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  "Environmental Indicators  Initiative"
and "Draft Report on the Environment
•>•>
                   "'My goals for the
                   Agency are to make our
                   air cleaner, our water
                  \ purer and our land better
                  \ protected. These are the
                   results that we are
                   working hard to achieve.
                   Our progress towards
                   these goals will be the
measure of our success. To know  whether we
are making progress toward these goals, we
need high quality information about the state of
the environment. It is also important that we
are accountable to the American public and
report to them on our progress in reaching the
goals we have set for ourselves.
      The 'Indicators Initiative ' and "Draft
Report on the Environment' are critical steps in
our more comprehensive approach to
identifying priorities, focusing resources on
areas of greatest concern, and managing our
work to achieve measurable results. "

    — Christine Todd Whitman, November, 2001
                                    "Indicators" Initiative Launched
                                    On November 13, 2001, EPA Administrator
                                    Christine Todd Whitman announced an
                                    "Environmental Indicators Initiative" to
                                    improve EPA's ability to report on the status of
                                    and trends in environmental conditions and
                                    their impacts on human health and the nation's
                                    natural resources. The Administrator directed
                                    the Office of Environmental Information (OEI)
                                    and the Office of Research and Development
                                    (ORD) to lead this multi-year, Agency-wide
                                    Initiative.

                                    "Draft Report on the Environment"
                                    Developing and publishing a "Draft Report on
                                    the Environment," using available national
                                    level data and indicators to describe
                                    environmental conditions and human health
                                    concerns will be  one of the key products of this
                                    effort. A "Draft Report" will be released
                                    during Spring 2003 for broad public
                                    discussion. It will:
                                    •      describe current environmental
                                          conditions and trends using existing
                                          data and indicators
                                    •      identify data gaps and research needs
                                    •      discuss the challenges government and
                                          our partners face in filling those gaps
                                          and
                                          be accompanied by supporting technical
                                          information.

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Five "theme areas" will be covered in the "Draft For further information, please visit our web
Report":  cleaner air; purer water; better       site at: www.epa.gov/indicators. If you would
protected land; human health; and, ecological   like to be notified when the "Draft Report"
condition.  To establish a national baseline for   becomes publicly available, go to the
 "cleaner air, " the "Draft Report" will address   comments section of our web site and add your
the status and effects of outdoor air quality and   name to our "Indicators" mailing list.
indoor air quality.  The  "purer water" theme
will examine the condition of the nation's water
resources, drinking water, recreational water,
and the condition of waters supporting fish and   For further information, please contact:
shellfish.  To ensure "better protected land" the  Dawn Banks-Waller
"Draft Report" will explore land use and effects  US EPA
on the environment, chemicals used or released   Office of Environmental Information
on land, wastes, and land contamination. Under  202/566-0625 banks-waller.dawn(q),epa.gov
 "human health" the "Draft Report" will explore or
human health and disease trends in the United   Michelle A. Hiller
States, the role of the environment in disease,    US EPA
and how exposure to environmental pollutants is Office of Congressional and Intergovernmental
measured.  The theme about the nation's        Relations
 "ecological condition" will present information  202/564-3702 killer.michelle(q),epa.gov
on ecosystems and work towards the
development of ecological indicators. The
"Draft Report" will also include specific
information on cropping practices, waste
management, emergency response and
preparedness, and recycling.

Working with Our Partners and
Stakeholders Is Key to Our Success
Through our outreach efforts, EPA is inviting
governmental entities, non-governmental
organizations, and the public to be our partners
in the longer- term "Environmental Indicators
Initiative." Data from other federal agencies
and departments, EPA regional offices, state
and local governments, tribes, and other
partners will be vital to sustaining a long-term
effort to improve the way we develop indicators
that can help us measure and report on
environmental conditions and the results we
achieve.
                                                                 Publication no. 260-F-02-005
                                                                 June 23, 2003

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