... T: '**"P-i...'«jia
•'
puv sei6e}B4s
>fepoj. ejnjnj
'6uiUUB|d '/0!|od
|BJU9UJUOJ)AU3
-------
This report sets forth the ten strategic themes that
guide the Environmental Protection Agency's
planning, budget formulation, and program
implementation. These themes represent tools for
reducing risk, and have their origins in the
recommendations of the Science Advisory Report,
Reducing Risk: Setting Priorities and Strategies for
Environmental Protection.
This report represents broad-based input
from Agency managers in developing the themes,
and their use in formulating the FY1993 and FY1994
budgets. The Office of Policy, Planning and
Evaluation coordinated the preparation of thisreport,
and will continue to assess its utility in guiding
Agency actions.
Moving forward, the Agency is now
developing a set of national environmental goals that
will provide the focus of the Agency's cross-media
efforts to reduce risk.
Recycled/Recyclable
Printed with Soy/Canola Ink on paper that
All Photos S. C. Delaney Yll<^/ contains at least 50% recycled fiber
-------
EPA's Strategies and Framework for the Future
CONTENTS
Message from the Administrator 1
Introduction 2
Agency Mission, Goals and Objectives 4
Risk Reduction — EPA's Metric for 5
Setting Priorities and Measuring Success
Strategies for the Future
• Strategic Implementation of g
Statutory Mandates
• Improving Science and the Knowledge Base 10
• Pollution Prevention: EPA's Preferred Choice 12
• Geographic Targeting for Ecological Protection 14
• Greater Reliance on Economic Incentives and 18
Technological Innovation
• Improving Cross-media Program Integration and 20
Multi-media Enforcement
• Building State/Local/Tribal Capacity 22
• Enhancing International Cooperation 24
• Strengthening Environmental Education and 28
Public Outreach
• Better Management and Infrastructure 30
Acknowledgments U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Region 5, Library (PL-12J)
77 West Jackson Boulevard, 12th Floor
Chicago, IL 60604^3590
-------
Wtiifrt-
.jji# ?&»..•.*& '* •' ' '*'
Sa^
-------
Message from the Administrator
Two years ago, EPA's Science Advisory Board (SAB)
released its historic report: Reducing Risk: Setting
Priorities and Strategies for Environmental Protection. In
the relatively brief time since then, the Environmental
Protection Agency has made great strides in
incorporating the report's recommendations to
integrate risk-based priorities in our strategicplanning
and budgeting processes. In doing so, the Agency
confronts a number of challenges — an organization
structured along narrow, programmatic lines, the
constraints of media-specific statutory mandates and
budgets, and the need for new scientific and technical
tools to assess relative risk.
This report, Strategies and Framework for the
Future, is the result of a year-long Agencywide planning
process. It lays out ten strategies that constitute the
framework within which we, as an Agency, look at
priorities and make policy decisions. They have their
origins in the recommendations of the SAB report,
which strongly encourages EPA to make better use of
all the tools available to reduce risk. In addition, the
strategies serve as a valuable means to integrate all our
actions across media-specificboundaries and to direct
our efforts and resources to reducing the most serious
remaining risks. Both our FY1993 and FY1994 budgets
now reflect the Agency's overall priorities and
directions.
This Report draws on widespread
participation from throughout EPA - headquarters
and the regions--as well as the States. Although it is
an important step forward for the Agency, the journey
does not end here. Our goal is a fully integrated,
scientifically sound, risk-based strategic plan for
protection of human health and the environment. Even
as we complete this phase of the work, we are taking
further steps to pursue this longer-term goal. I take
great pride in our steady progress in protecting the
health of our people and the productivity of the
natural systems on which all human activity,
economic activity included, depend.
William K.-
October, 1992
-------
introduction
With our growing understanding of environmental
problems, EPA is committed to takingan even greater
leadership role in anticipating and addressing cur-
rent and future environmental challenges. These
challenges include making decisions about how to
control difficult problems such as indoor air pollu-
tion and agricultural runoff, and what types of inter-
national cooperation and research are necessary to
solve global problems such as climate change and
stratospheric ozone depletion. EPA realizes that it
cannot be reactive--simply waiting for new laws to
pass or for the public to demand action to address
problems. Instead, EPA is continuously striving to
become an effective change agent, augmenting its
current set of statutory mandates with innovative
approaches to predict, prevent, and solve environ-
mental problems.
EPA also recognizes that some
environmental problems are more serious than others.
Yet the Agency has been organized into Air, Water,
Waste and Pesticides Offices, as well as various other
support offices. As a result, it hasn't—as an Agency--
developed a strategic sense of national environmental
priorities. What are the priority risks? What
remaining risks are more serious than others? What
problems does the nation need to get on top of right
now? What problems can safely wait until new
science and technologies come along?
To add ress these questions and adopt a more
forward looking integrated posture, EPA is now
employing strategic planning as a tool for taking a
rational long-term lookat where the Agency isheaded,
and for setting its own agenda and priorities based on
relative risks to human health and the environment.
Drawingon three yearsof in tensive planning
efforts by our Air, Water, Waste, and Pesticide:
programs, and Regional offices, coupled with Stati
comparative risk studies, the Agency is improving it:
ability to identify and address the most seriou:
remaining risks. Strategic planning is also helping
EPA carry out its traditional programs based on new
more strategic, risk-based ways of doing business
and greater reliance on a number of "tools" fo
reducing risk.
The ten themes in this Framework are ;
combination of core Agency functions, such a
Strategic Implementation of Statutory Mandates, anc
new degrees of emphasis on a wider array of tooh
such as Economic Incentives, Education,and Pollutioi
Prevention. The themes have their origins in th<
Science Advisory Board (SAB) report, Reducing Risk
which emphasizes the need for the Agency to mak
better use of a wider array of tools for reducing risk
The themes also cut across EPA's media progran
responsibilities, and foster a collaborative multi
media approach to setting Agency priorities basec
on risk.
EPA's Strategies and Framework for the Futur
is structured around the Agency's ten strategic theme;
It reflects EPA's first attempt to use a cross-Agenc
forum to examine and articulate opportunities t
pursue cross-media, risk-based environmenta
protection. It also identifies some new ideas that ar
intended to stimulate constructive discussion am
debate as the Agency develops its longer-term agende
The Report reflects a broad-based, mult:
media, and participative planning process. Team
representing a vertical and horizontal cross-secrioi
-------
of participants throughout the Agency met to discuss
the Agency's ten themes in the context of why (the
need for change), what (actions EPA is taking to
respond to the need for change), and how (imple-
mentation activities to promote change). The out-
come of those discussions formed the agenda for the
Agency's Annual Planning Meeting in January of this
year, which resulted in a number of cross-media
initiatives that were used to formulate the Agency's
FY 1994 budget.
As EPA continues to conduct its business
around the themes, its ability to operate cross-media
programs and activities will continue to improve.
The cross-media initiatives identified in this Report
should not be viewed as separate from EPA's on-
going program-specific work. Rather, they are
examples of how the Agency is working to improve
the way it already does its business to obtain better
environmental results.
As we complete this Framework, the next
steps for the Agency's strategic planning process are
already unfolding. Work is now underway by the
Agency's senior managers to develop a portfolio of
measurable environmental goals for cross-media
environmental problems. Programs are also devel-
oping their own media-specific environmental goals
against which to measure progress in terms of actual
environmental results. Once these environmental
goals are in place, they will become the focus of the
Agency's cross-media efforts to reduce risk, and are
likely to form the basis for EPA's next phase of
strategic planning.
-------
Agency Mission Statement
The people who work at the Environmental Protection Agency are dedicated to
improving and preserving the quality of the environment, both national and global.
We work to protect human health and the productivity of natural resources on which
all human activity depends. Highly skilled and culturally diverse, we are committed
to using quality management processes that encourage teamwork and promote
innovative and effective solutions to environmental problems. In particular, we are
committed to ensuring that:
• Federal environmental laws are implemented and enforced effectively;
• US policy, both foreign and domestic, fosters the integration of economic
development and environmental protection so that economic growth can be
sustained over the long term;
• Publicandprivatedecisionsaffecting energy, transportation, agriculture,industry,
international trade, and natural resources fully integrate considerations of
environmental quality;
• National efforts to reduce environmental risk are based on the best available
scientific information communicated clearly to the public;
• Everyone in our society recognizes the value of preventing pollution before it is
created;
• People have the information and incentives they need to make environmentally
responsible choices in their daily lives; and
• Schools and community institutions promote environmental stewardship as a
national ethic.
-------
Vgency Goals and Objectives
Providing leadership in the nation's environmental
science, research, and assessment efforts.
• Conduct and encourage research that improves
our understanding of health and ecological risks.
• Provide objective, reliable, and understandable
information that helps build trust in EPA's
judgment and actions, and informs the choices
of institutions and individuals throughout
society.
• Promote and support innovative technological
solutions to environmental problems and share
our innovative technologies and research
findings with states, local governments, and
other nations.
Making sound regulatory and program decisions.
• Implement current environmental laws
effectively, and help to improve those laws as
they are reauthorized in the future—maintain a
vigorous and credible enforcement program
with emphasis on multi-media and criminal
violations.
• Evaluate health and ecological risks; target our
resources and priorities at the problems and the
geographic areas posing the greatest risks, and
devise innovative, integrated solutions to
environmental problems.
• Promote public and private actions that prevent
pollution at the source before it becomes a
problem.
Effectively carrying out our programs and policies.
• Meet Federal statutory obligations while
retaining sufficient flexibility to address priority
risks in different parts of the country-promote
cross-media and interstate initiatives, such as
multi- media permitting and enforcement.
• Improve the economic analyses that promote
efficiency and cost-effectiveness in our decisions,
and apply market mechanisms and economic
incentives when they are appropriate and
effective-work with other government agencies
to ensure they consider the environmental
implications of their actions.
• Enable state and local governments, as partners,
to implement and enforce environmental
programs, and convey clear, accurate, and timely
information to the public—incorporate
information from the public in EPA activities,
and involve other government agencies, public
interest groups, the regulated community, and
the general public in achieving national and
global environmental goals.
Improving the global environment.
• Expand and strengthen U.S. leadership to pro-
tect and improve the global environment.
• Collaborate with other go vernment agencies and
nations, the private sector, and public interest
groups to identify and solve transboundary
pollution problems.
• Ensure that environmental concerns are inte-
grated into U.S. foreign policy, including trade
and economic development.
• Provide technical assistance, new technology,
and scientific expertise to other nations.
-------
Risk Reduction: EPA's Metric for
Setting Priorities and Measuring Success
Our mission, goals and objectives provide EPA with
valuable direction and a sense of common purpose.
In addition, EPA recognizes risk reduction as the
overarching goal that can link our strategic choices
with our desired outcomes. EPA's independent
Science Advisory Board (SAB) recommended that
EPA target available resources -within statutory
limits — at the greatest risks to human health and the
environment. Drawing on the SAB Report, we are
expanding our use of risk assessment and compara-
tive risk analysis as basic inputs to EPA's decisions
and actions. They are important tools that help us to
make decisions, and implement integrated and tar-
geted national environmental policies and actions,
and provide benchmarks for gauging our success in
protecting human health and the environment.
Consistent with the recommendations of
the SAB Report, EPA is committed to:
• Set priorities for future actions to achieve great-
est reduction of the most serious remaining
risks.
• Reflect its priorities in its strategic planning and
budgeting processes.
• Improve the data and analytical methodologies
that support the assessment, comparison, and
reduction of different risks.
• Make greater use of the broad array of tools
available to reduce risk.
• Emphasize pollution prevention as the preferred
option for reducing risk.
Work with other federal agencies, and with
industry, to integrate risk reduction
considerations into the broader aspects of public
policy.
Promote education and outreach to improve
public understanding of the true nature of rela-
tive risks, which will enable an interested and
informed public to express its views about the
relative ranking of risks.
Train a culturally diverse professional workforce
to enhance its skills and capacity to devise and
manage programs and activities based on risk
reduction concepts.
Measure the success of its decisions and actions
based on the effective and efficient reduction of
risk.
-------
-------
Strategic Implementation of Statutory Mandates
WH Y The Agency has an extensive set of legal obligations
under its many statutes. These laws have shaped the
Agency's regulatory programs, organization and
culture, which has led to viewing environmental
problems separately. In addition, many of EPA's
legal obligations impose requirements on the Agency
thatmayexceed available resources, and may impede
its ability to address relative risks in a comprehensive,
cross-media fashion.
The SAB Report emphasized the need for
EPA to integrate its en vironmental protection efforts,
and recommended using the concept of
environmental risk as a way to foster the cvolu tion of
an integrated and targeted national environmental
policy. The SAB acknowledged that EPA's activities
are defined by the laws it is required to administer,
as well as its responsibility to respond to publi
concerns. However, the SAB cautioned that EP^
should not limit its risk comparison efforts under it
statutes.
The Agency is now fully committed to usinj
risk reduction to set its priorities and measure it
success, and is working to more fully integrate thi
Agency's statutory obligations with its commitmen
to reduce the most serious remaining risks.
Agency managers are now developing am
implementing effective processes that integrate thi
Agency's statutory mandates with its obligations o
risk reduction, and the strategic themes, and tha
better manage the natural tensions among therr
EPA's Strategies and framework for the Future is ai
important step in this direction.
Strategic implementation of our statutory mandates
calls for EPA to carry out its legal responsibilities in
ways that strategically address the best opportunities
for reducing the most serious remaining risks.
Strategic, risk-based implementation of existing and
new statutory mandates emphasizes the need for
EPA to:
• Use its strategic planning, budgeting, and
accountability systems to make more informed
strategic choices, both within individual
programs and across the Agency as a whole, so
that scarce resources are dedicated to different
environmental problems based on their relative
risk.
Identify and quantify environmental and ecc
nomic benefits resulting from Agency action:
and use this information to make better choice
in the future.
Pursue opportunities to reduce serious remainin
risksin concert with its many statutory mandate;
which are not generally risk-based and ofte
tend to drive EPA's resources away fror
relatively high risks such as habitat degradatio
and biological diversity.
Devise and implement ways to achieve our mar
dates more efficiently and effectively.
-------
HOW Clusters to Foster Activities Across Statutes and
Programs
Clusters are collaborative teamwork to
promoteintegrated cross-media problem-solving that
considers the broad array of regulatory and non-
regulatory tools and activities to reduce risk. Clusters
are formed around common environmental interests,
such as a specific pollutant, a specific industry, or
other logical groupings.
Integrated environmental protection may
require rulemaking under a variety of statutory
mandates administered by different programs in the
Agency. Multi-office "Clusters" - teams of EPA staff
and managers — have been formed to integrate new
regulations as they are developed, and to implement
existing regulations and activities in an integrated
fashion. In addition, the Agency is allowing the
Clusters to perform the function of traditional Agency
review and sign-off of new regulations, where
appropriate.
The Agency will continue to improve the
use of Clusters to integrate activities and regulations
across programs. Cluster activities currently planned
or underway at EPA include:
• Lead
• Pulp and Paper
• Small Communities
• Habitat
• Groundwater
• Petroleum Refining
• Contaminated Media
• Oil and Gas Production and Exploration
• Nitrogen
• Indoor Air
• Printing
• Environmental Equity
-------
Improving Science and the Knowledge Base
WHY To be credible and effective, EPA's policies, actions
and programs must be based on scientifically sound,
credible, risk-based approaches. To make effective
risk-based decisions, EPA must improve its: (1)
scientific knowledge and data to support sound risk-
based decision-making; and (2) ability to obtain broad-
based Congressional and public support for
incorporating these scientific improvements into
decision-making processes.
To accomplish this, EPA is working to con-
tinuously improve its:
Scientific Understanding about
• The risks to human health from environmental
contaminants and carcinogens.
• The risks to ecological systems caused by human
activities.
Data and Monitoring to Identify Problems through
• Integrated data and information management
systems to improve understanding of multi-
media sources, exposures and environmental
conditions.
• Monitoring to support environmental indicators
of human health, ecological status, and exposure
to pollution.
Risk Assessment Methodology—a developing
science—that is necessary for practicable,
credible, risk-based decisions that are acceptable
to the scientific community and the public.
Risk Management to facilitate risk-based planning
and decision-making based on values assigned
to different potential risks in order to compare
the relative costs and benefits of avoiding 01
reducing relative risks.
Education and Public Participation to inform the
public about the true nature of relative risks
which will allow an empowered public to partici
pate in relative ranking of risks.
Pollution Prevention and Mitigation to avoid 01
reduce the causes of the risks.
Risk Communication to improve public and Con
gressional understanding of relative risks and tc
engender support for risk-based programs.
WHAT EPA defines science broadly to include basic and
applied research (including socio-economic), routine
field monitoring, and technical assistance. To improve
our scientific and knowledge base we are committed
to:
Science Research to improve our understanding of
underlying biological processes, to assess relative
risks to human health and ecosystems, to deter-
mine the effectiveness of pollution prevention,
and to promote technological innovation and other
alternatives to reducing risk.
Socio-economic Research to improve our ability to
value ecological resources and to use market-
based approaches to reduce risks.
Cross-media Research to develop improved method;
to address ecosystem and human health impact;
from complex problems.
Science and Risk Assessment Methods to ensun
full, appropriate application to our policy-making
and program operations.
Data Collection and Quality Control to ensun
improved data quality and consistency, anc
expanded data collection from local t<
international sources.
Data Integration to facilitate more sophisticatec
scientific insights about our operating programs
10
-------
Science and Data Technical Assistance to state and
local governments, as well as international pro-
grams.
Risk Communication thatassemblesanddisseminates
current information on risk to human health and
the environment, and provides an ongoing
process to update and disseminate new
information.
Research on Risk Communication and how to use it
as a risk reduction tool.
HOW Scientific Research on:
• Geographically targeted ecological protection;
• Socio-ecological valuation of environmental re-
sources;
• Pollution prevention techniques; and
• Bioremediation and innovative risk reduction
technology.
Risk Assessment Research to improve methods for
human health (cancer and non-cancer effects)
and ecological systems, and to incorporate these
improved methods into the Agency's operating
programs.
Forecasting to analyze information from expert
sources in order to developan internal capability
for forecasting and scenario analyses to support
and enhance strategic planning.
Environmental Indicators and Activity Measures to
assess the progress made by operating programs
against environmental goals.
Environmental Monitoring and Assessment Pro-
gram (EMAP) to:
• Enable a national research and monitoring
network as a framework for multi-Agency
cooperation; and
• Reliably estimate status and trends of ecological
resources on a regional basis.
Scientific and Technical Staff appropriate to meet
the Agency's current and long-term scientific
research and data management needs, with the
appropriate roles, grade levels, career paths and
incentives to ensure that science and data needs
can be carried out effectively.
Quality Assurance to ensure that scientific findings
consistently meet the most rigorous standards
for quality.
High Performance Computing to advance the hard-
ware and computational techniques to analyze
complex environmental problems represented
b'y dynamic computer models.
Information System Science to make useof powerful
new technologies that will enhance our abilities
to analyze data and allow us to better manage
environmental programs.
High Quality Data Standards to acquire the best
quality information from whatever sources,
assess its quality, and provide an assessment of
its validity to all environmental partners to
improve environmental decision-making.
DatalntegrationSystemstoadvancedataintegration
to improve decision-making through standard
definitions, common user interfaces, core data
sets, and analytic tools, with access provided to
states, Federal agencies and other users.
Risk-based Management to ensure that the results
of existing and future studies and research are
incorporated in an up-to-date Agencywide
information base on human health and
environmental systems related to risks,
comparative risks, and risk criteria, and to
assemble and disseminate this information to
Agency decision-makers and other users.
Risk Communication by a national environmental
statistics program to coordinate U.S.
environmental monitoring, data collection and
analysis, and statistical data sharing, including
procedures for increased public access and for
coordination with international organizations.
11
-------
Pollution Prevention: EPA's Preferred Choice
WHY EPA has devoted two decades to treatment and
clean up of pollutants after they are generated. While
this approach has proved successful and will always
play a significant role in environmental protection,
we have learned that, in many instances, pollution
can be avoided at the outset, thereby eliminating or
minimizing the need for end-of-pipe controls.
The SAB Report, Reducing Risk, which was
designed to help us identify the most important
environmental problems and best solutions, recom-
mends that "EPA should emphasize pollution pre-
vention as the preferred option for reducing risk."
Today EPA is dedicated to examining ways
of preventing pollution at the source as the first line
of defense. Experience shows it can be a cheaper,
more effective way to reduce environmental risk.
For example, pollution prevention can be socially
and economically advantageous because it can:
• Eliminate the risk associated with generating
pollutants.
• Reduce waste.
• Decrease worker exposure to high risk chemicals.
• Eliminate cross-media transfer of pollutants that
can occur with treatment and disposal.
• Increase efficiency and performance.
• Reduce consumption of energy, natural
resources, virgin materials, and hazardous/toxic
inputs.
• Reduce costs of treatment and disposal.
• Reduce the costs of ongoing regulatory
compliance and liabili ty that result when control
systems fail.
• Decrease long-term liability associated with off-
site disposal.
WHAT Pollution prevention means "source reduction," as
defined under the 1990 Pollution Prevention Act, and
other practices that reduce or eliminate the creation
of pollutants through:
• Increased efficiency in the use of raw materials,
energy, water, or other resources,
• Protection of natural resources by conservation,
or
• Substitution of non-toxic inputs for toxic
inputs in industrial processes.
The Pollution Prevention Act defines "source
reduction" to mean any practice which:
• Reduces theamountof any hazardous substance,
pollutant, or contaminant entering any waste
stream or otherwise released into the environ-
ment (including fugitive emissions) prior to recy-
cling, treatment, or disposal.
• Reduces the hazards to public health and the
environment associated with the release of such
substances, pollutants, or contaminants.
Pollution prevention includes: equipment
or technology modifications; process or procedure
modifications; reformulation or redesign of prod-
ucts; substitution of raw materials; and improve-
ments in housekeeping, maintenance, training, 01
inventory control.
Under the Pollution Prevention Act,
recycling, energy recovery, treatment, and disposal
are methods of managing waste once it has beer
generated and, therefore, are not included within tht
definition of pollution prevention. (Some practice;
commonly described as "in-process recycling" ma)
qualify as pollution prevention.)
12
-------
H 0 W ^^ *s ^y committed to pollution prevention as its
preferred alternative for environmental protection.
To achieve its objectives, EPA will:
Reduce Pollution:
Strategic apply pollution prevention to all environ-
mental problems and concerns; incorporate the
strategy across existing regulatory and non-
regulatory programs; implement the core re-
quirements of the Pollution Prevention Act.
Tactical: target high-risk problems both within and
beyond the traditional scope of EPA's programs
and regulatory authorities; use a broad range of
approaches, both voluntary and regulatory, to
promote pollution prevention.
Institutionalize Pollution Prevention:
• Incorporate pollution prevention into the
Agency's planning, budget, policy, regulatory
development, permitting, enforcement, and
implementation processes.
• Build public understanding and gain support
for pollution prevention in the environmental,
business, industry, agriculture, and Federal
communities.
• Use comparative risk and the SAB Report to
target pollution prevention opportunities.
• Establish challenging, measurable goals for prob-
lem areas that have been identified.
• Build Federal, state, local, and tribal capacity.
Key pollution prevention activities either
currently underway or anticipated for the near
future include the following:
Source Reduction Review Project, under which the
Agency will target and review regulations in 17
key industries to identify opportunities to pro-
mote source reduction.
Innovative Pollution Prevention initiatives, such
as:
• 33/50 Project, which encourages voluntary par-
ticipation by industry to reduce toxic releases
and off-site transfers of 17 specific chemicals in
all media (seeking 33% reductions by 1993 and
50% reductions by 1995) using source reduction
as the preferred approach.
• Green Lights Program, which encourages
industry and states to install high-efficiency
lighting. The Agency is extending this program
to encompass Green Cooling, Green Computers,
and other opportunities to promote energy-
efficiency.
Pollution Prevention Enforcement Settlements to
obtain commitments by violators to return to
compliance through pollution prevention
measures or to engage in supplemental projects
that will achieveother environmentally beneficial
improvements.
Design for the Environment (DfE) program, which
involves working cooperatively with industry to
identify and promote safer substitutes for toxic
chemicals, along with other prevention
approaches. A pilo t project, which will scope ou t
the DfE model, is underway with the printing
industry.
Pollution Prevention Act: implementation of
requirements to facilitate the adoption of source
reduction by: Pollution Prevention Incentive
grants for states, the Pollution Prevention
Clearinghouse, and training.
Pollution Prevention Reporting Requirements
Under the Toxic Release Inventory provisions
of Emergency Preparedness Citizen Right to
Know Act (EPCRA).
Pollution Prevention Sector Strategies in the
agriculture, energy, transportation, Federal
government, and consumer areas.
13
-------
Geographic Targeting for Ecological Protection
WHY Environmental protection efforts of the past two
decades have centered predominantly on a nation-
wide strategy to reduce specific pollutants at the
source by adopting technology-based requirements
across the board. This approach is responsible for
much of the progress we have made to date in
restoring and preserving our air, land, and water
resources.
EPA recognizes that effectively addressing
many of our remaining challenges, such as nonpoint
source pollution, habitat protection, and biological
diversity, will require more tailored, site-specific
strategies. These strategies must recognize the
regional variations across the nation, as well as
different cultures and ways of life—such as Native
American and urban minorities—that may experience
a disproportionate burden for these risks.
By beginning with the resource as the
primary focus, and considering the unique
characteristics and conditionsof an area, a geographic
approach reveals problems and solutions that might
not otherwise be apparent.
In addition to identifying a broader range of
threats to human health and the environment, geo-
graphic approaches offer several other advantages:
• Natural areas provide a logical and compelling
rallying point for collective action, creating a
sense of community ownership as well as a sense
of dedication among the EPA staff involved with
the project.
• EPA's association with an effort to protect or
restore an area can generate public support and
goodwill for the Agency.
• Engaging all community stakeholders has the
potential toaugmentEPA'sauthorities,expertise,
and resources, ultimately yield ing more effective
solutions.
• Measuring for environmental results is easier for
discrete ecological areas.
WHAT Geographic targeting involves: a) selecting a physi-
cal area, often a naturally defined area such as a
hydrologic watershed; b) assessing the condition of
the natural resources and range of environmental
threats-including risks to public health; c) formulat-
ing and implementing integrated, holistic strategies
for restoring or protecting living resources and their
habitats within that area, and d) evaluating the
progress of those strategies toward their objectives.
A key ingredient of the geographic approach is
enlisting the involvement of public and private stake-
holders in all phases—assessment, strategy
formulation, implementation, and evaluation-to
bring all available resources to bear on the special
needs of the targeted area.
Geographic approaches are underway at
several scales and with varying degrees of EPA
involvement, from leadership to participation to
facilitation. Some projects have been up and running
for many years, while others are more recent. The
following are examples of geographic initiatives
currently underway:
14
-------
The Great Waterbody Programs: the Chesapeake
Bay, Great Lakes, and the Gulf of Mexico are
Agency geographic initiatives directed at large
bodies of water that are of national ecological
and economic significance, and serve as models
for other water-based geographic initiatives.
The National Estuary Program: provides Federal
financial and technical assistance to support
local/regional efforts to protect and enhance
water quality and living resources in estuaries of
national significance.
Mexican Border: a bilateral effort with Mexico to
address problems with drinking water, waste-
water disposal, air quality and hazardous waste
disposal activities.
Greater/Wider Caribbean Initiative: a protocol for
land-based sources of pollution.
The Watershed Protection Approach: a way of
promoting more holistic, risk-based approaches
to complex and often persistent problems in
watersheds around the country.
Comprehensive State Ground Water Protection
Program (CSGWPP): provides a frame-work for
resource-oriented, priority-driven decision-
making that is applied consistently across all
ground water-related programs within a state.
Pesticides and Ground Water Strategy: offers states
the flexibility to continue use of a pesticide that
EPA might otherwise cancel due to ground water
concerns. Statesgain this flexibility by developing
and implementing State Management Plans for
particular pesticides.
Southern Appalachian Mountain Regional Air
Program: focuses on reducing environmental
damages to sensitive ecosystems in the southern
Appalachians, such as unique higher elevation
forests and aquatic systems.
Integrated Air Toxics Program: an integrated
approach to reduce emissions of a large number
of toxic chemicals from stationary sources in
critical large urban areas, such as Baltimore,
Chicago, and Houston. A complementary
program is characterizing air toxics problems in
the cancer corridor area of south Louisiana and
eastern Texas.
Endangered Species Program: imposes restrictions
on particular pesticides in habitats where endan-
gered species are threatened by the use of the
pesticides.
>' 4'J
•> "*'t 1*
1 ,. ** 'fc4*& - a
*. >> »<">•,* ^' /^<
^W-j-, J1-. *»£,»/*• ^ '
-------
HOW ^^ wi^ contmue to encourage holistic, risk-based
approaches in its programs, and improve its
institutional and technical infrastructure to ensure
more effective results. At the same time, we recognize
that we are managinga transition from predominantly
national and uniform pollution control approaches
to more flexible, variable techniques with greater
sensitivity for the unique, ecological characteristics
and conditions of a targeted area. This transition
must be managed with care, and in conjunction with
states, the primary implementors of many EPA
programs.
Our over-arching strategic approach is to
continue to identify specific areas at several scales-
transboundary, regional, state, and local -- for further
development and demonstration of geographically
targeted projects. Decisions on the areas to target can
and should be made at levels commensurate with the
scale, complexity, and resource needs of the area
under consideration. However, EPA's decisions
should be based on a set of risk-based selection
criteria, drawing from the Regional Strategic Plans,
to ensure that the process is conducted consistently
and equitably. Furthermore, EPA needs a process to
gather all managers to apply these criteria, select the
areas to be targeted, commit resources for project
support, and assign responsibility for coordinating
implementation.
Recognizing the spectrum of issues that need
to be addressed in geographic based initiatives, all
media programs need to participate in order to:
Support Sound Science:
• Create a sound, scientifically valid understanding
of the complex, synergisric, ecological and human
health processes within any ecosystem.
• Train staff in ecological principles and techniques.
• Invest in developing meaningful environmental
indicators, as well as sound methods to analyze
these indicators in real ecological terms.
Improve Data Sources and Management:
• Strengthen our ability to integrate data from
various EPA data systems.
• Continue to refine Geographic Information
Systems so that we can overlay data and gain a
fuller understanding of the various stressors and
characteristicsof a watershed or other geographic
area.
• Gather data strategically to ensure that the right
kinds of information are available to decision-
makers.
• Make better use of data collected by the U.S. Fish
and Wildlife Service, the U.S. Geological Survey,
NOAA, and other natural resource agencies, as
well as the Natural Resources Heritage
Inventories compiled by the states.
Protect Living Resources:
• Place greater emphasis on living resources in
Agency policy and guidance documents.
• Consider a grant program dedicated solely to
habitat protection and restoration, which would
send a clear signal of EPA's commitment to these
efforts.
Encourage Cross-Program Integration:
• Strive to make cross-program integration the
norm rather that the exception.
• Where appropriate, consolidate grant review
and award processes for maximum leveraging
of resources within priority areas.
• Review the Agency's existing reward and
accountability systems to reflect the importance
of team-building and integrated approaches to
environmental management.
16
-------
17
-------
Greater Reliance on Economic Incentives and
Technological Innovation
WHY EPA recognizes that the forces of the marketplace can
be a powerful tool for changing individual and
institutional behavior, thus reducing some kinds of
environmental risks as well asspurring technological
innovations. Properly designed economicincentives
can harness the marketplace to work for the
environment by stimulating firms and customers to
take actions that serve their own economic interests.
Market forces also promote innovation of new
technologies and progress towards environmental
goals.
Economic incentives frequently offer a cost-
effective alternative to regulation, and may be
especially useful as the Agency deals with a large
number of smaller, diffuse sources of pollution, such
as nonpoint sources of pollution. While EPA is only
one of several Federal agencies with authority in this
area, the SAB report indica ted that the Agency should
take the lead in fostering more widespread use of
market forces to more efficiently prevent or reduce
environmental risk.
Market forces are also part of a d ynamic that
producesinnovationsin technology—and continued
improvement in environmental protection will
depend, in large part, on technological innovation.
Economic incentives, for example, provide an
important stimulus for creative pollution prevention
and control. Innovative technologies include remedial
methods, source reduction, treatment technologies,
safer product substitutes, process controls and
pollution controls.
The cost of meeting a growing number of
regulatory requirements has spurred the
development of newer, more cost-effective
technologies--parti culary for small regulated entities
such as community drinking water and wastewater
systems. This innovation has the potential for
reducing risks at lower costs. In addition, the public
isbecoming increasingly impatient with long delays
in addressing risks, and is pressing for alternative
solutions that provide swift, safe, permanent
solutions. (Note: Innovative technology is discussed
further in the context of international trade in the
section on International Cooperation.)
WHAT EPA is committed to fostering the creativity of the
marketplace to achieve risk reduction more cost-
effectively, and will:
• Demonstrate and evaluate the use of traditional
and non-traditional market mechanisms as
effective tools for achieving environmental goals.
• Promote and assist EPA Regions, state and local
agencies, and private industry to adopt and
implement economic incentive approaches to
environmental protection.
• Institutionalize market-based approaches to
environmental protection into the fabric of EPA
and the environmental community.
EPA is also committed to speeding and promoting
the development of new, cost-effective technologies,
using the following five strategies:
• Catalyze efforts to develop and commercialize
new technologies.
• Identify customer needs to develop public/
private partnerships.
• Broadly communicate performance and costdata
on innovative technologies to a national and
international audience.
• Encourage regulatory procedures to be more
responsive to innovative technology
entrepreneurs.
• Recognize and broadcast notable achievements.
18
-------
HOW EPA will strive to become the Federal leader and
advocate of economic incentives. The Agency needs
to:
Conduct Demonstration Programs with interested
EPA Regions, states, localities, and private in-
dustry to illustrate the potential for economic
incentives. For example,
Water Program: point/point-source trading.
Air Program: Accelerated retirement of older
vehicles; mobile/stationary source emissions
trading; South Coast marketable permits
program; emissions averaging in the hazardous
organic National Emissions Standards for
Hazardous Air Pollutants (NESHAPS).
Waste Program: municipal solid waste pricing.
Recognize and Broadcast Achievements and
demonstration program results internally to EPA
headquarters and regions, and externally to
environmental groups, industry groups, and
state and local agencies.
Build Capacity of EPA and Regional, State and
Local Environmental Agencies to recognize
opportunities for using economic incentives.
Establish an EPA Economic Incentive Advisory
Board, comprised of Senior EPA officials to
oversee consideration and implementation of
economic incentives.
Identify "Champions" in Each Program and Region
to promote use of economic incentives within
their spheres of influence.
Set Up Training, Research and Outreach Programs
for EPA, regional, state and local policy-makers.
EPA will also become a leader in promoting
innovative technology. To achieve this goal, EPA
will need to:
Establish a B oard of Directors for EPA's "Corporate
Effort" to advocate new environmental
technologies, and aggressively seek out
opportunities to leverage private and Federal
19
investments in innovative environmental
technologies.
Develop an Agencywide Strategy to Encourage
Innovation to nurture and mainstream
innovative technologies, and use the "creativity
of the marketplace" to reduce environmental
risk.
Develop an Advocacy Strategy to promote develop-
ment and commercialization of emission moni-
toring and measurement, exposure assessment
technologies, pollution prevention and control
technologies.
Appoint an Innovative Technologies Advocate
under each Program Assistant Administrator to
provide a continuing customer service "window"
for the private sector.
Promote Continuous Improvement in Providing
Information for Permit Applicants:
• Define, clearly chart, and disseminate informa-
tion on the approval process for testing and
demonstrating innovative products and tech-
nologies.
• Look for opportunities for innovative technology
demonstration in hazardous waste treatment
facilities.
Offer Federal Facilities as Testing and Evaluation
Centers to provide locations for testing,
evaluating and demonstrating innovative
technologies. Consider joint ventures in other
countries in conjunction with DOD/DOE/
technology vendors/technology users.
Form Public-Private Partnerships to promote
opportunities for collaborative research and
commercial technology development among
EPA, industry organizations, and academia
through the Federal Technology Transfer Act.
Conduct Market Studies to initiate assessments and
projections of the national/international mar-
,kets for innovative technologies to disseminate
to developers and investors.
-------
Improving Cross-media Program Integration and
Multi-media Enforcement
WHY EPA's organizational structure mirrors its
authorizing statutes. Experience now indicates that
this media-by-media approach to environmental
protection can often lead to cross-media transfer of
pollutants and inconsistent regulatory approaches.
EPA's enforcement presence has always
played a vital role in reducing risk and in maintaining
and enhancing the Agency's credibility. As EPA
places increased emphasis on innovative and
voluntary approaches to solving problems, however,
a vigorous enforcement program becomes
increasingly essential to deter potential violations
and to assure that public health and the environment
are fully protected.
Multi-media enforcement is a new way of
doing business, which has the potential to reduce
more risk, reduce or eliminate inter-media transfers
of pollutants, increase compliance rates, and
advance pollution prevention efforts. It also has
the potential to improve other parts of the Agency's
operations, such as permitting and rule-making,
by better integrating the work of the media
programs.
The public and the regulated community
are likely to respond positively to the comprehen-
sive environmental solutions achieved with multi-
media enforcement. Program integration can also
enhance the job satisfaction and performance of
Agency staff, and ultimately increase both its effi-
ciency and environmental results. Most impor-
tantly, however, multi-media enforcement can
enhance the essential role of enforcement: main-
taining the integrity of the statutory, regulatory,
and permitting systems to protect the
environment.
1A/H AT The A8ency needs to devise and experiment with a
variety of techniques and practices to continually
improve and expand its ability to more fully and
effectively integrate its programs and activities.
Several efforts are underway to explore and promote
multi-media approaches to permitting, compliance
and enforcement. Computerized data systems are
being developed to detect patterns of violations
(pollutants, similar dischargers, geographic location),
which will facilitate cross-media enforcement and
help promote a better balance between
administrative, judicial and criminal enforcement
actions. In addition, the Agency has concluded several
innovative settlement agreements that require
violators to contribute to solving the environmental
problems they created or to commit to prevention
actions.
Multi-media activity integrates cross-
program, multi-media perspectives and capabilities
into all stages of planning, decision-making, and
implementation, which enables EPA to increase
compliance with all environmental laws and
regulations, and maximizes risk reduction and
pollution prevention across all media.
20
-------
H O W EPA has established a Cross-media Permitting Cluster
devoted to examining ways to integrate permit
issuance across media lines and/or within geographic
areas. This work builds on a recent Agency pilot
project to write a complex cross-media industrial
permit.
In addition, EPA is enhancing its compliance
screening procedures to consider the strategic value,
multi-media consideration, and potential for
innovative settlement provisions. For example, the
IDEA system (Integrated Data for Enforcement
Analysis) is a computerized data system that is being
used to enhance enforcement targeting and case
screening on a multi-media basis. And the National
Enforcement Training Institute is now in operation,
and will help build Federal/state/local civil and
criminal enforcement capabilities.
EPA will expand its use of multi-media
enforcement. To accomplish this, the Agency needs
to support and expand the use of special multi-media
enforcement initiatives, and build a multi-media
perspective and capability throughout the Agency.
EPA will attempt to strike the right balance between
multi-media and single media strategies to achieve
the maximum environmental results.
Theessentialelementsof a multi-media com-
pliance and enforcement strategy include:
• Identify the sources and pollutants that repre-
sent the highest risk to the environment and
human health, the most sensitive areas that are
most vulnerable to exposure, and the most sig-
nificant casesofnoncompliance across all media.
• Conduct comprehensive, multi-media
inspections at targeted facilities or areas, and use
multi-media checklists in all Agency inspections.
• Screen cases to determine which are best suited
to multi-media and single media enforcement.
• Settle cases in a manner that takes full advantage
of the possibility to obtain multi-media benefits
through pollution prevention, environmental
auditing, or other means.
• Expand the use of clusters of cases where
initiating similar cases simultaneously across
the country can produce additional cost-effective
environmental results.
In order to achieve success with multi-media
enforcement programs, EPA needs to:
• Fully integrate multi-media enforcement into
the planning and budgeting process.
• Change management and accountability systems
to better reflect environmental results.
• Institute a continuing evaluation process at all
levels to assess implementation and make
corrections for continuous improvement.
• Evaluate the current organizational structure to
determine ways to promote multi-media
enforcement.
It is also important that everyone in EPA
understands and commits to continuous
improvementofthemulti-media enforcement process
to address complex environmental problems.
21
-------
Building State/Local/Tribal Capacity
WHY ^e relati°nsriip between EPA and states (including
local agencies and Native American tribes, where
appropriate) is founded on an approach in which
environmental programs are implemented either
directly by EPA, through EPA's delegation to states,
or through EPA's approval of state and tribal
programs.
State environmental programs are
supported by single-media EPA grants that are
intended to achieve outputs specified by EPA. This
"delegation-with-EPA-support" provided significant
environmental progress in an era when Federally
mandated, end-of-pipe, regulatory approaches were
effective for large pollution sources, and when states
were able to generate sufficient funds for program
management. Indeed, guided by this strategy, the
state/EPA relationship has brought about
impressive gains in environmental protection.
However, the environmental landscape has
changed profoundly, and the current regulatory
structure demands a more flexible approach,
including thoughtful consideration of the best use
of available resources. In today'senvironment, state
and local governments are straining to keep up with
several developments that characterize this new
era, including:
• Federal environmental legislation that has grown
dramatically, with several new, highly prescrip-
tive and costly statutes.
• Many remaining and new emerging environ-
mental problems thatare associated with a large
universe of small sources of pollutants.
• Stateand local governments thatare in a financial
crisis, and are experiencing serious revenue
shortfalls.
The growth of Federal statutory and
regulatory requirements in the face of tight fiscal
constraints has driven state and local governments
into perennial financial shortfalls. The Federal deficit,
meanwhile, will constrain future Federal grant
assistance. Environmental protection relies on robust
state and local programs. Yet, environmental
protection is just one of many tasks competing for
shrinking government funds at all levels. Therefore,
building state, tribal, and local capacity for
environmental management within these fiscal
constraints is one of the Agency's top priorities
because—given the interdependence of the states,
tribes, and EPA~if a state fails, then EPA fails.
EPA is undertaking a number of ini tiatives designed
to improve state, local, and tribal capacity:
EPA Funding: Federal resources are limited, and
grant assistance for environmental protection
must compete with other social needs.
Recognizing that states are full partners in
environmental protection, we must expend
available resources wisely,byinvestinginstates'
and tribes' management infrastructure, and by
securing alternative financing of environmental
programs.
22
EPA Policy Regarding the Federal/State/Tribal
Partnership: EPA must redefine its relationship
with the states. We must empower states to
manage en vironmental programs, and to address
their priorities on a flexible, state-by-state basis.
State/Local/Tribal Capability: effective management
of environmental programs requires human and
information resources. EPA will invest in devel-
oping a skilled work force, technical expertise,
training and development, information man-
agementsystems,andcomprehensivedata bases,
which are essential to help build state, tribal, and
local environmental protection programs.
-------
HOW EPA's recognition of the primacy of state and local
environmental management involves changing
practices and policies that have developed over
twenty years of this Agency's history. Major
challenges must be met, including altering traditional
Federal, state, tribal, and local relationships, building
creative and alternative funding methods, and
overcoming theinertial forces of traditional practices
and attitudes. In short, EPA must fully recognize that
the degree to which state, tribal, and local
governments are successful as primary environmental
managers depends on the quality of the state/EPA
relationship, as well as the quality of the tools the
Agency places at their disposal.
The Agency,, working closely with states
and tribes, will streamline the Federal grant assistance
process to reduce transaction costs and increase grant
flexibility. While we will continue to seek current
levelsof Federal grant assistance, we will also consider
requesting statutory language that supports
alternative funding (such as the fee-based revenue
principle in the Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990),
as well as full funding for newly authorized statutes.
EPA, states, and tribes will cooperate to
improve non-regulatory, regulatory, compliance and
enforcement operations by performing comparative
risk projects, integrating EPA and state strategic plans,
targeting states' geographic priori ties, pursuing multi-
media projects, and continuing to integrate data and
information. EPA will also support state capability
by enhancing skills for regulatory technologies
(including requirements beyond national rules),
pollution prevention technologies, and civil and
criminal enforcement.
Finally, communications, respect,
understanding, and trust between EPA, state, tribal,
and local governments should be improved. This
involves more mobility assignments through
Intergovernmental Personnel Agreements, co-
managementand collaborative projects, and frequent
managers' meetings between state, tribal, and EPA
counterparts. Total Quality Management techniques,
including the formation of state-EPA Quality Action
Teams, will greatly facilitate this process.
Three projects are currently underway to
help meet these challenges:
• National Environmental Training Center, which
will enhance state and local capacity for environ-
mental management through the delivery of
training curricula, skills enhancement, and work
force development for state, tribal, and local
workers.
• State/EPA Data Management Program, which
began as multi-media Information Resources
Managementgrantprogramin 1991 withannual
Regional awards, will help optimize EPA/state
investments in information management through
data sharing, data integration, and information
exchange.
• Strategy to Streamline the Federal Grants
Assistance Process, through which EPA will
explore ways to reduce transaction costs and to
enhance and integrate management of grant
resources, which are currently available to states
and tribes through a variety of different grant
programs.
23
-------
Enhancing International Cooperation
WHY Many of the most serious environmental risks today
transcend political boundaries, which means that
protecting human health and the environment in the
United States requires coordination and cooperation
at the multinational level. Some ecosystems essential
to the health and welfare of U.S. citizens are shared by
neighboring countries, and can only be preserved
through joint action. Other environmental risks--
including but not limited to climate change, polar
environments, and biodiversity—are global in scope
and directly or indirectly affect the U.S. domestic
environment.
International environmental programs also
have important political and economic benefits. The
sharing of regulatory and technological expertise helps
the United States, other nations (including developing
and newly democratic nations), and multilateral
organizations achieve environmentally sustainable
economic development. Cooperation with other
nations also serves important U.S. foreign policy
objectives. A growing proportion of the Agency's
international work is done to fulfill specific statutory
mandates or other legally binding instruments such
as treaties and conventions. The development of
effective environmental management and regulatory
regimes throughout the world also helps ensure that
U.S. companies are not competitively disadvantaged.
Finally, international programs foster an increased
demand for environmental goods, services, and
expertise, thereby creating enhanced trade export
opportunities for U.S. business and industry.
VVHAT EPA has identified three paths to help meet the
challenges described above:
Cooperating with Canada, Mexico, and the
Caribbean Nations to Reduce Risk to Shared
Ecosystems. Work includes efforts to achieve
greater understanding of the consequences of
environmental degradation (ecological,health,
and economic) at the regional scale through
research and collaboration with scientists,
government agencies and affected communities.
The Agency has adopted an integrated systems
approach to address environmental problems
comprehensively. These efforts will include
encouraging other nations to adopt
environmental standards comparable to those
in the United States.
Continue to Cooperate in Meeting Global
Environmental Challenges. EPA played a major
role in the conclusion of global conventions on
stratospheric ozone depletion and climate
change. The Agency will pursue similar
agreements on forests, and other global
environmental issues. The Agency is also
committed to the domestic and international
development and maintenance of state-of-the-
art integrated information systems, to address
complex problems on the global scale. Finally,
EPA is also committed to support increased
research to understand the effects—ecological,
health, economic~of global problems, and to
promote greater public awareness and
participation.
24
-------
Cooperative Efforts to Share Regulatory and
Technical Expertise, particularly in developing
newly democratic nations. For example, EPA will
continue to assistin building institutional capacity
for environmental programs in Eastern Europe at
the national, regional, and local levels. Recognizing
the growing need for expertise in risk assessment
methods and basic environmental planning and
management, the Agency will enhance existing
education and training programs, such as the U.S.
Environmental Training Institute (USETI), as well
as development of training modules, such as
environmental management, risk analysis, and
compliance.
Efforts will be made to strengthen such
information dissemination mechanisms as the
Environmental and Energy Efficient Technology
Transfer Clearinghouse. The Agency will also
support the assessmentand analysis of environmental
and related health programs in key countries.
EPA will facilitate opportunities for the
transfer and use of environmentally sound
technologies. This will include efforts to promote the
adoption of comparable environmental standards,
guidelines, and methodologies, and the export of
environmentally sound technologies.
H O W The complexity, scale and severity of environmental
problems facing all nations reinforces the need for
the United States to continue as a leader in the
environmental arena. EPA will strengthen existing
bilateral and multilateral programs, and will also
work to ensure that other agencies and international
organizations are aware of EPA's capabilities and
are willing to draw upon them.
The Agency will "institutionalize"
international activities at EPA through two specific
initiatives: (1) improving internal planning,
coordination and budgeting; and (2) ensuring greater
involvement and coordination of all program offices
and EPA Regions in the Agency's international
programs. These initiatives will reinforce the role of
the Office of International Activities as the focal
point for international work, as well as institutionalize
international acitivities across EPA. Some specific
activities are listed below.
Improve Planning and Coordination
• Clearly define criteria for setting international
priorities (e.g., benefit to domestic programs,
foreign policy considerations, emphasis on
domesticenvironmental themesand principles);
• Share EPA's technical expertise, as well as its
access to experts in state and local government,
non-government organizations, and private
industry;
• Improve communication and coordination with
other Federal agencies, non-governmental
organizations, and private sector groups and
state and local governments.
25
-------
Ensure Greater Involvement and Assistance
• Increase use of intra-agency "task teams" to work
on particular cross-cutting or regional issues
(e.g., Eastern Europe, Caribbean, and Mexico);
• Organize off-the-shelf training, information and
data bases for international use, and develop
new generic materials in key cross-media areas;
• Enhance U.S. Environmental Training Institute;
• Coordinate an EPA detail and exchange program
with U.S. missions, international organizations,
and other federal agencies;
• Establish cooperative programs with other
agencies to ensure efficient use of Federal
resources, and continue and expand the use of
"International Task Teams" (e.g., EPA-AID-
World BankJointEnvironmentStudiesin Eastern
Europe);
• Enhance the role of the Agency's legal expertise
and enforcement capabilities in international
activities, e.g., enforcing international
agreements, and providing technical assistance
in design and implementation of effective
compliance and enforcement programs;
• Promote greater involvement of EPA Regions
and program offices through cooperative
activities, such as "twinning" with specific
countries, and cooperating with universities or
government organizations;
• Tap expertise in EPA (including returned Peace
Corps Volunteers), trade associations, state and
local governments, and non-governmental
organizations for international assignments.
26
-------
-------
Strengthening Environmental Education and
Public Outreach
^e Pe°P^e °f f^e United States are joining the grow-
ing global awareness that individuals and grass-
roots organizations have a powerful role to play in
creating a healthy, sustainable relationship between
people and the planet. EPA can serve as a catalyst to
expand and galvanize grass-roots efforts to ensure
that the nation allocates its scarce resources to take
advantage of the best opportunities for reducing the
most serious remaining risks and achieving
sustainability.
On the other hand, EPA is aware that there
are fairly large gaps between the public's percep-
tions of risk and the views of environmental experts.
Consistent with the recommendations of the SAB
Report, Reducing Risk, EPA needs to play a large role
in educating the public about the true nature of
relative environmental risks and the choices we — as
a society -- need to make. At the same time the
Agency needs to be attuned to the concerns of people
who are closest to the real world risks posed by
various environmental problems.
Finally, EPA need s to incorporate education
and outreach strategies into all of its environmental
programs, and to promote environmental literacy in
the nation's educational systems, consistent with its
new responsibilities under the 1990 National
Environmental Education Act.
VVH AT The Agency isdeveloping a strategy to strengthen its
environmental education and communication efforts.
The strategy sets priorities, identifies strengths,
weaknesses, opportunities and potential barriers to
our education and outreach goals.
EPA is committed to using new modes of
outreach to address public concern, and will expand
and coordinate its public outreach efforts to build
stakeholder understanding, support, and
participation in selected Agency initiatives. The goal
is to engage all stakeholders in the process so that all
partiesunderstandhowand why decisionsare made
and are less likely to challenge the outcome, which
often impedes actions to reduce risk.
To reach the public-at-large (and various
targeted subsets), EPA will improve its ability to
communicate complex scientific and technical
information to the public in ways that help people
recognize risks, understand their relative seriousness
and causes, and see what steps need to be taken. The
Agency will also explore theuse of all forms of media
to reach the public, and learn to design its messages
and modes of communication to better reach its
intended audiences.
The strategy will rely heavily on partnerships
and cooperative agreements to augment Federal
funding. Only by leveraging its efforts in concert
with the media, industry, Federal, state and local
agencies, international organizations, and
environmental, community, and minority groups
will EPA be able to communicate with and educate
all segments of the public in a manner that produces
measurable results. EPA's work with the educational
community will focus on developing and
disseminating environmental education materials,
providing opportunities to learn about EPA programs,
supporting pilot concepts for K-12 schools, and
supporting partnerships with students and educators
atall levels. This will increase the number and quality
of environmental professionals and teachers that
incorporate environmental issues into nonscientific
and scientific curricula.
28
-------
HOW All EPA environmental programs are committed to
conveying to the public accurate, clear, credible and
timely information about Agency actionsand policies,
as well as actively eliciting information and opinions
from our constituencies and integrating these into
our decision-making processes. Our environmental
programs will foster widespread public
understanding of major environmental issues and
solutions so people will understand more clearly the
environmental implications of their daily activities
and choices. EPA's programs will also expand their
efforts to listen to the voice of the general public, and
respond to the ideas and needs of the Agency's
customers.
EPA will ground its education efforts by
implementingtheNationalEnvironmental Education
Act of 1990 to improve youth environmental literacy
in the core environmental sciences through
curriculum and professional development programs
for teachers in grades K-12. EPA is also working
through its Office of Research and Development to
further undergraduate and graduate education in
environmental fields through its Minority Institutions
Assistantship (MIA) program, which provides
research support for eligible minority college and
university institutions. ORD also supports K-12
science and mathematics education.
In addition to carrying out these base pro-
grams and the National Environmental Education
Act, EPA is implementing or studying the specific
initiatives below that represent the forefront of our
efforts to further EPA education and outreach goals
in the 1990s:
Develop a Program to Enhance and Evaluate the
National Environmental IQ: to improve public
understanding of the Agency's radon, pollution
prevention and other voluntary risk-reducing
programs. Evaluate progress we are making in
improving the public's understanding of the true
nature of relative risks to health and the
environment.
Expand K-12 Environmental Education pilot project
in Michigan with Dow Chemical and the
Audubon Society to three other Regions. This
program can be tailored to fit Agency initiatives
and themes, and can be geographically targeted.
Carry Out a Mass Media Campaign in concert with
the Alliance for Environmental Education and
Time/Warner, to broadcast environmental
messages to households across the country.
Develop a Pool of Resources for Integrated Outreach
to create and sustain our unified education and
communication strategy on themes such as
pollution prevention and risk reduction.
29
-------
Better Management and Infrastructure
WHY The mission ar>d work of EPA today far transcend
those facing the Agency under its early statutory
framework. In the future, EPA's success will depend
in large measure on the Agency's ability to adapt its
workforce and its management policies and practices
to support multidisciplinary approaches to newer
and still emerging risks to public health and the
environment. The Agency's goals for Management
and Infrastructure represent, therefore, indispensable
steps toward achieving its program strategies.
EPA is committed to building a culturally
diverse workforce with individuals who possess high
levels of managerial, scientific, and technical skills to
solve increasingly complex problems. By fostering a
customer orientation and a sense of ownership at all
levels, EPA will enhance its recruitment potential
and become an employer of choice. Our goal is to
gain recognition as an Agency worthy of the
President's Award for Quality and Productivity
Improvement. The Agency will strive for continuous
improvementby applying Total Quality Management
(TQM) tools, which have the capacity to elicit creative
contributions from all employees and to streamline
processes for greater efficiency.
At the same time, the Agency needs to rein-
force the link between infrastructure and program
success. EPA will pursue effective ways to provide
its employees with a work environment that is con-
ducive to quality and innovation, and facilities and
equipment to build a scientific knowledge base.
Success also hinges on the Agency's ability
to build new and stronger ties internally across
programmatic lines, and externally with other
governmental, non-governmental and international
stakeholders. Flexibility in organizational structure
will provide the essential framework for intiatives in
pollution prevention, geographic targeting, and
multi-media enforcement.
WHAT EPA's strategic approach to better management and
infrastructure is captured in the following three
themes:
Build EPA Into a Quality Organization: EPA is
dedicated to molding a quality culture that is
customer-centered by: spurring employee
involvement; linking systems and structures to
organizational goals; becoming a recognized
employer of choice; celebrating differences and
developing people's talents; and leveraging
resources to support multi-media and risk-based
environmental management. As environmental
responsibilities continue to outpace available
resources, EPA faces an unprecedented challenge
to create a quality customer service organization
that is responsive to change.
30
-------
Unfinished Business in Capital and Asset
Management: EPA is a science-based agency, and
sound science is the underpinning of its regulatory
program. Facilities and capital assets are the
infrastructure, the roads and bridges of science.
We currently face obsolete facilities and outdated
scientific capability, which undermines the ability
of the Agency to carry out its mission. The Agency
needs tomakea substantial, sustained investment
to improve and renovate its laboratories and
upgradeits scientific equipment. EPAmustgarner
support to reflect the vital links between state-of-
the-art laboratories, facilities, good science and
program success.
Earn Trust Through Ethical and Financial
Responsibility: Among EPA's greatest assets is
its dedicated workforce. As public servants,
they are responsible for ethical behavior and
proper use of appropriated funds. Financial
systems will be designed to meet the highest
standards of effectiveness, while maintaining
the public trust. These processes will provide for
both checks-and-balances and efficient
operations toassure that EPA maintains the trust
of the public as it meets its mission to protect
public health and the environment.
HOW Build EPA Into A Quality Organization:
• Focus on the Customer continuously talk to our
customers to define our goals, and continuously
measure our products, services and practices to
ensure that they meet and exceed customer
expectations.
• Become the Employer of Choice: hire and
support people who are highly skilled and
culturally diverse. Attract and retain quality
staff with the scientific and technical abilities to
solve increasingly complex environmental
problems. Employees of the future will be risk-
based decision makers who are dedicated to
quality, team work, and empowering others.
Engage employees at all levels of the organization
as full partners in the EPA ethic and mission.
Create a receptive institutional climate thatdraws
upon the unique contribution of everyone in the
workforce. Invest in EPA's future through a
forward-thinking training curriculum that
enables employees to lead environmental
progress. Celebrate employee creativity, and
actively encourage and reward innovative
thinking and risk-taking.
Integrate Management Systems: align EPA's
management, accountability and performance
systems in order to provide information that
articulates progress in a way that is meaningful
to our employees and our customers.
Leverage Resources: foster a multi-media, risk-
based teamapproach to environmental decision-
making, which conveys to people a sense of
shared purpose in addressing environmental
challenges. Form customer service workgroups
to draw upon the expertise of an expanding
global environmental network.
Invite Advice and Guidance of External
Expertise: provide feedback to senior officials
concerning the Agency's management
effectiveness by establishing an independent
Management Advisory Board.
31
-------
Unfinished Business in Capital & Asset Manage-
ment:
• Design and Construct EPA Facilities that are
Environmentally Sensitive: make EPA's facilities
models of sound environmental design, including
use of advanced lighting systems and sensors,
water conservation, and waste minimization
features.
• Construct a New Headquarters Facility: continue
efforts to obtain a new Headquarters facility that
is environmentally sensitive and that meets its
workforce and programmatic needs.
• Develop and Implement a Facilities Master
Planning System that Aligns Facilities with
Program Needs and Reflects the Agency's
Evolving Mission: emphasize the urgency of
implementing repairs and improvements, such
as: correcting violations to fire safety codes;
identifying additions and replacements for
obsolete research and environmental laboratories;
and providing cost estimates for implementation.
Use the plan as the basis for developing and
justifying the Agency's annual budget request for
facilities.
• Develop Alternative Funding Mechanisms for
Facilities and Equipment: identify ways to
increase the operating and maintenance (O&M)
budget of EPA facilities and equipment, especially
for aging and obsolete laboratories. Incorporate a
depreciation allowance in the O&M budget to
provideannual funding for repair and replacement
in line with industry standards. As a baseline
measure, request funding authority from Congress
to use appropriations other than those which
traditionally fund these activities.
Earn Trust Through Ethical and Financial
Responsibility:
• Link Planning to Budgeting so that account-
ability and program performance are clear,
trackable, and documented.
• Reform Contracts and Grants Management:
instill an Agency culture that supports the letter
and spirit of acquisition rules and regulations.
Make EPA's contracting process an aid to
managers through understandable, timely and
efficient systems. Apply benchmarking
techniques to identify best practices to improve
our processes, and develop prevention-based
approaches to assure integrity.
• Strengthen Financial Systems: ensure that all
financial systems satisfy identified customer
requirements and support program needs. Fully
implement an Agencywide, integrated financial
management system.
32
-------
We must begin with pollution prevention - stopping
pollution at its source instead of transferring it to
other, less protected parts of the environment. In so
doing, we should have equally strong regard for both
human health and the integrity of natural systems.
33
-------
Acknowledgments
Strategic Implementation of Statutory Mandates
Chuck Elkins, OGC Co-Chair
Sylvia Lowrance, OSWER Co-Chair
Allan Abramson, OPPTS
Derry Allen, OPPE
Paul Campanella, OPPTS
Mike Conlon, OW
Mike Cook, OW
Elizabeth Drye, OPPE
Science and the Knowledge Base
Al Pesachowitz, OARM Co-Chair
Courtney Riordan, ORD Co-Chair
Warren Banks, OA
Edward Bender, SAB
Jay Benforado, ORD
Ed Callahan, OAR
Dorothy Canter, OSWER
Milt Clark, Region V
Wendy Blake-Coleman, OW
Tudor Davies, OW
Ted Erickson, Region III
Dan Fiorino, OPPE
Bill Garetz, OPPE
Pollution Prevention
Mark Greenwood, OPPTS Co-Chair
Greene Jones, Region III Co-Chair
John Cross, OPP
Vivian Daub, OW
Jon Hoffman, OAR
Jerry Kotas, OPPTS
Mark Mahoney, Region I
Tom Nessmith, Region IV
Jon Sheldon, OPPE
Dona Harris, OPPE
Chuck Findley, Region X
Melissa Heist, OIG
Jane Metcalfe, ORD
Eva Spons, OAR
Dwain Winters, OPPTS
Margaret Saxton, OPPE
Bill Hirzy, OPPTS
Tom Holloway, Region VII
Judy Kertcher, OSWER
Arnie Kuzmack, OW
Steve Lingle, ORD
Barbara Metzger, Region II
David Mowday, Region IX
Dave Rejeski, OPPE
Phil Ross, OPPE
Ramona Trovato, OW
Thomas Voltaggio, Region III
Gred Ondich, ORD
Donna Perla, OSWER
Larry Rosengrant, OSWER
Eric Schaeffer, OA
Alan Wehmeyer, Region VII
Dick White, OPPTS
Alan Perrin, OPPE
34
-------
Geographic Targeting
Dave Fierra, Region I Co-Chair
Al Morris, Region III Co-Chair
Bob Wayland, OW Co-Chair
Cory Berish, Region IV
Gerald Carney, Region VI
Chris Grundler, GLNP
Loren Hallo, OPPTS
Amy Haseltine, OARM
Elizabeth Jester, OW
Economic Incentives and Technological Innovation
Rob Brenner, OAR Co-Chair
Maryann Froehlich, OPPE Co-Chair
Rosalie Day, Region V
Gene Durman, OAR
Meg Kelly, OSWER
Barry Korb, OPPE
Walt Kovalick, OSWER
Mark Luttner, OW
Ellie McCann, Region III
Cross-Media Program Integration and Multi-Media
Enforcement
Mike Stahl, OPPTS Co-Chair
Dave Ullrich, Region V Co-Chair
Gerry Bryan, OE
Frank Covington, NEIC
Prudence Goforth, OARM
Pete Rosenberg, OE
State/Local/Tribal Capacity
Jim Elder, OW Co-Chair
John Wise, Region IX Co-Chair
Susan Absher, OSWER
Jesse Baskerville, OAR
Janice Berry-Chen, OROSLR
Ann Cole, OROSLR
Jane Ephrimedes, OWEC
Joe Franzmathes, Region IV
Paul Guthrie, OROSLR
Anna Hackenbracht, Region IX
Paul Hill, OARM
Rebecca Oils, OPPE
Martin Dieu, OPPE
Rick Linthurst, ORD
Bill Maruszeski, Region II
Donna Perla, OSWER
Cynthia Puskar, OW
Mike Slimak, ORD
Jim Wieber, OROSLR
Margo Oge, OAR
Tom O'Keefe, OAR
Dave Osterman, OARM
Frank Princiotta, ORD
Lou True, OPPTS
Bruce Weddle, OSWER
*Lea Swanson, OPPE
Jeff Morin, OPPE
Conrad Simon, Region II
Chuck Spooncr, Region III
Fred Stiehl, OE
Mike Vaccaro, Region III
Steve Johnson, OPPTS
David Klauder, ORD
Betsy LaRoe, OPPE
Angie Leith, OSWER
Stan Meiburg, Region VI
Karen Morley, OSWER
Tina Parker, OAR
Michele Zenon, OARM
Carole Cook, OPPE
* Special thanks to Lea Swanson who also managed the overall Agencywide planning process for OPPE.
35
-------
International Cooperation
Alan Hecht, OIA Co-Chair
Jim Marshall, Region n Co-Chair
John Chamberlin, OARM
Sally Cole, OA
Dennis Eoff, OPPE
Carl Gerber, ORD
Bill Hathaway, Region VI
Jamie Koehler, OIA
Environmental Education and Public Outreach
Carl Gagliardi, OCPA Co-Chair
Elaine Wright, Region III Co-Chair
Ray Cunningham, Region IV
Dona De Leon, OA
John Diamante, OIA
Priscilla Flattery, OPPE
Mike Hamlin, OARM
Michele Killer, OW
Management and Infrastructure
Herb Barrack, Region II Co-Chair
Kathy Petruccelli, OARM Co-Chair
Richard Brozen, OARM
Steven Cadena, OARM
Candace Costello, ORD
Peter Durant, ORD
Jack Frost, OSWER
Marian Hess, Region VII
Sherry Kaschak, OARM
Sally Rand, OPPE
Pat Koshel, OIA
Jim Makris, OSWER
Abby Pirnie, OA
Ellen Shapiro, OPPTS
Bob Ward, OGC
Jeff Wells, OPPE
Margaret McCue, Region V
Mike Moore, ORD
Suzanne Olive, OCR
Anne Randolph, OROSLR
Brigid Rapp, OARM
Brad Smith, OA
Judy King, OARM
Barbara McAllister, Region X
Pat Meaney, Region I
Ossi Meyn, OPPTS
Edna Rodriguez, OARM
Bill Wisniewski, Region III
Alex Wolfe, OAR
Sue Priftis, OPPE
36
------- |