approach are the ability to use pollution prevention in settlements, and optimization of opportunities for partnerships (state, tribe, and local) in joint inspections and enforcement follow-up. 156 July, 1994 ------- Agency-wide Strategic Plan Appendix A APPENDIX A ACKNOWLEDGMENTS On December 7, 1993, Administrator Browner announced her intentions to develop a five-year agency-wide strategic plan that would guide the Agency's planning, resource allocation, and decisionmaking processes in carrying out a new approach to environmental protection. Towards that end, she formed an agency-wide Strategic Planning Task Force. Task Force members devoted much time and energy in developing a strategic plan and process that provided a focus for prioritizing strategies and for identifying measurable environmental goals this country must strive to achieve if it is to attain a sustainable environmental future. In working to create an open, inclusive process for developing the strategic plan for the Agency, the Task Force members worked with established agency workgroups (e.g., the Science Policy Council helped develop the principle on Strong Science and Data) to further develop the principles and their implementation outlined in Chapter II of the strategic plan. The Task Force met with all Assistant, Associate, and Regional Administrators and the General Counsel and Inspector General to discuss plans for program and regional implementation of the seven principles outlined in Chapter II. Program and Regional offices then developed broad plans for supporting the agency-wide strategic plan. These plans constitute Chapter IV of the strategic plan. In order to ensure broad, external involvement in the development of the strategic plan, the Task Force met with industry representatives, environmental groups, Congressional Committees, States, Tribes, Office of Management and Budget, and White House staff to solicit their ideas and comments on the strategic plan. At a meeting of EPA's senior leadership, the states and tribes were invited, for the first time, to discuss the strategic plan. Without the involvement of all internal and external stakeholders, the strategic plan could not be successful, nor would it include such a diverse set of ideas for achieving environmental goals. The plan will not be static. Rather, it will be constantly evolving to ensure that EPA is focusing its efforts most productively. Not only will this process continue within EPA, but also with our local and global partners in environmental protection. STRATEGIC PLANNING TASK FORCE Co-Chairs Advisors David Gardiner, Assistant Administrator, OPPE Sylvia Lowrance, Associate Deputy Administrator, AO Jonathan Cannon, Assistant Administrator, OARM Mike Vandenbergh, Chief of Staff, AO Members Lynn Goldman, Assistant Administrator, OPPTS Elliott Laws, Assistant Administrator, OSWER Elizabeth Cotsworth, Acting Deputy Director, Office of Solid Waste, OSWER Pat Meaney, Deputy Regional Administrator, Region 1, Boston Bill Muszynski, Regional Administrator, Region 2, New York Jane Saginaw, Regional Administrator, Region 6, Dallas Beverly Negri, Chief, Program, Planning, and Grants Branch, Region 6, Dallas Bob Wayland, Director, Office of Wetlands, Oceans, and Watersheds, OW Gene Durman, Deputy Director, Office of Radiation and Indoor Air, OAR Senior Manager Support Deny Allen, Director, Office of Strategic Planning and Environmental Data, OPPE Kathryn S. Schmoll, Comptroller, OARM July, 1994 157 ------- Appendix A Agency-wide Strategic Plan Thanks go to the many staff members that provided significant support to the strategic planning process: Katherine Brown Bonita Crockett Robert Currie Steve Delaney Michael Glikes Elaine Haemisegger Debbie Ingram Dona Harris Maurice LeFranc Charles Minor JeffMorin Joyce Morrison Sharon Payne Alan Perrin Sue Priftis Margaret Saxton Ruth Alene Soward Julie Spyres Tom Super Debbie Walker Kerry Weiss Shiree Womack There are many individuals that should be recognized for their participation on one or more of the guiding principle teams and their assistance in writing major portions of the agency-wide strategic plan: ECOSYSTEM PROTECTION Jonathan Z. Cannon, Team Lead, OARM Maurice LeFranc, Staff Lead, OPPE Don Brady, OW David Gardiner, OPPE Lynn Goldman, OPPTS Janet Pawlukiewicz, OW Bob Wayland, OW Louise Wise, OW ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE Kathy Aterno, Team Co-lead, OARM Elizabeth Cotsworth, Team Co-lead, OSWER Dona Harris, Staff Lead, OPPE Clarice Gaylord, OARM/OEJ Robert Knox, OARM/OEJ Environmental Justice Policy Workgroup POLLUTION PREVENTION Lynn Goldman, Team Lead, OPPTS Alan Perrin, Staff Lead, OPPE Elizabeth Cotsworth, OSWER John Cross, OPPTS Gene Durman, OAR David Gardiner, OPPE Mark Greenwood, OPPTS Dave Kling, OPPTS Fred Lindsey, ORD Tom McCully, P2 Policy Staff, AO Al McGartland, OPPE Pat Meaney, Region 1 Tom O'Farrell, OW Greg Ondich, ORD Eric Schaeffer, OECA STRONG SCIENCE AND DATA Lynn Goldman, Team Co-lead, OPPTS Jonathan Z. Cannon, Team Co-lead, OARM Mike Glikes, Staff Lead, OPPE Robert Sussman, Chair, Science Policy Council William Raub, Chair, SPC Steering Committee Jay Benforado, ORD Mark Day, OARM Angela Nugent, OPPE Dorothy Patton, ORD Gail Robarge, ORD PARTNERSHIPS David Gardiner, Team Lead, OPPE JeffMorin, Staff Lead, OPPE Elizabeth Cotsworth, OSWER Eugene C. Durman, OAR Charles W. Kent, OROSLR Jamison Koehler, OIA Janet S. Mason, Region 5 Patricia L. Meaney, Region 1 Shelly Metzenbaum, OROSLR REINVENTING EPA MANAGEMENT Sylvia Lowrance, Team Lead, OA Debbie Ingram, Staff Lead, OARM Management Committee ENVIRONMENTAL ACCOUNTABILITY Scott Fulton, Team Lead, OECA Alan Perrin, Staff Lead, OPPE Phil Milton, OECA Jack Neylan, OECA Eric Schaeffer, OECA Frederick Steihl, OECA 158 July, 1994 ------- Agency-wide Strategic Plan Appendix B APPENDIX B GLOSSARY OF ABBREVIATIONS AARP American Association of Retired Persons ASTSWMO ... Association of State & Territorial Solid Waste Management Officers 8 BAQA Building Air Quality Alliance BAT Best Available Technology BMP Best Management Practices c CAA Clean Air Act CAAA Clean Air Act Amendments CD-ROM Compact Disk - Read Only Memory CEPP Chemical Emergency Prepared and Prevention/OSWER CEQ Council on Environmental Quality CERCLA Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act CERCLIS Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Information System CFC Chlorofluorocarbons CFO Chief Financial Officer CSGWPP Comprehensive State Ground Water Protection Program CSO Combined Sewer Overflow CWA Clean Water Act CWPPRA Coastal Wetlands Planning, Protection & Restoration Act D DDT Dichloro Diphenyl Trichloroethane DEP Displaced Employee Program DEQ Department of Environmental Quality DfE Design for the Environment DOD U. S. Department of Defense DOL Department of Labor £ EIS Environmental Impact Statement EJ Environmental Justice EMAP Environmental Monitoring and Assessment Program EPA Environmental Protection Agency ERA Ecological Risk Assessment ESA Endangered Species Act ESD Environmental Service Division ETI Environmental Technology Initiative ETS Environmental Tabacco Smoke July, 1994 159 ------- Appendix B Agency-wide Strategic Plan FDA Food and Drug Administration FFEO Federal Facilities Enforcement Office FMFIA Federal Managers' Financial Integrity Act (Also referred to as "The Integrity Act") FSA Freedom Support Act FTE Full time Equivalent FY Fiscal Year FTTA Federal Technology Transfer Act G GATT General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade GIS Geographic Information System GLP Good Laboratory Practices GPRA Government Performance and Results Act GS General Schedule H HUD Housing and Urban Development IBEP Integrated Border Environmental Plan ICEM Interagency Cooperation pm Ecosystem Management IG Inspector General IPA Intergovernmental Personnel Assignments IPM Integrated Pest Management IRM Interim Remedial Measures (CERCLA) L LaMPS Lakewide Management Plans LAN Local Area Network M MACT Maximum Achievable Control Technology MAHA Mid-Atlantic Highland Assessment MBDA Minority Business Development Agency MBE Minority Business Enterprise MERIT Mutual Efforts to Reduce Industrial Toxics MOU Memorandum of Understanding N NAAG National Association of Attorneys General NAFTA North American Free Trade Agreement NAFTA North American Free Trade Agreement NAS National Academy of Science NASA National Aeronautics and Space Administration NATO North Atlantic Treaty Organization NCSL National Conference of State Legislatures 160 July, 1994 ------- Agency-wide Strategic Plan Appendix B NEIC National Enforcement Investigations Center NEPA National Environmental Policy Act NETI National Enforcement Training Institute NGA National Governors Association NHEXAS National Human Exposure Assessment Survey NPDES National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System NPL National Priority List (CERLA) NPR National Performance Review o OAM Office of Acquisition Management OAQPS Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards OAR Office of Air and Radiation OARM Office of Administration and Resource Management OC Office of the Comptroller (OARM) OCE Office of Criminal Enforcement OCEPA Office of Communication, Education, and Public Affairs OCLA Office of Congressional and Legislative Affairs OCR Office of Civil Rights OE Office of Enforcement OECA Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance OECD Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development OECD SID .... Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development Screening Information Data Set OECO Office of Enforcement Capacity and Outreach (OECA) OFA Office of Federal Activities OFFE Office of Federal Facilities Enforcement OGC Office of General Council OIA Office of International Activities OIG Office of Inspector General OMB Office of Management Budget OPPE Office of Policy Planning and Evaluation OPPTS Office of Pollution, Pesticides and Toxic Substances ORC Office of Regional Counsel ORD Office of Research Development ORE Office of Regulatory Enforcement ORIA Office of Radiation and Indoor Air OROSLR Office of Regional Operations and State/Relations OSDBU Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization OSRE Office and Site Remediation Enforcement OSW Office of Solid Waste (OSWER) OSWER Office of Solid Waste and Emergency Response OW Office of Water P P2 Pollution Prevention Pb Lead PCBs Polychlorinated biphenyls PPIC Office of Policy, Planning and Information (OSWER) PRP Potential Responsible Party PSA Public Service Announcement PSD Prevention of Significant Deterioration July, 1994 161 ------- Appendix B Agency-wide Strategic Plan Q QA Quality Assurance R R&D Research and Development R-EMAP Regional Environmental Monitoring & Assessment Program RAPS Remedial Action Plans RCRA Resource Conservation and Recovery Act REMAP Regional Environmental Monitoring and Program RTP Research Triangle Park s SAB Science Advisory Board SBA Small Business Administration SDWA Safe Drinking Water Act SEED Support for Eastern European Democracy SEP Supplemental Environmental Projects SES Senior Executive Service SIP State Implementation Plan (CAA) SNC Significant Non-Compliance SPC Science Policy Council SRRP Source Reduction Review Project STEP Small Town Environmental Planning STORET Storage and Retrieval of Water Quality Information T TERRA Terrestrial Regional Research and Analysis TIO Technology Innovation Office/OSWER TIPPP Tidewater Interagency P2 Project TMDLS Total Maximum Daily Loads TQM Total Quality Management TRI Toxic Release Inventory TRI Toxic Release Inventory TSCA Toxic Substances Control Act u U.S. TIES U.S. Technology for International Environmental Solutions UNDP United Nations Development Program USDA United States Department of Agriculture UST Underground Storage Tanks w WAVE Water Alliance for Voluntary Efficiency WBE Women Business Enterprise WIPP Waste Isolation Pilot Plant 162 July, 1994 ------- |