United States,
Environmental Protection
Agency
Region 5
77 West Jackson Boulevard
Chicago, IL 60604
EPA 905-K-96-002
1996
vvEPA AGENDA FOR ACTION
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VISION
A sustainable environment where
air, water, and land resources are
restored and protected to benefit all life.
Together,
we can solve environmental problems with
communities in common-sense ways.
VatylasV. AdamkOs, Administrator, Regi
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
SECTION PAGE
Introduction 1
Regional Priorities 7
Principal Places 15
Critical Approaches 25
Region 5 Media Program Divisions 31
Conclusion 34
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INTRODUCTION
Background
The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Region 5 has a long and proud
tradition of protecting the Midwest environment. With intensive industrial development,
numerous major urban areas, and extensive agricultural cultivation, the natural resources of the
Region have been under great pressure over the years. The Great Lakes, the Mississippi and
Ohio Rivers, the air over our urban areas, our land, ground water, and many other resources have
all been subject to extensive pollution for a long time. The employees of Region 5 have met the
challenges presented by this pollution for over 25 years, and now the air, water, and land are
much cleaner than before.
While we have pride in these accomplishments, we must recognize than many challenges remain
and that times have changed dramatically since we began our work. The threats from urban
sprawl, habitat destruction, global warming, toxic contamination, and many other sources
represent very difficult problems to solve. State, local, and tribal governments are working with
EPA as partners in the environmental decision making process. Other stakeholders including
industry, environmental groups, labor unions, and citizens are expecting more from us and want
a bigger role in solving environmental problems. The pace of technological and societal change
continues to increase.
All of these require that we actively pursue new and more effective ways to protect the
environment. Over the past 3 years, there have been many new initiatives in Region 5 as part of
the overall reinvention efforts in Government. Probably the most significant is our
reorganization, which retained the structure based on air, water, and waste, but added regional
teams to focus on specific environmental priorities, principal places, and critical approaches to
solving environmental problems. As part of the reorganization, there has been an effort to allow
for more decision making at the staff level and more streamlining by reducing the layers of
management. These changes have been difficult for everyone, but we are now at a point where
the benefits from the changes are becoming more evident.
To move into fiscal year 1997 in a way that will take full advantage of the changes and put the
Region in the best possible position to solve environmental problems even more effectively in
the future, our Teams and Programs have prepared detailed plans which support this "Agenda for
Action." This document presents the highlights of the goals and key actions of the Region.
Much more detail is included in the full plans of the Teams and Programs. This "Agenda for
Action" is a dynamic document that can and should be adjusted based on interaction with our
partners and based on changes in the issues we are addressing. Our aim is to provide clear
direction for everyone in Region 5 as to where we are going and how we plan to get there.
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Vision, Mission, Values
We developed our environmental vision, mission, and values over an 18-month period in 1992
and 1993, with extensive employee involvement. Our environmental vision describes our
desired state. The Senior Leadership Team (SLT) added an operational vision in 1995 to
describe how we will achieve that vision. The operational vision serves as a roadmap to guide us
in this pursuit.
The end product of our work will be a sustainable environment, where we utilize resources in a
way that does not compromise the use and enjoyment of the environment by future generations.
To accomplish this, we must engage in a continuing process of working together with
communities to solve environmental problems. Common sense must be one of the benchmarks
in our approaches to solving problems, with solutions that are effective in accomplishing the
desired results without creating too many undesirable side effects. As set out in our mission, our
work is to protect, preserve, prevent, abate, serve, and lead. Our values serve as our foundation
and do not change. They include respect, integrity, honesty, communication, action, leadership
and partnership. By carrying out this mission with these values as our foundation, there will be a
higher quality of life for the people of the Midwest, this country, and the world.
Priorities, Places, and Approaches
Because of the large number of challenges we face, it is necessary to focus our attention on the
most serious problems and the most threatened places, using the most effective approaches we
can. If we do not, we will find ourselves making only minimal progress on a broad range of
problems. As a result, the SLT considered information from a range of sources and decided to
focus on six major environmental priorities:
4 Reducing toxicants, especially mercury;
+ Redeveloping Brownfields;
4 Ensuring environmental justice;
4 Cleaning up sediments;
4 Protecting and restoring critical ecosystems;
^ Attaining the air quality standard for ozone.
In addition to these priorities, there are 10 principal places where the resources we protect are so
important, or the environmental stresses are so great, that we must concentrate pur efforts to
make sure that these resources are restored and the quality of life improved. These 10 principal
places are:
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+ The Great Lakes
4 The Upper Mississippi River
4 Northwest Indiana
+ Greater Chicago
^ Southeast Michigan
4 Gateway (St. Louis, East St. Louis)
4 Northeast Ohio
4 Crandon Mine (proposed mine in Wisconsin)
4 Tribal Lands
+ International
To solve the priority environmental problems and address other concerns in these principal
places, we have used new approaches to finding solutions, along with the existing ones that have
served us over the years. The critical approaches we will be using more in the future are:
+ Community-based environmental protection (CBEP);
4 Common-sense measures;
4 Pollution prevention;
^ Partnerships with States, tribes, local governments, other Federal agencies and
Industry;
+ Enhanced public communication;
4 Enforcement and compliance assurance;
4 Multimedia perspectives;
4 Risk- and science-based decision making;
+ Measurement and management for environmental results;
^ Internal resource investment for change.
The SLT is committed to empowering the employees of Region 5 to use these approaches in a
way that will make more progress toward solving the priority environmental problems,
especially in the principal places, even more effectively in the future than in the past.
Region 5 as a System
One of the important keys to success in the future will be our ability to understand and operate
our Region as a highly interactive, effective system, where every element contributes to the
mission. We must understand that this relates to our internal operations and to our interactions
with external organizations. Internally, we are made up primarily of Divisions, Offices, and
Teams. Four Divisions, Air, Water, Superfund, and Waste, Pesticides, and Toxics, are organized
around our media programs. The Resource Management Division provides our internal resource
services. The Office of Regional Council provides legal services, the Office of Public Affairs
provides public outreach services, and the Office of Strategic Environmental Analysis frames
emerging issues, develops environmental management tools, and pilots new multimedia program
initiatives. Finally, our Great Lakes National Program Office focuses on our predominant
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natural resource, the Great Lakes. The media Divisions conduct the primary work related to
implementing the national statutory programs for environmental protection. The other Division
and Offices provide critical support for carrying out these programs.
On the other hand, our region-wide Teams are organized around our environmental priorities,
principal places, and critical approaches and provide a focal point for our resources and strategies
to come together. The Teams rely heavily on the programs, and go beyond, to find solutions to
environmental problems. The programs work with the Teams to help focus their efforts in the
places, on the problems, and with the approaches the Teams have developed.
To be successful, our system must be fully integrated with our Headquarters, other Regions, and
research labs located around the country. We must work especially closely with the States in the
newly defined relationship under the National Environmental Performance Partnership System.
The Native American tribes are particularly important because of our trust responsibility to them.
We are working more with local governments as they increase their role in the environmental
decision making process. Also very important to the overall process are the industries we
regulate, the environmental groups, and various citizen groups and individuals. All of these
entities are viewed as part of a system to help solve environmental problems.
EPA Regional offices have a special role in this system, as they are in a unique position to
reconcile the tension that develops naturally among the priorities of the many stakeholders. The
Regions, as part of the Federal Government, can bring the national and regional perspective to
State and local problems in a way that is true to national policy, yet sensitive to local concerns.
Regional offices are in a position to develop a consensus for solutions that will have broad
acceptance and will be more lasting.
Linkages with Other Efforts
The SLT designed this "Agenda for Action" with much help from many people in the Region, to
bring together many of the innovations being implemented by EPA. The national goals project,
which is nearing completion, defines the environmental goals we hope to achieve over the long
term, working in partnership with other stakeholders. These goals are described in
environmental and public health terms and cover 12 broad areas. The various memorandums of
understanding (MOU's) with the Headquarters programs generally describe what we will be
doing in the short term to help meet these national goals in the long term. Two other EPA
documents, "Strategic Directions for the Midwest Environment", and the Agency's "Five Year
Strategic Plan" also provide direction for us in our efforts.
In the performance partnership agreements (PPA's) with the states, we are taking the national
priorities from the MOU's, the State priorities, and our own regional priorities and finding a
balance among the three. Likewise, with the tribal environmental agreements (TEA's), we factor
in the tribal priorities. These come together in this "Agenda for Action" where we describe our
short-term actions for FY 97 that will lead us toward accomplishing the goals of EPA nationally,
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the goals of the States and tribes, and the Region 5 goals. The common thread through all of
these, which we are still developing, are the goals, milestones, and indicators against which we
will manage for environmental results and measure our progress.
With the full support of everyone in Region 5 working to carry out the "Agenda for Action", we
will solve environmental problems and improve the quality of life.
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REGIONAL PRIORITIES
Reducing Toxicants, Especially Mercury
Redeveloping Brownfields
Ensuring Environmental Justice
Cleaning up Sediments
Attaining the Air Quality Standard for Ozone
Protecting and Restoring Critical Ecosystems
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Reducing Toxicants, Especially Mercury
Problem
Releases of toxic substances have had serious adverse effects on humans and the environment.
Mercury and PCB levels threaten wildlife and make fish consumption advisories necessary.
Lead poisoning is widespread among children. Toxaphene and endocrine disrupters are of great
concern, but their exposure levels, effects, sources, and transport are not clearly understood.
Agencies have focused on investigating and reducing releases of toxic substances, but most often
independently and in single-medium contexts. We must assure that our toxicant reduction efforts
reflect a multimedia perspective and that they are as coherent and effective as possible.
Goal
The goal of Region 5 is the virtual elimination of toxicants.
Subgoals
4 Reduce mercury levels;
4 Reduce levels of Binational Strategy (BNS) Toxicants;
4 Reduce PCB levels;
4 Reduce lead exposure;
Actions
Reduce Mercury Levels: Reach out to industry, organizations, and citizens on pollution
prevention; sponsor conference to spur actions; study alternative use and treatment-
disposal options; provide clearinghouse support for Region and States; do studies on
mercury transport, sources, and impacts in Lake Superior and Lake Michigan.
Reduce Levels of other BNS Toxicants: Complete Binational Strategy and monitor and
evaluate its implementation; conduct and coordinate toxicant reduction activities outlined
in BNS.
Reduce PCB Levels: Pursue voluntary-use reductions through the PCB Phase down
Program; help achieve compliance; promote safe disposal of PCB's; provide
coordination and clearinghouse support for Region and States; complete PCB Options
Paper.
Reduce Lead Exposure: Develop regional lead strategies; conduct education and outreach
programs on lead exposure; improve regional coordination; support geographic initiative
efforts.
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Redeveloping Brownflelds
Problem
Contaminated or abandoned-underutilized urban sites seriously damage the integrity of
communities as a result of Brownflelds' pervasive socioeconomic, health, and environmental
impacts. The presence of these sites stigmatizes neighborhoods, furthers urban decay, and
contributes to urban sprawl.
Goal
The goal of Region 5 is the virtual elimination of Brownfields.
Subgoals
4 Promote cleanup of contaminated sites;
4 Promote Brownfields prevention;
4 Position EPA as a resource to States and local communities.
Actions
+ Promote cleanup of contaminated sites by clarifying liability issues, providing technical
assistance to stakeholders, and targeting our capacity-building efforts towards State and
local entities.
+ Identify and implement Brownfield prevention activities in Region 5.
4 Form partnerships with a variety of stakeholders to further promote EPA as a resource in
Brownfield redevelopment activities focusing our efforts on priority places identified by
Region 5 and incorporating strategic approaches. In addition, identify opportunities to
leverage both human and monetary resources at both the State and local level.
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Ensuring Environmental Justice
Problem
Over the last decade, concern about the impact of environmental pollution on particular
population groups has been growing. There is widespread belief that minority or low-income
populations bear disproportionately high and adverse human health and environmental effects
from pollution.
Goal
The goal of Region 5 is the virtual elimination of disproportionate environmental impacts on
minority and low-income communities.
Subgoals
+ Promote public participation, accountability, partnerships, outreach, and communication;
4 Collect data, and analyze to define EJ areas;
+ Work with American Indian populations to integrate EJ policies;
+ Focus EJ issues in enforcement, compliance assurance, regulatory review and permitting.
Actions
4 Implement Regional Environmental Justice Performance Agreement;
4 Develop a definition for environmental justice;
4 Identify environmental justice communities of concern in Region 5;
4 Develop grant-writing software and other educational materials for communities;
+ Consider environmental justice concerns in enforcement and permitting activities;
4 Provide technical assistance to communities and tribes.
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Cleaning up Sediments
Problem
Sediments are naturally occurring earth materials that are deposited on the bottom of rivers and
lakes. Some sediments have become contaminated with chemicals, metals, or other pollutants
that can be retained in the sediments for a long time. Contaminated sediments pose a threat to
aquatic life and wildlife because the contaminants they contain can be slowly released into the
environment. Humans can be at risk as well through exposure to contaminants or through
consumption of contaminated fish and wildlife. Contaminated sediments are a significant and
persistent source of pollution in many areas, identified as Areas of Concern, in and around the
Great Lakes, in and around the Mississippi and Ohio Rivers, and other waters in Region 5.
Goal
The goal of Region 5 is the virtual elimination of contaminated sediments in waters of Region 5
through remediation of contaminated sediments that pose a threat to human health, welfare, or
the environment, and prevention of new or additional sediment contamination.
Subgoals
4 Remediation of contaminated sediments that pose a threat to human health, welfare, or
the environment;
4 Prevention of new or additional sediment contamination;
Actions
i Initiate remedial actions at up to six priority contaminated sediment sites using
enforcement, regulatory, and voluntary approaches.
* Work in partnership with Natural Resources Conservation Service, States, and others to
initiate, and support actions for source control of contaminants to sediments and erosion
control of soils.
4 Work in partnership with Programs, Teams, States, tribes, and others to identify priority
sites and initiate actions.
4 Develop performance goals, performance indicators, and output measures at selected
sites; participate in National Accountability Project.
4 Facilitate and support ongoing remedial efforts including those in Northwest Indiana,
Southeast Michigan, and Great Lakes Areas of Concern.
+ Work in partnership with Natural Resource Trustees and others to facilitate and support
ongoing Natural Resource Damage Assessment and other restoration actions initiated in
conjunction with sediment remedial activities.
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Attaining the Air Quality Standard for Ozone
Problem
Twenty million people live in the seven urban areas in or bordering Region 5 (Chicago, SE.
Wisconsin, NW. Indiana, SE. Michigan, Cincinnati, St. Louis, and Louisville) that do not meet
the health-related air quality standard for ozone. New health data indicate that elevated ozone
levels may adversely affect as many as 15 percent (3 million) of the exposed population and may
require a tightened standard. Ozone is caused by volatile organic compounds (VOC's) and
nitrogen oxides (NOX) reacting in the presence of sunlight.
Goal
The goal of Region 5 is to attain the national ambient air quality standard for ozone.
Subgoals
+ By the year 2007 (or 2009 if a new standard is adopted), the national ambient air quality
standard for ozone will be attained everywhere in Region 5.
^ VOC emissions will meet each area's targets on schedule.
4 Regional NOX emissions will meet the requirements of the OTAG strategy on schedule.
Actions
i Complete OTAG modeling;
+ Develop ozone outreach strategy in partnership with States and other Regions;
4 States and EPA assess 1994, 1995, and 1996 ozone data;
+ Develop VOC compliance strategy in partnership with States and other Regions;
4 OAQPS will propose the new ozone standard;
* Forward OTAG recommendations to EPA;
4 Receive State's revised strategies;
4 OAQPS will adopt the new ozone standard;
4 States and EPA assess 1995, 1996, and 1997 ozone data;
4 Develop NOX compliance strategy in partnership with States and other Regions.
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Protecting and Restoring Critical Ecosystems
Problem
Ecosystem degradation and loss is one of the highest environmental risk problems facing the
country today. This conclusion is consistent with the international community's Biodiversity
Treaty, which identifies the loss of biological diversity as a global problem. Ecosystems in
Region 5 and the Great Lakes Basin, beset by great ecosystem alterations and biodiversity losses,
nevertheless sustain globally rare ecosystems, ecological communities, and species. These
resources are being lost or degraded by physical impairment, chemical pollution, and the
biological invasion of exotic species.
Goal
Region 5 will strive to protect, restore, and enhance the functions and structure, including
biodiversity, needed to sustain healthy and diverse ecologically significant ecosystems that
wholly or partially lie within Region 5 and the Great Lakes Basin.
Subgoals
+ Protect ecosystems possessing ecological integrity, biodiversity, or rare ecological
occurrences from the adverse impacts of anthropogenic stressors.
4 Restore formerly degraded but potentially ecologically significant ecosystems to their full
potential.
Actions
4 Create a Regional Ecosystem Protection Team to further focus resources on this priority.
4 Increase partnership building activities which will result in identification, description, and
on-the-ground actions to protect or restore ecologically significant ecosystems, as well as
support the formation of long-term commitments for acting on jointly developed
ecological priorities. Partners include communities, States, tribes, non-government
organizations, other State and Federal agencies, and the public.
4 Provide support in solving site-specific ecological problems in Region 5 by integrating
data from EPA and other partners, using environmental indicators for tracking results and
analyzing trends, making data more accessible, and by helping to integrate ecosystem
protection into existing Regional Programs and other authorities.
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PRINCIPAL PLACES
The Great Lakes
The Upper Mississippi River
Northwest Indiana
Greater Chicago
Southeast Michigan
Gateway
Northeast Ohio
Crandon Mine
Tribal Lands
International
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The Great Lakes
Problem
The Great Lakes are the largest system of fresh surface water, containing 18 percent of the
world's supply. The Great Lakes ecosystem contains many diverse elements, including major
centers of population, agricultural land, forests, dunes, wetlands, and globally rare plant and
animal species. The Great Lakes have suffered over the decades from point and nonpoint
sources of pollution, habitat loss and destruction, and threats to biodiversity. In recent years, the
Great Lakes have seen major environmental improvements, but they still are affected by a wide
range of continuing stressors, particularly toxins that bioaccumulate in the food chain, making
numerous fish advisories necessary. Habitat loss and destruction and loss of biodiversity
continue to be problems as well.
Goal
The goal of Region 5 for the Great Lakes is to restore and maintain the chemical, physical, and
biological integrity of the waters of the Great Lakes Basin ecosystem.
Subgoals
4 Reduce and eliminate loadings of toxic substances, with an emphasis on persistent
bioaccumulative substances using pollution prevention as a primary tool. Clean up
contaminated sediments.
+ Protect human health; protect and restore habitat; and maintain healthy and stable
populations of fish and other aquatic life, wildlife, and plants in the Great Lakes
ecosystem.
+ Support other priorities, such as community-based environmental protection,
partnerships, enhanced public communication, and measuring and managing for
environmental results.
Actions
Lake Michigan
4 Complete Volume 1 (partial Stage I and II) of the Lakewide Management Plan (LaMP)
incorporating mass balance data, loadings and source analysis, and adding ecosystem
objectives, beneficial-use impairment assessments, and indicators.
+ Continue work with the 10 Remedial Action Plans (RAP's) through partnership
established with the Lake Michigan Forum and U.S. Corps of Engineers, to clean up
contaminated sediments.
Support reduction of toxicants activities, including the P2 Primary Metals project, and
initiation of a PCB Clean Sweep.
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Lake Erie
4 Complete Volume 1 of the LaMP, including development of ecosystem objectives,
beneficial-use impairment assessments, pollutant source and loadings analysis, and public
involvement activities.
4 Increase Federal assistance to Remedial Action Plans, promoting increased environmental
progress in Areas of Concern (AOC's).
4 Increase pollution prevention activities, as well as habitat protection and restoration
activities, in the Lake Erie Basin.
Lake Superior
4 Complete Volume 3 of the LaMP, including analysis of current regulatory programs and
development of reduction strategy using tools and incentives.
+ Increase Federal assistance to Remedial Action Plans to address sediment remediation
and reduction of toxicants in AOC's.
+ Identify and fund habitat restoration-protection projects and data-base development for
land use and planning decisions.
+ Sponsor sustainable development workshops with land-use planners and local
governments, to support community development efforts towards sustainability in the
Lake Superior Basin.
Special Initiatives
4 Complete the Great Lakes Initiative (GLI) by working with States to ensure timely
adoption and implementation of consistent water quality standards, antidegradation
policies, and related procedures by statutory deadline.
4 Complete and implement the Binational Virtual Elimination Strategy, which will further
promote the reduction and elimination of toxic inputs into the Great Lakes. Emphasize
mercury and PCB's as key targeted chemicals.
4 Finalize the Lake Michigan Mass Balance study by completing field, lab, modeling, and
data work and develop and publish reports outlining findings, key recommendations, and
implications for environmental management of the Great Lakes.
4 Continue to ensure that the goals of the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement, which
emphasizes an ecosystem approach as well as calling for a broader focus on the reduction
of toxic chemicals in the Great Lakes, are met. This will be achieved by coordinating
with Environment Canada, other Regions, Federal agencies, and States to ensure that
programs and projects result in clear and measurable progress against goals.
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The Upper Mississippi River
The Upper Mississippi River basin extends from the Mississippi's confluence with the Ohio
River, northwards to the Mississippi's headwaters in Minnesota. The Mississippi and its
ecosystem have been heavily influenced by man and his activities, navigation structures, 27 locks
and dams on the main channel, flood protection levees, and changes in land use and land cover.
Within the basin are some of the most highly productive agricultural lands in the world. Also
within the basin there are a significant numbers of species, including fish, birds, and mammals.
However, the river is experiencing significant adverse environmental impacts.
The goal of Region 5 for the Upper Mississippi River is to assure the long-term sustainability of
the Upper Mississippi River Basin ecosystem. The subgoals are to address three areas of major
concern: sedimentation, nutrient loading contributing to the hypoxia (reduced oxygen) problem
in the Gulf of Mexico, and the loss of habitat.
During the coming year we intend to identify and prioritize watersheds and subwatersheds that
are contributing significant amounts of sediments and nutrients. We will be working with the
Natural Resource Conservation Service, National Biological Service, and U.S. Geological
Service to identify problem watersheds and to line-up activities. We will also be working with
the States to develop Best Management Practices to address the sediment and nutrient problems.
Some of these actions will require us to work with the agricultural community. Where possible,
we will identify wetlands, forests, and prairies that can be restored or enhanced. Emphasis will
be on habitat opportunities within the Mississippi River floodplain.
Northwest Indiana
Northwest Indiana, spanning the southern shore of Lake Michigan, has experienced a century of
severe environmental degradation. This was largely because of the steel and petroleum refining
industries, because of major alteration of the natural ecosystem by filling of dunes and wetlands,
and because of overall development. Ozone and particulate nonattainment, 10 million cubic
yards of contaminated sediments in the Indiana Harbor Ship Canal and the Grand Calumet River,
millions of gallons of free-floating petroleum products in ground-water, and numerous sites
contaminated with hazardous waste - including 15 Superfund sites - are some of the many
environmental challenges facing the area.
The goal of Region 5 for Northwest Indiana is environmental restoration of the Northwest
Indiana area and elimination of environmental stressors that affect the quality of life. The
subgoals are to implement the Northwest Indiana Environmental Action Plan, to support and
further the Region's priorities, and to build community capacity.
During FY 97 we will continue to implement the Northwest Indiana Environmental Initiative
Action Plan with our partner, the Indiana Department of Environmental Management. This
includes cleaning up contaminated sediments, remediating land and ground water, coordinating
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compliance and enforcement, developing a Remedial Action Plan and a Lakewide Area
Management Plan, improving air quality, and preventing pollution. Region 5 will also pursue
additional activities, outside of the Action Plan, that support our Regional priorities. In addition,
community education and outreach will include: setting up community-based risk assessment
training, establishing a Mighty Acorns project, developing interactive software on the
environmental history and current sustainable-development issues of the area, and participating
in the Northwest Indiana Sustainable Development Task Force.
Greater Chicago
In the Greater Chicago area there are numerous environmental problems, including, non-
attainment of the ozone standard, large-scale ground-water and soil contamination, deterioration
of critical habitat and biodiversity, illegal dumping, and contaminated sediments. Region 5 is
working with our Federal, State, local, and other partners to develop strategies that will address
these problems.
The goal of Region 5 for Greater Chicago is to protect and restore environmental health and
beauty in Greater Chicago. The subgoals include: reestablishment of the steering committee for
the Greater Chicago Initiative, which will continue to develop and implement an overall strategy
for the area and support the environmental priorities of Region 5; evaluating the overall strategy
based on a scientific understanding of the area's environmental problems; addressing Region 5's
top environmental priorities.
Activities for this year will include public outreach on the need to attain the ozone standard and
the relationship of ozone alert days to health effects, such as asthma; developing public dialogue
on dealing with large-scale contaminated ground-water and soil areas, including the need to
preserve or restore critical habitat for biodiversity; working to build State and local illegal
dumping programs; developing programs with business and the community for pollution
prevention; and collecting existing data on contaminated sediments.
Southeast Michigan
The Southeast Michigan Initiative (SEMI) area has major environmental problems, including
rivers with impaired uses, contaminated sediments, combined sewer overflows, major toxic
pollutant releases, a polluted airshed, and the continuing destruction of critical habitat. Many
SEMI areas are subject to environmental justice concerns due to high minority-low income
populations near major pollution sources and blighted urban areas.
The goal of Region 5 for Southeast Michigan is to facilitate action to protect and improve the
environment and the natural resources of this area. The subgoals address the top regional
environmental priorities, the development of a CBEP Action Plan, and the completion of the
RAP for the area bordering Lake Erie. The Region's community-based problem solving
approach uses partnerships with stakeholders, including those represented at SEMI's
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Environmental Forum meetings. The forum is an open roundtable, which is the primary means
of communication and coordination with stakeholders and serves to insure that limited
government resources target the most pressing environmental issues, as defined by regional
priorities and by the community.
Specific activities for this year will address: redevelopment of brownfields, ensuring
environmental justice, preservation and restoration of critical habitat, remediation of
contaminated sediments, maintenance of the ozone standard, and the reduction of toxicants in the
environment. Activities in these areas include outreach and education, developing partnerships
with local stakeholders, building local capacity, multimedia projects, enforcement and
compliance assistance, and measuring for environmental results. A stakeholder group will be
developing a scheme for setting priority goals and developing a database of relevant
environmental indicators with which to measure environmental improvement over time.
Gateway
The Gateway Initiative encompasses the Greater East St. Louis, IL, area. Over 70 industrial
facilities - including oil refineries, chemical companies, a steel mill, a commercial hazardous
waste incinerator, five active or closed hazardous waste landfills, as well as copper, lead, and
zinc smelters - lie in this 60-square mile area on the eastern floodplain of the Mississippi River.
The area does not meet health-related air quality standards for ozone and lead, and ambient air
concentrations for cadmium are among the highest in the country. The community has expressed
great concern over the prevalence of illegal dumping, open burning, abandoned and deteriorating
houses, and flooding in largely minority or low-income neighborhoods.
The goal of Region 5 for the Gateway community is to improve the quality of life, protect the
natural resources, and build sustainable community involvement on local environmental issues.
The subgoals address the top regional environmental priorities, as well as other issues of concern
to the local community.
In FY 97, Region 5 will continue to conduct tire cleanups, demolish abandoned structures, and
enhance our partnership with local watershed planning agencies to address persistent flooding.
We will also continue to support local efforts to redevelop Brownfields. Environmental justice
remains a high priority. By offering training such as the Citizens' Environmental Academy and
Basic Environmental Law training for local law enforcement, we will promote empowerment in
environmental justice communities and build capacity within local organizations to support
efforts at environmental stewardship. We will continue to work closely with the Illinois EPA,
the Illinois Department of Public Health and other agencies involved in the area. Finally, we
will increase our education, outreach, and community involvement, in conjunction with Region
7, to address air-quality issues.
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Northeast Ohio
Over 4 million people live in the 15-county Northeast Ohio area. Dramatic demographic and
economic changes have occurred over the past 40 years. Historical practices and changing land-
use patterns have introduced unprecedented stresses on the environment and public health.
Traditional compartmentalized approaches need to be replaced with community-based regional
approaches to address the challenges of the next decade.
The goal of Region 5 for Northeast Ohio is to improve protection of public health and the
environment through establishment of new partnerships and linkages. The subgoals are to
support State and local partners in achieving their goals, to achieve sustainable development,
restore the quality of the urban environment, eliminate toxicants, achieve air quality standards,
and eliminate impaired water quality uses. In addition, we will address the six Region 5
environmental priorities in Northeast Ohio, connect the EPA with the community, and further
our overall goal of protecting public health and the environment.
For FY 97, key actions will include: providing information, experts, and financial and hands-on
assistance to stakeholders; building stakeholder capacity; continuing both general and focused
community outreach; developing a one-stop-shopping approach to respond to citizen inquiries
and complaints; and coordinating the implementation of nondelegated programs to add value to
stakeholder efforts.
Crandon Mine Project
Region 5 has dedicated resources to support a comprehensive review of the Crandon Mine
project, a proposed copper and zinc mine, near Crandon, WI. The proposed mine would be
within the environmentally sensitive and culturally rich Wolf River Watershed, near the
reservations of the Sokoagon Chippewa Community, Forest County Potawatomi Community,
Menominee Indian Tribe of Wisconsin, and the Stockbridge-Munsee Community. The proposed
mine would be an underground operation that would produce 55 million tons of ore. Half of the
44 million tons of mine tailings produced would be backfilled into the mine and half would be
secured within a 355 acre, above-ground, tailings management area to the east of the ore body.
The tailings will be sulfide bearing, which means that the potential for acid mine drainage exists
and that proper precautions and technology must be used to protect and preserve the
environmental quality of the area. Water quality and quantity, wetland impacts, water diversion,
tribal cultural impacts, and cumulative impacts are among the issues related to this project.
The goal of Region 5's involvement in the Crandon Mine project is to enable the Federal permit
decision process to rely on environmentally sound, culturally sensitive, and technically correct
facts and data. The subgoals are to assist the four federally recognized Native American Indian
Tribes in protecting and preserving their tribal resources and to assist other Federal agencies (of
which the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is the federal lead agency) by providing quality data,
both factual and technical, and reviews.
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Specifically, our activities for this year will focus on upholding the Federal trust responsibility
to the tribes. In addition, we will be working with the tribes, other Federal agencies, the State
and the mining company by contributing data and by providing quality reviews and comments on
pertinent project documents.
Tribal Lands
Region 5 has a duty to uphold its trust responsibility to the 33 Indian tribes in the region. The
tribes do not have the necessary resources or administrative infrastructure to adequately address
environmental problems that effect their communities.
Region 5's goal is effective stewardship and implementation of tribal trust responsibilities. The
subgoals are: recognizing each tribe's right to be at the environmental table as a sovereign
nation; building the capacity of tribes to solve their environmental problems on their own, and,
where capable, to achieve Treatment as a State (TAS), through financial and on-site technical
assistance; direct implementation of environmental programs by EPA on reservations where
necessary.
Region 5 will take on many activities this year. The Regional Tribal Operations Council
(RTOC) will meet quarterly in Chicago to ensure frequent and open communications and
resolution of issues. We will formally establish a Regional Tribal Team, consisting of
representatives from all Divisions and Offices, that will report directly to the Senior Leadership
Team. The Regional Administrator will be the Team's sponsor. The Team will be a focal point
for Regional efforts to revise, enhance, and update the Tribal Environmental Agreements
(TEA's), which define multiyear priorities. Each Division and Office will prepare a blueprint,
which identifies activities it will fund or undertake in the coming year to help the Tribes
accomplish their goals, as described in the TEA. The Team will develop a Region 5 tribal policy
and will implement the communications strategy. In addition, the Team will work on tribal
training needs, access to Clean Water On-Line, and enhanced grants management.
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International
Over half of the United States' population lives in 19 States that straddle the U.S. border areas
with Canada and Mexico. Global and regional environmental threats are also local threats:
whether they are dumping of foreign species in local harbors or long-range transport of persistent
pollutants. United States cannot meet its statutory mission without international cooperation to
address stratospheric ozone depletion, global warming, maintenance of global biodiversity, and
sharing of ideas on new foreign technologies and even management techniques piloted
elsewhere.
The goals of Region 5 for our international activities are: to work with neighboring countries to
prevent transboundary pollution and resource degradation that threatens public health and shared
ecosystems in North America, the Arctic, and the wider Caribbean; to protect the global
commons as well as U. S. public health and ecosystems from global environmental threats; to
strengthen environmental management and participatory decision-making in other countries in
support of U.S. environmental, economic, foreign policy, and national security objectives; and to
promote cleaner and more cost-effective environmental practices and technologies in the U.S.
and abroad through public and private partnerships.
In FY 97 Region 5 will work within the International Activities Framework. We will continue to
support the NAFTA environmental processes by providing staff for specific reviews and expert
panels, as appropriate. Region 5 will help EPA Headquarters prepare a response to OECD review
of U.S. environmental programs, continue coordinating the international visitor programs, and
continue supporting EPA's Asian Environmental Partnership program for Korea and India.
Region 5 will focus its capacity- building programs in the Baltics on development of regionally
compatible environmental monitoring programs and environmental data managements systems to
detect and control persistent organic pollutants, as per the Lithuanian FY 96 Funding Workplan.
Region 5 will close out the Moscow water projects in partnership with the Minnesota Pollution
Control Agency and Minnesota's Office of Water. We will also provide limited assistance with
our national experts and environmental software group to help other EPA Region leads in Russia
and Asia. Region 5, in coordination with Regions 4 and 8, will help EPA fulfill its commitments
in Ukraine to present EIA training, develop a pesticide registration program, and computerize the
Ministry of Environment, increasing its capacity to introduce newer "greener" pesticides and
reduce reliance on persistent pesticides. We will provide limited technical oversight and project
development support to EPA's Polish and Ukrainian risk management projects. Region 5 will
serve as EPA lead to develop a model program for implementation of the Environmental Security
initiative, which focuses on military base cleanup to address POP's and mercury, building on
previous successes with hazardous materials emergency response programs and site remediation
in the Baltics. We will continue to support an environmental literature and software repository
network as a means to disseminate information on U.S. methodology, priorities, and technology
and to minimize direct information requests to EPA.
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CRITICAL APPROACHES
Community-Based Environmental Protection
Common Sense Measures
Pollution Prevention
Partnerships with States, tribes, local governments, and
other Federal agencies
Enhanced Public Communication
Enforcement and Compliance Assurance
Multimedia Approaches
Risk - and Science-Based Decision Making
Measuring and Managing for Environmental Results
Internal Resource Investment for Change
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The critical approaches represent the most important tools that Region 5 will be using to address
our environmental priorities and to find solutions to environmental problems in our principal
places. Although every approach is not applicable to each environmental priority or principal
place, our expectation is that these critical approaches will be used to the maximum extent
possible when they apply. The following narratives describe how Region 5 plans to use these
critical approaches more effectively during FY 97 and to achieve better environmental results in
the future.
Community-Based Environmental Protection
The Community-Based Environmental Protection (CBEP) approach is one of our techniques
that helps EPA maximize environmental results by collaborating with other agencies, State and
local governments, tribes, businesses, organizations, and individuals to solve environmental
problems. This problem solving approach provides a setting in which EPA works with
communities which are affected, involved, or interested in identifying environmental problems,
ranking these problems, developing solutions, and initiating work towards eliminating the
problems. Recently, Region 5 reorganized many of its staff and resources into geographic
initiatives to focus work in locations. The Region created a CBEP workgroup that is committed
to building and developing EPA's capacity to work in communities. The CBEP workgroup is
responsible for providing leadership and establishing CBEP policies and guidance in the media
programs and regional teams: for mediating CBEP-related issues, for institutionalizing CBEP
activities into the Region's daily activities and strategic planning, and for working directly with
the Senior Leadership Team on setting CBEP priorities. The CBEP workgroup will also
establish linkages with the six environmental priority managers, the Regional Teams, other
principal place and critical approach managers, as well as members of the Divisions and Offices.
Linkages with the States, tribes, and other Federal agencies is a priority so that information and
data can be shared and partnerships can be built. The success of the CBEP approach will depend
on the ability of the Region's staff to recognize CBEP opportunities and to work effectively with
other parties in resolving environmental problems. To this goal, the CBEP workgroup is
responsible for developing a clearinghouse of tools, training, and organizational skills that will
enhance and capitalize the regional staffs ability to work with our various publics.
Common Sense Measures
A central part of our vision is that we will use common sense in solving all environmental
problems. The term "common sense" has caused some confusion and controversy. It simply
means using good judgement in helping solve environmental problems. The solutions should
make sense to the people in the communities most effected by the problem. There should be a
reasonable expectation that the proposed solution will solve the environmental problem without
creating additional complications. "Common sense" does not mean we throw out the rules or
just give industry what it wants. It means we apply the rules in a way that makes sense and
solves the problem.
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Pollution Prevention
As one of its national goals, EPA holds that by relying on pollution-prevention techniques and
strategies in the way we produce, consume, reuse, and recycle materials we can ensure that all
Americans will live in contaminant free, sustainable communities. Furthermore, it is Region 5's
position that environmental protection and economic prosperity are inextricably linked: Pollution
prevention is both good business and good for business. Members of the regulated community,
the general public, Region 5 employees, and other interested stakeholders seek pragmatic,
bottom-line ways to eliminate or minimize pollution at its source - be it at home, industry, or
office. To advance the widespread implementation of pollution-prevention practices within
public and private sectors, Region 5 seeks to instill and help foster a holistic and dynamic
pollution-prevention ethic among Regional employees, teams, base programs, external
stakeholders, and the general public. The aim is to achieve a measurable reduction of pollution,
especially in Region 5's geographic and priority areas. Specifically, during FY 97 we will strive
to reduce mercury usage in the dental profession and chlor-alkali industry, seek further trade
association opportunities and partnerships through the Great Lakes Pollution Prevention Round
table, and support interagency and intra-agency pollution-prevention efforts to advance the
pollution-prevention ethic that will bring all Americans closer to the goal of living in
contaminant-free, sustainable communities.
Partnerships
Partnerships are essential for achieving our vision of a sustainable environment in which air,
water, and land resources are restored and protect to benefit all life. Region 5's goal is to
establish effective partnerships with States, Tribes, local governments, other Federal Agencies,
communities, and environmental groups that allow all partners to capitalize on effecting
environmental results. These partnerships include the formal agreements of Environmental
Performance Partnerships Agreements with States, Tribal Environmental Agreements, and grants
to communities, to informal collaborations with individual communities and organizations.
For FY 97, Region 5 will work with its partners to develop and incorporate new approaches for
protecting the environment. We will continue to build strong partnership through various forms
of outreach, including the use of focus groups, meetings, and the joint development and signing
of agreements. We will work with Federal partners to renew support for the Environmental
Round table. The Sustainable Development Challenge Grants provide another opportunity to
work with new and different partners as they develop and implement their vision and plan for an
environmentally sustainable future.
Federal environmental statutes have been very successful for over 25 years in positively
changing the Nation's mind set toward protecting the environment. The success of
environmental laws has also significantly changed the perception of environmental requirements
by business and industry.
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EPA has adopted a sector-based approach to partnering with industry. The goal of the sector-
based approach in Region 5 is to provide greater and more efficient protection of the
environment through the development of new and innovative approaches to achieve and maintain
compliance with environmental statues. This will be done in partnership with Headquarters;
State, tribal, and local environmental protection agencies; trade associations; environmental
activists; environmental justice advocates; and the general public. Specifically, Region 5 will
continue to actively participate in the EPA's Common Sense Initiative and in each of its six
targeted industrial sectors. Region 5 will also manage or participate in pilot projects to test new
approaches and to use the results of pilots and other innovative alternatives in bringing industry
into the mainstream of the Region's programs. In addition, by working with industry on the
Regulatory Reinvention initiatives such as Project XL, Environmental Leadership Program, and
compliance incentives for small businesses and communities, we can leverage our resources and
achieve more and better environmental results for all businesses.
Enhanced Public Communication
Public opinion polls continue to show that the majority of American's strongly support
protecting the environment. However, the public has a right to know what it receives for its
support and to participate in decision-making, particularly when it involves the local community.
EPA has a responsibility to provide understandable environmental information to the public, to
provide effective means for public participation and feedback, and to help the public make
informed environmental decisions. This responsibility belongs not only to employees in the
Office of Public Affairs, but to all employees. The Public Affairs staff will provide tools,
training, and professional consultation services to the whole Region, to help all employees
communicate effectively with the public.
Enforcement and Compliance Assurance
The primary objective of Region 5's Enforcement and Compliance Assurance program is to
protect human health and the environment by having all regulated parties attain, maintain - and
even go beyond - full and timely compliance with all environmental requirements. Because
pollution does not respect political boundaries, EPA must take a consistent enforcement
approach and ensure that a level playing field exists across the Nation. As methods of
environmental protection continue to develop - and new relationships are created with
governments, industry, and the public - changes in the methods for achieving, monitoring, and
maintaining compliance with environmental requirements are necessary. While strong, vigorous
enforcement remains an essential tool to assure compliance, it is not the only tool. Other tools,
such as compliance assistance, when used appropriately, can supplement and enhance
enforcement, although compliance assistance is not a substitute for enforcement. A credible
enforcement presence, based upon the assurance of a credible enforcement response, provides an
incentive for regulated parties to follow through on compliance assistance offered. EPA
performs this vital function by providing leadership when addressing environmental problems
that cross State, regional, and national borders and by ensuring that a consistent level of
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environmental protection is maintained for all citizens. Enforcement activities are critical to
ensuring that regulated entities who violate environmental requirements do not gain a
competitive advantage over those who comply with environmental laws. The collection of
penalties through enforcement actions serves to level the playing field and deter violations.
Obtaining prompt and effective resolution to enforcement actions is essential to return violators
to compliance. Supplemental Environmental Projects (SEP's) offer an opportunity for violators
to obtain penalty credits in return for undertaking innovative approaches (such as pollution
prevention) to environmental problems. In FY 97, the goals of Region 5's Enforcement and
Compliance Assurance program are: increase compliance with environmental statutes and
regulations through the use of enforcement, compliance incentives, and implementation of the
Regional Compliance Assistance Strategy; develop partnerships with all Region 5 States and
encourage resource sharing to optimize our collective resources; routinely use SEP's as part of
the resolution of enforcement actions in order to achieve increased environmental benefits; and,
where appropriate, include impacted communities in the development of SEP ideas.
Multimedia Approaches
Region 5 has a long history of multimedia coordination, including the Great Lakes National
Program Office, In-Place Pollutant Task Force, Pollution Prevention Roundtable, and
Geographic Enforcement Initiatives. Since 1990, we have successfully taken a multimedia
approach to enforcement, whenever feasible. It is increasingly evident that the solution to most
complex environmental problems requires a multimedia approach. Also, many of EPA's newest
initiatives have moved away from a single-media approach. The future success of the Region
depends on our ability to address a wide range of multimedia issues. Groups of people with
diverse disciplines and skills working together can achieve better solutions. Although we have
largely retained a media-based organizational structure, we expect to expand the use of region
wide teams, committees, and workgroups in the future. Furthermore, some regional offices have
adopted an internal multimedia structure - ORC, OPA, and OSEA. This multimedia approach
will be more appropriate to address and resolve the environmental problems that will confront us
for the remainder of this decade.
Risk - and Science-Based Decision Making
Region 5 will ensure that our environmental management decisions are clear, consistent, and
reasonable. In addition, we will ensure that they protect human health and the environment
through the generation and consideration of technically excellent, publicly accessible, risk and
scientific information in our decision-making process. This requires two key commitments: that
EPA technical staff have the necessary tools and access to information to provide the best
available scientific information to decision-makers and that EPA management incorporate
science and risk in their decisions and communicate the basis for their decisions. For FY 97, key
actions will include: providing technical assistance and applying a risk- and science-based
decision-making approach to the top 6 environmental priorities, as well as to the 10 critical
places; conducting risk characterization-risk management training for managers; getting
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training and information to technical staff on critical science or risk issues (such as endocrine
disrupters, peer review, and ecological risk); enhancing the technical exchange mechanisms
currently in-place (Risk Policy Forum, Ecological Risk Forum), which are key mechanisms for
communication and collaboration throughout the Region. During FY 97, the Region will
establish a Science in Decision-Making Forum, made up of management and technical staff, to
explore the integration of the best scientific information into decisions. Region 5 has established
a Regional Science Council (RSC) which will design research needs, integrate existing research
into decision-making, and strengthen links with ORD and EPA's internal and external research
efforts.
Measuring and Managing for Environmental Results
Region 5 is committed to relying heavily on environmental data to evaluate conditions, identify
existing and emerging problems, set priorities, and make decisions to address the top hazards
facing public health and the environment. For FY 97, Region 5 will identify and further refine
environmental goals, indicators and performance measures for our top 6 environmental priorities
and our 10 critical places. We also will work with the States to develop goals, indicators, and
measures for our joint priorities. We will strengthen our partnerships with other Federal,
tribal, State, and local agencies to facilitate the sharing of environmental data and information.
We will develop a pilot state-of-the-environment report that will first focus on the Gateway
geographic initiative and the contaminated sediments priority and will use information generated
by the National accountability pilots for the Government Performance and Results Act. Finally,
we will conduct quarterly reviews against the "Agenda for Action" to evaluate progress toward
achieving our goals, and we will evaluate program performance and environmental results
through our partnership commitments with EPA HQ, States, and tribes on a regular basis.
Internal Resource Investment for Change
The most important assets of any organization are its people. Region 5 recognizes that it is the
dedication and efforts of regional employees that have enabled this organization to achieve past
successes and will continue to help meet future challenges. Therefore, Region 5 is committed to
providing an environment that fosters the recruitment, development, and retention of a high-
quality, diverse workforce to support the environmental priorities, principles places and critical
approaches. Several projects have been designed to address these needs and to improve career
development opportunities for all regional employees. Three of these activities were completed
in FY96 through the Region's Human Resources Council (Environmental Leadership
Advancement Profile, Career Development Inventory, and Career Development Policy). Three
other projects (Needs Assessment, Core Curricula-Skills Inventory Database, and Multiple
Career Paths) are underway in FY 97. Region 5 will work closely with the Union to ensure that a
strong partnership is developed on these issues.
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REGION 5 MEDIA PROGRAM DIVISIONS
Waste, Pesticides, and Toxics Division
Superfund Division
Air and Radiation Division
Water Division
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Waste, Pesticides, and Toxics Division
Our mission is to insure the proper management of wastes, pesticides, toxic substances, and
petroleum products by building the capacity of states, tribes, and local governments, industry and
the public. Our primary goals are: 1. Safe homes, schools and workplaces: To ensure that
Region 5 citizens live, learn, and work in safe and healthy environments. This is accomplished
through our asbestos-in-schools, lead-based paint, and pesticide worker protection programs.
2. Toxic-Free communities: Relying on pollution prevention, reuse, and recycling in the way
we produce and consume materials, to ensure that Region 5 citizens live in communities free of
toxic hazards. This is accomplished through our toxic release, pollution prevention, waste
minimization, and solid waste management programs. 3. Safe Waste Management: Wastes
produced and handled by every person in Region 5 will be stored, treated, and disposed of in
ways that prevent harm to people and other living things. This is accomplished through our
underground storage tank, PCB, solid waste and hazardous waste programs, with an emphasis on
combustion facilities. 4. Restoration of Contaminated Sites : Places in Region 5 currently
contaminated by hazardous materials will not endanger public health and the natural environment
and will be restored to uses desired by surrounding communities. We accomplish this through
our hazardous waste, PCB, and leaking underground storage tank corrective action programs.
5. Empowering People with Information and Education and Expanding their Right to Know :
Region 5 citizens will be informed and educated participants in improving environmental quality.
This is accomplished through our information management systems, including the toxic release
inventory and hazardous waste biennial reporting systems. The Waste, Pesticides and Toxics'
programs also contribute to the national goals of clean air, clean waters, healthy terrestrial
ecosystems, safe drinking water, safe food, preventing accidental releases, and reducing global
and regional environmental risks.
Superfund Division
The mission of the Region 5 Superfund Division is to protect public health and the environment
by addressing releases of hazardous substances from abandoned or uncontrolled hazardous waste
sites. The long term goal of the Superfund program is to cleanup all Region 5 sites listed on the
National Priority List (NPL). For FY 97 there are five short term goals: 1. Make significant
progress in addressing NPL sites; 2. Use the Superfund removal authorities to address
emergency and short term clean-ups; 3. Support implementation of the Superfund
Administrative Reforms until such time as the law is reauthorized; 4. Respond to oil spills and
prevent their recurrence; 5. Support State and local emergency response agencies. The
Superfund Administrative Reforms specifically challenge the program to improve in these areas:
make smarter cleanup decisions that protect the public at less cost; increase fairness in the
enforcement process and reduce transaction costs; increase State, tribal, and community
involvement in cleanup decisions; and promote the economic redevelopment of Brownfields
sites. Day-to-day Superfund activities are directly linked to three of the Region's priorities:
Brownfields, reduction of toxicants, and sediments; Superfund also has a very active
environmental justice program.
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Air and Radiation Division
The mission of Region 5's Air and Radiation Division is to insure safe air for our citizens to
breathe, a healthy global atmosphere, and an environment free of undue radiation risk. We have
identified seven environmental goals to guide our efforts: 1. Attain and maintain ambient air
quality standards; 2. Prevent deterioration of the Region's clean air; 3. Reduce air toxicant
emissions to protect public health and to reduce deposition to the Great Lakes; 4. Reduce the
emissions of acid rain precursors; 5. Reduce the emissions of stratospheric ozone depletors; 6.
Reduce the emissions of global climate change precursors; 7. Reduce exposure to indoor air
pollutants. In addition, the following program priorities have been set for FY 97: create with our
State partners a joint effort that blends compliance assistance with aggressive enforcement to
achieve our environmental goals; continue timely State rule and redesignation processing;
maintain a comprehensive and quality assured air monitoring network; begin good State
operating permit programs; fulfill our trust responsibilities to the Region's Native Americans;
consider environmental justice in our day to day activities; carry out a Great Lakes air toxicant-
water quality management plan with emphasis on early control of mercury; promote the EPA's
pollution preventing Green Programs; employ to the fullest the emerging information technology
to achieve our program goals.
Water Division
The Water Division envisions a world that has abundant, safe, and clean water to sustain all
living things - now and in the future. During FY 97, we will focus on these goals: 1. No net
loss of wetlands: To protect these critical resources, we will use tools such as advanced wetlands
identification projects and coordinated wetland enforcement and compliance assistance efforts in
geographic priority areas; 2. Reduce Nonpoint source (NPS) loading of sediments and nutrients
that threaten water quality locally and in the Gulf of Mexico: We will form partnerships, in
particular with the agricultural community, and focus our NPS tools on the Illinois River
watershed; 3. Reduce point-source toxic discharges that threaten water and sediment quality:
We will focus our wastewater enforcement and compliance-technical assistance efforts to
improve pretreatment and combined sewer overflow controls in the Detroit area; 4. Protect
drinking water from nitrate-nitrite and pesticide contamination : We will build State, tribal, and
local capacity, especially in small rural communities, using tools such as the State Revolving
Funds program for drinking water and Clean Water On-Line for information sharing. We will
also promote Wellhead Protection Programs, underground injection Class 5 Well technical
assistance, and State pesticide management plans to prevent source-water contamination;
5. Promote water quality improvement in our lakes and rivers : We will provide technical
assistance to States and tribes toward completion of total maximum daily load lists by 1-1-97 and
adoption of the Great Lakes Water Quality Initiative by each State by 3-23-97.
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Conclusion
We have set a very ambitious "Agenda for Action" for ourselves. Anything less would not be
true to our tradition of being an action based organization. There are many serious problems that
need our attention and the attention of our partners. There is an urgent need to sharpen our focus
and to change our approaches so that we can meet the challenges of the future. To deliver the
quality of life that the people of the Midwest and the entire country want and deserve, we must
get on with the task at hand. Together, we can solve the problems and bring about a sustainable
environment for future generations.
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MISSION
Our mission is to:
W Protect human health and preserve natural resources
W Prevent and abate pollution to improve the environment
W Serve the public with education, innovation, action, and results
W Lead the way in restoring and protecting the Great Lakes and
all Midwestern ecosystems
VALUES
Region 5 aspires to be a Region which respects all people,
personally and professionally, and which demonstrates integrity and
honesty in all of our dealings.We strive to communicate
effectively in our work and to listen to the people we serve,
with a preference for action to solve problems and achieve results.
In doing so, we hope to provide effective leadership and build
strong partnerships with State,Tribal, and local governments
and other Agencies in protecting the environment, and
ensuring a future where air, water, and land resources
are restored and protected to benefit all life.
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