Administrator
500-Day Plan
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Major Milestones of the First 200 Days
The Administrator's 500-Day Plan provides a time table for short-term actions to improve the quality of our air,
water and land over the long term. Several important milestones were reached during the first 200 days:
Overview
Nation's most protective ground-level ozone
standards being implemented
Proposed Clean Air Interstate Rule signed
First-ever proposed mercury rule signed
Signed Clean Air Nonroad Diesel
Rule
240 Clean School Bus Grants awarded
Initiated a new national goal to increase
wetlands acreage
$75 million awarded in Brownfields
revitalization grants
Inventoried and analyzed successful
collaborative efforts
Led U.S. Earth Observation Summit
Delegation in Japan
Participated in 20 bilateral meetings with
international environmental ministers
Initiated the Great Lakes Regional
Collaboration
Achieved highest rating for Financial
Performance
f 1 ] Applied the most protective ground-level ozone standards in our
nation's history. In total, 474 counties or partial counties
nationwide were designated in non-attainment for the 8-hour ozone
standard. Other Agency actions such as the Clean Air Interstate
Rule provide national tools for the vast majority of counties to come
into attainment during the next decade.
( 2 JSigned the proposed Clean Air Interstate Rule which will
dramatically reduce power plant emissions in the country. The
rule proposes a model cap-and-trade approach in 29 eastern states
and the District of Columbia to reduce nitrogen oxide emissions by
65 percent below current levels by 2015 and sulfur dioxide emissions
by 70 percent below current levels when fully implemented. EPA
continues to analyze this proposed rule and is on track to finalize
before the end of the year.
f 3 JSigned the nation's first-ever proposed rule to regulate mercury
from coal-burning power plants. The proposed Clean Air Mercury
Rule applies market forces to cut mercury emissions by nearly 70%
when fully implemented. EPA continues to analyze this proposed
rule and is on track to finalize in Spring 2005.
f 4 J Finished the last step in America's Clean Diesel Suite by signing
the Clean Air Nonroad Diesel Rule. A generation from now it will
be rare to see that black puff of diesel smoke coming from a truck,
train, tugboat, bull dozer, tractor, school bus, or generator. Just like
we took the lead out of gasoline, we are removing 99% of the sulfur
from diesel so Americans will live longer, healthier and more
productive lives.
( 5 jAwarded grants to retrofit over 240 school buses under the
Clean School Bus USA program. These school buses will have
state-of-the-art emission control systems to reduce air pollution and
protect children's health. President Bush has proposed $65 million
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Increasing the velocity of environmental progress by implementing "a better way"
for FY 2005 to accelerate our efforts to
replace or retrofit every school bus in the
nation.
6 j Helped implement a new national goal to
achieve an overall increase of wetlands
each year. The Bush Administration has
moved beyond a policy of no net loss of
wetlands and will now restore, improve and
protect at least three million additional acres
of wetlands over the next five years.
f 7 j Restored life to communities with the
largest round ever of Brownf ields
revitalization grants. Communities in 42
states and Puerto Rico will benefit from more
than $75 million to help revitalize abandoned
and polluted industrial and commercial sites.
The renewal of these blighted properties will
return life to neighborhoods and provide jobs
for thousands of people.
f 8 J Inventoried and analyzed successful
collaborations involving EPA. EPA's
Innovation Action Council and a network of
staff experts prepared a discussion paper to
show how collaborative problem solving can
be used to accelerate environmental progress
throughout the Agency.
f 9 j Led the U.S. delegation to the Earth
Observation Summit in Japan and signed
the Framework Document for the 10-Year
Implementation Plan. The U.S., along with
46 international partners, will track, predict
and address pervasive threats facing the
health of the planet and humankind through a
Global Earth Observation System-of-Systems
(GEOSS).
( 10 j Met with 75 senior international
environmental officials, including 20
environmental ministers, and participated
in 20 bilateral meetings. Administrator
Leavitt represented the U.S. in Paris at the
Organization of Economic Cooperation and
Development's Environmental Ministerial and
in Tokyo at the Earth Observation Summit.
Sustainability efforts and GEOSS will remain
an ongoing focus in coming months.
f 11 jlnitiated the Great Lakes Regional
Collaboration of National Significance to
develop a collaborative strategy to protect
the Great Lakes. Administrator Leavitt is
implementing President Bush's Executive
Order to work with states, local
governments, federal agencies, tribal
nations, Canadian governments and other
important stakeholders to protect this
national treasure. The Administrator has
met with governors, local officials and
stakeholders to learn what is necessary to
organize a voluntary effort to clean up the
Great Lakes. A conveners' meeting is being
organized for late summer.
12 jAchieved the highest scorecard rating
(green status) for the Financial
Performance initiative of the President's
Management Agenda. Green status
signifies that all the standards of success
have been met. EPA is one of only four of
the 26 major federal departments and
agencies to achieve green status. EPA's
next focus will be on improving the
E-government scorecard rating.
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