United States
Environmental Protection Agency
FISCAL YEAR 2021
Justification of Appropriation
Estimates for the Committee
on Appropriations
Tab 07: Hazardous Substance Superfund
February 2020
EPA-190-S-20-001	www.epa.gov/ocfo

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Environmental Protection Agency
FY 2021 Annual Performance Plan and Congressional Justification
Table of Contents - Superfund
Program Projects in Superfund	439
Indoor Air and Radiation	442
Radiation: Protection	443
Audits, Evaluations, and Investigations	445
Audits, Evaluations, and Investigations	446
Compliance	452
Compliance Monitoring	453
Enforcement	455
Criminal Enforcement	456
Environmental Justice	458
Forensics Support	460
Superfund: Enforcement	462
Superfund: Federal Facilities Enforcement	465
Homeland Security	467
Homeland Security: Preparedness, Response, and Recovery	468
Homeland Security: Protection of EPA Personnel and Infrastructure	471
Information Exchange / Outreach	473
Exchange Network	474
IT/ Data Management/ Security	477
Information Security	478
IT / Data Management	481
Legal / Science / Regulatory / Economic Review	484
Alternative Dispute Resolution	485
Legal Advice: Environmental Program	486
Operations and Administration	488
Acquisition Management	489
Central Planning, Budgeting, and Finance	492
Facilities Infrastructure and Operations	495
Financial Assistance Grants / IAG Management	498
Human Resources Management	500
437

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Research: Sustainable Communities	503
Research: Sustainable and Healthy Communities	504
Research: Chemical Safety and Sustainability	508
Health and Environmental Risk Assessment	509
Superfund Cleanup	513
Superfund: Emergency Response and Removal	514
Superfund: EPA Emergency Preparedness	517
Superfund: Federal Facilities	519
Superfund: Remedial	522
Superfund Special Accounts	526
Superfund Special Accounts	527
438

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Environmental Protection Agency
FY 2021 Annual Performance Plan and Congressional Justification
APPROPRIATION: Hazardous Substance Superfund
Resource Summary Table

(Dollars in Thousands)

FY 2019
Actuals
Estimated
FY 2020
Enacted
FY 2021
Pres Budget
FY 2021 Pres
Budget v.
Estimated FY 2020
Enacted
Hazardous Substance Superfund




Budget Authority
$1,209,683.4
$1,184,755.0
$1,078,611.0
-$106,144.0
Total Workyears
2,519.4
2,636.5
2,593.6
-42.9
*For ease of comparison, Superfund transfer resources for the audit and research functions are shown in the Superfund account.
Bill Language: Hazardous Substance Superfund
For necessary expenses to carry out the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation,
and Liability Act of 1980 (CERCLA), including sections 111(c)(3), (c)(5), (c)(6), and (e)(4) (42
U.S.C. 9611), and hire, maintenance, and operation of aircraft, $1,078,611,000, to remain
available until expended, consisting of such sums as are available in the Trust Fund on September
30, 2020, as authorized by section 517(a) of the Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization Act
of 1986 (SARA) and up to $1,078,611,000 as a payment from general revenues to the Hazardous
Substance Superfundfor purposes as authorized by section 517(b) of SARA: Provided, That funds
appropriated under this heading may be allocated to other Federal agencies in accordance with
section 111(a) of CERCLA: Providedfurther, That of the funds appropriated under this heading,
$9,747,000 shall be paid to the "Office of Inspector General" appropriation to remain available
until September 30, 2022, and $19,075,000 shall be paid to the "Science and Technology"
appropriation to remain available until September 30, 2022.
Program Projects in Superfund

[Dollars in Thousands)
Program Project
FY 2019
Actuals
Estimated
FY 2020
Enacted
FY 2021 Pres
Budget
FY 2021 Pres
Budget v.
Estimated FY 2020
Enacted
Indoor Air and Radiation




Radiation: Protection
$1,768.6
$1,985.0
$2,122.0
$137.0
Audits, Evaluations, and Investigations




Audits, Evaluations, and Investigations
$8,875.9
$11,586.0
$9,747.0
-$1,839.0
Compliance




Compliance Monitoring
$1,313.8
$995.0
$1,004.0
$9.0
Enforcement




439

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Program Project
FY 2019
Actuals
Estimated
FY 2020
Enacted
FY 2021 Pres
Budget
FY 2021 Pres
Budget v.
Estimated FY 2020
Enacted
Criminal Enforcement
$7,492.9
$7,645.0
$8,479.0
$834.0
Environmental Justice
$662.2
$633.0
$0.0
-$633.0
Forensics Support
$1,402.3
$1,145.0
$1,312.0
$167.0
Superfiind: Enforcement
$135,626.7
$152,591.0
$162,504.0
$9,913.0
Superfond: Federal Facilities Enforcement
$6,046.9
$6,361.0
$7,330.0
$969.0
Subtotal, Enforcement
$151,231.0
$168,375.0
$179,625.0
$11,250.0
Flomeland Security




Flomeland Security: Preparedness, Response, and
Recovery
$31,526.7
$31,599.0
$33,454.0
$1,855.0
Flomeland Security: Protection of EPA Personnel
and Infrastructure
$979.3
$1,017.0
$915.0
-$102.0
Subtotal, Flomeland Security
$32,506.0
$32,616.0
$34,369.0
$1,753.0
Information Exchange / Outreach




Exchange Network
$1,424.8
$1,328.0
$1,293.0
-$35.0
IT / Data Management / Security




Information Security
$598.9
$693.0
$5,082.0
$4,389.0
IT / Data Management
$13,755.5
$13,792.0
$13,874.0
$82.0
Subtotal, IT / Data Management / Security
$14,354.4
$14,485.0
$18,956.0
$4,471.0
Legal / Science / Regulatory / Economic Review




Alternative Dispute Resolution
$573.3
$710.0
$0.0
-$710.0
Legal Advice: Environmental Program
$515.0
$543.0
$608.0
$65.0
Subtotal, Legal / Science / Regulatory / Economic
Review
$1,088.3
$1,253.0
$608.0
-$645.0
Operations and Administration




Central Planning, Budgeting, and Finance
$23,772.7
$21,971.0
$22,462.0
$491.0
Facilities Infrastructure and Operations
$82,243.2
$76,473.0
$76,831.0
$358.0
Acquisition Management
$18,593.2
$20,533.0
$22,982.0
$2,449.0
Human Resources Management
$6,163.7
$6,548.0
$5,704.0
-$844.0
Financial Assistance Grants / IAG Management
$2,517.7
$2,580.0
$2,903.0
$323.0
Subtotal, Operations and Administration
$133,290.5
$128,105.0
$130,882.0
$2,777.0
Research: Sustainable Communities




Research: Sustainable and Healthy Communities
$11,004.7
$16,463.0
$11,448.0
-$5,015.0
Research: Chemical Safety for Sustainability




Health and Environmental Risk Assessment
$2,864.9
$12,824.0
$6,159.0
-$6,665.0
440

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Program Project
FY 2019
Actuals
Estimated
FY 2020
Enacted
FY 2021 Pres
Budget
FY 2021 Pres
Budget v.
Estimated FY 2020
Enacted
Superfund Cleanup




Superfund: Emergency Response and Removal
$215,077.1
$189,306.0
$170,748.0
-$18,558.0
Superfund: EPA Emergency Preparedness
$7,679.9
$7,636.0
$7,700.0
$64.0
Superfund: Federal Facilities
$22,544.5
$21,125.0
$21,621.0
$496.0
Superfund: Remedial
$604,659.0
$576,673.0
$482,329.0
-$94,344.0
Subtotal, Superfund Cleanup
$849,960.5
$794,740.0
$682,398.0
-$112,342.0
TOTAL Superfund
$1,209,683.4
$1,184,755.0
$1,078,611.0
-$106,144.0
*For ease of comparison, Superfund transfer resources for the audit and research functions are shown in the Superfund account.
441

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Indoor Air and Radiation
442

-------
Radiation: Protection
Program Area: Indoor Air and Radiation
Goal: A Cleaner, Healthier Environment
Objective(s): Improve Air Quality

(Dollars in Thousands)

FY 2019
Actuals
Estimated
FY 2020
Enacted
FY 2021 Pres
Budget
FY 2021 Pres
Budget v.
Estimated FY 2020
Enacted
Environmental Programs & Management
$10,880.5
$7,992.0
$2,470.0
-$5,522.0
Science &. Technology
$2,794.7
$1,781.0
$1,047.0
-$734.0
Utizurtlims Substance Siiperjuml
SI. -(>$.(>
Sl.vtixtt
S 2,122.1)
SIJ~.lt
Total Budget Authority
$15,443.8
$11,758.0
$5,639.0
-$6,119.0
Total Workyears
57.4
53.8
25.0
-28.8
Program Project Description:
This program addresses potential radiation risks that may be found at Superfund and hazardous
waste sites. Through this program, EPA ensures that Superfund site cleanup activities reduce
and/or mitigate the health and environmental risk of radiation to include support of removal actions
as needed.
FY 2021 Activities and Performance Plan:
Work in this program directly supports Goal 1/Objective 1.1, Improve Air Quality in the
FY 2018-2022 EPA Strategic Plan. In FY 2021, EPA's National Analytical Radiation
Environmental Laboratory in Montgomery, Alabama, and National Center for Radiation Field
Operations in Las Vegas, Nevada, will continue to provide analytical and field support to manage
and mitigate radioactive releases and exposures. These two organizations provide analytical and
technical support for the characterization and cleanup of Superfund and Federal Facility sites.
More specifically, these organizations focus on providing high-quality data to support Agency
decisions at sites across the country. They also develop guidance for cleaning up Superfund and
other sites that are contaminated with radioactive materials.
Performance Measure Targets:
EPA's FY 2021 Annual Performance Plan does not include annual performance goals specific to
this program.
FY 2021 Change from Estimated FY 2020 Enacted Budget (Dollars in Thousands):
• (+$112.0) This change is an increase due to the recalculation of base payroll costs.
443

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•	(-$26.0) This change to fixed and other costs is a reduction due to the recalculation of lab
utilities.
•	(+$51.0) This program change is an increase to radiation analytical and technical support.
Statutory Authority:
Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA).
444

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Audits, Evaluations, and Investigations
445

-------
Audits, Evaluations, and Investigations
Program Area: Audits, Evaluations, and Investigations
Goal: Greater Certainty, Compliance, and Effectiveness
Objective(s): Improve Efficiency and Effectiveness

(Dollars in Thousands)

FY 2019
Actuals
Estimated
FY 2020
Enacted
FY 2021 Pres
Budget
FY 2021 Pres
Budget v.
Estimated FY 2020
Enacted
Inspector General
$39,929.8
$41,489.0
$39,825.0
-$1,664.0
Hazardous Substance Sn/>i'r/niitl
SiS'.iS'')
SH.tM.O
S V, ~-l~.ll
-S1.S3V.0
Total Budget Authority
$48,805.7
$53,075.0
$49,572.0
-$3,503.0
Total Workyears
268.7
270.0
242.0
-28.0
Program Project Description:
EPA's Office of Inspector General (OIG) is an independent office of the U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency, created by the Inspector General Act of 1978, as amended. In support of that
independence, Congress provides the OIG with a separate appropriation, within the Agency's
budget. The vision of the OIG is to be a premier oversight organization trusted to speak the truth,
promote good governance, and contribute to improved human health and the environment. This
vision is met through the mission of the OIG. The OIG conducts and supervises independent audits,
evaluations, and investigations while reviewing existing and proposed legislation and regulations
relating to the programs and operations of the Agency; provides leadership and coordination;
makes evidence-based policy recommendations for activities designed to promote economy,
efficiency and effectiveness; and works to prevent and detect waste, fraud, and abuse in Agency,
grantee, and contractor operations of the Agency's Superfund Program.
The OIG activities add value and enhance public trust and safety by keeping the head of the
Agency and Congress fully and immediately informed about problems and deficiencies, and the
necessity for and progress of corrective actions. The OIG activities also prevent and detect fraud
in EPA's programs and operations, including financial fraud, laboratory fraud, and cybercrime.
The OIG consistently provides a significant positive return on investment to the public in the form
of recommendations for improvements in the delivery of EPA's mission, reduction in operational
and environmental risks, costs savings and recoveries, and improvements in program efficiencies
and integrity.1 The audit, and inspection and investigative services programs are directly supported
through the OIG's management and administrative functions of information technology, human
resources, human capital, budget, planning and performance, legal advice and counseling, report
publishing and communications, and congressional outreach. EPA's OIG plans its work with a
focus on identifying and influencing resolution of the Agency's major management challenges in
support of the Agency's strategic goals and objectives in the FY 2018 - 2022 EPA Strategic Plan.
1 For more information, please refer to: https://www.epa.gov/office-inspector-general/epa-oig-organization-profile.
446

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FY 2021 Activities and Performance Plan:
Work in this program directly supports Goal 3/Objective 3.5, Improve Efficiency and
Effectiveness in the FY 2018 - 2022 EPA Strategic Plan. The activities of the OIG are supported
through the core value to be the best in public service through customer service, integrity, and
accountability. The summary of this value is to contribute to improved EPA Superfund programs
and operations protecting human health and the environment, and enhancing safety; conduct
audits, evaluations, and investigations that enable EPA to improve business practices and
accountability to meet stakeholders' needs. The OIG assists the Agency in its efforts to develop
and enforce regulations that implement environmental laws by making recommendations to
improve program operations; save taxpayer dollars; reduce the potential for fraud, waste, and
abuse; respond to cybercrimes; and resolve previously identified major management challenges
and internal control weaknesses resulting in cleaner air, land, and water, and ensured chemical
safety for America. In FY 2021, the OIG will target initiatives supporting EPA's six National
Compliance Initiatives; increase its agility to assess emerging environmental threats; increase its
use of data analytics, business analytics, and business intelligence to better target resources to
address high risk, high vulnerability areas of interest; employ best practices in support of
improving efficiency, effectiveness, accountability, and monetary benefits; focus on measurable
impact and increase its return on investment to the American public regarding issues related to the
Superfund Program.
The OIG carries out its statutory mission by conducting many types of audits, evaluations, and
investigations for both EPA and the U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board (CSB).
Plans are implemented through audits, evaluations, investigations, inspections, and follow-up
reviews in compliance with the Inspector General Act (as amended), the Generally Accepted
Government Accounting Standards, and the Council of Inspectors General on Integrity and
Efficiency's Quality Standards for Federal Offices of Inspector General.
The OIG conducts the following types of assignments focused on efficiency and program
operations: program performance, including a focus on the award and administration of grants
and contracts; statutorily mandated audits; financial reviews of grantees and contractors; and
information resources management. In addition, program performance audits, evaluations, and
inspections will be conducted in the areas of EPA's mission objectives for improving and
protecting the environment and public health, including: air; water; land cleanup and waste
management; toxics, chemical management, and pollution prevention; and environmental research
programs via reviews of Superfund and other land issues.
The investigative mission of the OIG continues to evolve in conducting criminal, civil, and
administrative investigations into fraud and serious misconduct within EPA's Superfund Program
and operations that undermine the organization's integrity and public trust or create an imminent
risk or danger. The OIG investigations are coordinated with the Department of Justice and other
federal, state, and local law enforcement entities. These investigations often lead to successful
prosecution and civil judgments wherein there is a recovery and repayment of financial losses.
Major areas of investigative focus include: financial fraud, program integrity, threats to the
Agency's resources, employee integrity, cyber-crimes, and theft of intellectual or sensitive data.
447

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EPA's OIG continues to balance its workload with the capacity of a reduced workforce, while
meeting statutorily-mandated requirements and delivering a strong return on investment. Based on
prior work, Agency challenges, cross-agency risk assessment, future priorities, and extensive
stakeholder input, the OIG will focus its resources on efforts in the following areas of concentration
during FY 2021:
Audits and Evaluations
The OIG audits and program evaluations and inspections related to Superfund will identify
program and management risks and determine if EPA is efficiently and effectively reducing human
health risks; taking effective enforcement actions; cleaning up hazardous waste; managing waste;
restoring previously polluted sites to appropriate uses; and ensuring long-term stewardship of those
sites. The OIG assignments will include: assessing the adequacy of internal controls in EPA (and
its grantees and contractors) to protect resources and achieve program results; project management
to ensure that EPA (and its grantees and contractors) have clear plans and accountability for
performance progress; enforcement to evaluate whether there is consistent, adequate, and
appropriate application of the laws and regulations across jurisdictions with coordination between
federal, state, and local law enforcement activities; and grants and contracts to verify that such
awards are made based upon uniform risk assessment, and that grantees and contractors perform
with integrity.
Prior audits and evaluations of the Superfund Program have identified numerous barriers to
implementing effective resource management and program improvements. Therefore, the OIG will
concentrate its resources on efforts in the following assignment areas:
•	Superfund's human health and environmental indicators (Human Health Exposure Under
Control and Groundwater Migration Under Control) and its key measure (Sites Ready for
Anticipated Use) and optimization of remedies
•	EPA's progress in ensuring private party Superfund liabilities are adequately covered by
sufficient financial assurance mechanisms
•	EPA Progress Implementing Recommendations for Superfund Improvement in the 2017
Superfund Task Force Report
•	Superfund portion of EPA's financial statement and Federal Information Security
Modernization Act (FISMA) audits to include sampling, monitoring, communication, and
opportunities for cleanup efficiencies
•	Oversight of Superfund remedial activities under state contracts and assistance agreements
•	Assess the effectiveness of actions taken as a result of the 2017 Superfund Task Force
Report
•	The OIG also will evaluate ways to minimize fraud, waste, and abuse, with emphasis on
identifying opportunities for cost savings and reducing risk of resource loss, while
maximizing results achieved from Superfund contracts and assistance agreements
448

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Investigations
The Inspector General Act identifies the Assistant Inspector General for Investigations as
responsible for developing and implementing an investigative program that furthers OIG
objectives. The OIG's Office of Investigations (01) conducts independent investigations to detect
and prevent fraud, waste, and abuse, while protecting the integrity of EPA's Superfund Program.
Investigations focus on allegations of criminal activity and serious misconduct in EPA Superfund
programs and operations. The OIG's investigative process is mostly reactive, and the 01 performs
its proactive work strategically as opportunities and resources allow. Due to the reactive nature of
the 01's work, investigations are opened in accordance with priorities set forth in the OIG Strategic
Plan for FY 2018 -2022 and in consideration of prosecutorial guidelines established by U.S.
Attorneys. OIG investigations are governed by the Attorney General Guidelines for Offices of
Inspector General with Statutory Law Enforcement Authority and by the Council of the Inspectors
General on Integrity and Efficiency's Quality Standards for Investigations, as well as other federal
statutes and regulations.
The investigative mission of the OIG continues to evolve in conducting criminal, civil, and
administrative investigations into fraud and serious misconduct within EPA Superfund programs
and operations that undermine the organization's integrity and public trust or create an imminent
risk or danger. Special Agents within the 01 are duly appointed federal criminal investigators and
have statutory authority to carry firearms, make arrests, execute search and seizure warrants, and
perform other law enforcement duties. Special Agents have been trained as armed law enforcement
first responders and are responders in the event of an active shooter or terrorist attack impacting
EPA and CSB facilities. The 01 often collaborates with other law enforcement entities and external
stakeholders to enhance the effectiveness of its work. The OIG investigations are coordinated with
the Department of Justice and other federal, state, and local law enforcement entities for criminal
and civil litigation or with EPA management for administrative action. Investigative efforts often
lead to successful criminal convictions, administrative sanctions, civil monetary penalties and
judgments wherein there is a recovery and repayment of financial losses. Additionally, during and
at the conclusion of investigations, the 01 works with the Suspension and Debarment Office within
EPA, "whose actions protect the government from doing business with entities that pose a business
risk to the government."
The OIG plays a critical oversight role helping to ensure that EPA and CSB funds are properly
expended and not subject to fraud, waste, or abuse. Investigative focus in this oversight include:
1) fraudulent practices in awarding, performing, and paying Superfund contracts, grants, or other
assistance agreements; 2) program fraud or other acts that undermine the integrity of, or confidence
in the Superfund Program and create imminent environmental risks; 3) laboratory fraud relating to
data, and false claims, or erroneous laboratory results that undermine the basis for decision-
making, regulatory compliance, or enforcement actions in the Superfund Program; 4) violent or
criminal threats directed against Superfund Program employees or facilities; 5) criminal conduct
or serious administrative misconduct by EPA employees involved in the Superfund Program; and
6) intrusions into and attacks against EPA's network supporting Superfund Program data, as well
as incidents of computer misuse and theft of intellectual property or sensitive/proprietary
Superfund data. Special attention will be directed towards identifying the tactics, techniques, and
449

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procedures being utilized by cyber criminals to reduce vulnerabilities and infractions, enhance
collective defense efforts, and adapt to the evolving sophistication of the cyber threat landscape.
Finally, the 01 often makes observations or "lessons learned" for EPA's management reduce the
Agency's vulnerability to criminal activity in the Superfund Program. The results of 01's
investigations are published and can serve as a deterrent to future misconduct. In addition, the 01's
investigations provide measurable results wherein recovery and restitution of financial losses are
achieved, and administrative actions are taken to prevent those involved from further participation
in any Superfund Program or operation.
The Office of Investigations is proposing to realign its Field Operations Directorate by reducing
the number of field offices from four to three and realigning the offices that are currently under
the purview of the Chicago, Illinois field office to the Atlanta, Georgia and Washington, DC field
offices. The employees in the Chicago office will report to the Washington field office and the
employees in the Dallas and Kansas City offices, who currently report to the Chicago office, will
report to the Atlanta office. Thus, none of the offices will be closed, and each of the three field
offices will continue to have a GS-14 supervisor, a GS-15 supervisor, and a team of Special
Agents. Once fully implemented and operational, this realignment will improve the efficiency,
effectiveness and consistency of 01's operations by allowing the Field Operations Directorate to
better oversee its field operations and investigations. The realignment will move 01 towards an
appropriate manager-to-staff ratio.
Follow-up and Policy/Regulatory Analysis
To further promote economy, efficiency, and effectiveness, the OIG will conduct follow-up
reviews of Agency responsiveness to the OIG's recommendations for the Superfund Program to
determine if appropriate actions have been taken and intended improvements have been achieved.
This process will serve as a means for keeping Congress and EPA leadership apprised of
accomplishments and opportunities for needed corrective actions and facilitate greater
accountability for results from the OIG operations.
Additionally, as directed by the IG Act (as amended), the OIG also conducts reviews and analysis
of proposed and existing policies, rules, regulations and legislation pertaining to the Superfund
Program to identify vulnerability to waste, fraud and abuse. These reviews also consider possible
duplication, gaps or conflicts with existing authority, leading to recommendations for
improvements in their structure, content and application.
Performance Measure Targets:
EPA's FY 2021 Annual Performance Plan does not include annual performance goals specific to
this program.
FY 2021 Change from Estimated FY 2020 Enacted Budget (Dollars in Thousands):
• (+$314.0) This change is an increase due to the recalculation of base payroll costs.
450

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•	(-$2,153.0 / -1.9 FTE) This net program change is a decrease to address costs associated
with the reduction in FTEs and other nonpay changes for all activities across the Office of
the Inspector General.
Statutory Authority:
Inspector General Act of 1978; Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and
Liability Act (CERCLA) § 11 l(k).
Inspector General Reform Act:
The following information is provided pursuant to the requirements of the Inspector General
Reform Act:
•	The aggregate budget request from the Inspector General for the operations of the OIG is
$59.3 million ($48.6 million Inspector General; $10.7 million Superfund Transfer)
•	The aggregate President's Budget for the operations of the OIG is $49.6 million ($39.8
million Inspector General; $9.8 million Superfund Transfer)
•	The portion of the aggregate President's Budget needed for training is $500 thousand ($410
thousand Inspector General; $90 thousand Superfund Transfer)
•	The portion of the aggregate President's Budget needed to support the Council of the
Inspectors General on Integrity and Efficiency is $122 thousand ($100 thousand Inspector
General; $22 thousand Superfund Transfer)
"I certify as the Inspector General of the Environmental Protection Agency that the amount I have
requested for training satisfies all OIG training needs for FY 2021."
451

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Compliance
452

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Compliance Monitoring
Program Area: Compliance
Goal: More Effective Partnerships
Objective(s): Enhance Shared Accountability

(Dollars in Thousands)

FY 2019
Actuals
Estimated
FY 2020
Enacted
FY 2021 Pres
Budget
FY 2021 Pres
Budget v.
Estimated FY 2020
Enacted
Environmental Programs & Management
$100,132.8
$101,665.0
$95,649.0
-$6,016.0
Inland Oil Spill Programs
$82.8
$139.0
$0.0
-$139.0
Utizurtlims Substance Siiperjuml

,SW.tf
S 1,00-1.0
S'J.O
Total Budget Authority
$101,529.4
$102,799.0
$96,653.0
-$6,146.0
Total Workyears
447.1
453.9
427.7
-26.2
Program Project Description:
The Compliance Monitoring Program is a key component of EPA's Compliance Assurance
Program that allows the controlling regulatory authority to detect noncompliance. The Program
also promotes compliance with the Nation's environmental laws. The states and EPA use
compliance monitoring tools and activities to identify whether regulated entities are in compliance
with environmental laws enacted by Congress, as well as applicable regulations and permit
conditions. In addition, compliance monitoring activities, such as investigations, are conducted to
determine whether conditions exist that may present imminent and substantial endangerment to
human health and the environment. The Program also focuses on providing information and
system support for monitoring compliance with Superfund-related environmental regulations and
contaminated site cleanup agreements. The Agency also ensures the security and integrity of its
compliance information systems. Superfund-related enforcement activities are tracked in the
Agency's Integrated Compliance Information System. Electronic tracking of its Superfund
enforcement work allows EPA to better ensure that its enforcement resources are going to address
the most significant concerns and facilitates transparency.
FY 2021 Activities and Performance Plan:
Work in this program directly supports Goal 2/Objective 2.1, Enhance Shared Accountability in
the FY 2018 - 2022 EPA Strategic Plan. In FY 2021, EPA will support a variety of tools and
activities for states and EPA to identify the compliance status of regulated entities with
environmental laws enacted by Congress.
453

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Performance Measure Targets:
(PM 409) Number of federal on-site compliance monitoring inspections and evaluations and off-site compliance
monitoring activities.

FY 2014
FY 2015
FY 2016
FY 2017
FY 2018
FY 2019
FY 2020
FY 2021
Units
Target
17,000
15,500
15,500
14,000
10,000
10,000
10,000
10,000
Inspections &
Evaluations
Actual
16,000
15,400
13,500
11,800
10,600
10,300


FY 2021 Change from Estimated FY 2020 Enacted Budget (Dollars in Thousands):
•	(+$87.0) This change is an increase due to the recalculation of base payroll costs.
•	(-$78.0) This net program change reflects adjustments to funding associated with system
support.
Statutory Authority:
Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA);
Reorganization Plan No. 3 of 1970, 84 Stat. 2086, as amended by Pub. L. 98-80, 97 Stat. 485
(codified at Title 5, App.).
454

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Enforcement
455

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Criminal Enforcement
Program Area: Enforcement
Goal: Greater Certainty, Compliance, and Effectiveness
Objective(s): Compliance with the Law

(Dollars in Thousands)

FY 2019
Actuals
Estimated
FY 2020
Enacted
FY 2021 Pres
Budget
FY 2021 Pres
Budget v.
Estimated FY 2020
Enacted
Environmental Programs & Management
$46,342.0
$47,635.0
$46,627.0
-$1,008.0
Hazardous Substance Sn/>i'r/niitl
S 'J
S
S S.-I'V.O
SSJ-I.O
Total Budget Authority
$53,834.9
$55,280.0
$55,106.0
-$174.0
Total Workyears
234.6
256.7
220.6
-36.1
Program Project Description:
The Criminal Enforcement Program investigates and helps prosecute criminal violations of the
Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) and
associated violations of Title 18 of the United States Code such as fraud, conspiracy, false
statements, and obstruction of justice. EPA's criminal enforcement agents (Special Agents) do this
through targeted investigation of criminal conduct, committed by individual and corporate
defendants, that threatens public health and the environment.
Within the Criminal Enforcement Program, forensic scientists, attorneys, technicians, engineers,
and other program experts assist Special Agents in their investigations. EPA's criminal
enforcement attorneys provide legal and policy support for all the Program's responsibilities,
including forensics and expert witness preparation, information law, and personnel law to ensure
that program activities are carried out in accordance with legal requirements and agency policies.
These efforts support environmental crimes prosecutions primarily by the United States Attorneys
and the Department of Justice's Environmental Crimes Section. In FY 2019, the conviction rate
for criminal defendants charged as a result of EPA criminal enforcement investigations was 98
percent.
FY 2021 Activities and Performance Plan:
Work in this program directly supports Goal 3/Objective 3.1, Compliance with the Law in the
FY 2018 - 2022 EPA Strategic Plan. In FY 2021, EPA will continue to streamline its Criminal
Enforcement Program and enforce environmental laws to correct noncompliance and promote
cleanup of contaminated sites. The Agency will perform targeted investigations of violations of
environmental statutes and associated violations of Title 18 of the United States Code to protect
public health and the environment. The Program will focus its resources on the most egregious
cases (e.g., significant human health, environmental, and deterrent impacts), while balancing its
overall case load.
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Performance Measure Targets:
EPA's FY 2021 Annual Performance Plan does not include annual performance goals specific to
this program.
FY 2021 Change from Estimated FY 2020 Enacted Budget (Dollars in Thousands):
•	(+$347.0) This change is an increase due to the recalculation of base payroll costs.
•	(+$487.0) This net program change reflects a focus on the most egregious cases and
provides additional support for the Agency's investigations of environmental crimes.
Statutory Authority:
Title 18 of the U.S.C.; 18 U.S.C. § 3063; Reorganization Plan No. 3 of 1970, 84 Stat. 2086, as
amended by Pub. L. 98-80, 97 Stat. 485 (codified at Title 5, App.) (EPA's organic statute);
Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA).
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Environmental Justice
Program Area: Enforcement
Goal: More Effective Partnerships
Objective(s): Increase Transparency and Public Participation

[Dollars in Thousands)

FY 2019
Actuals
Estimated
FY 2020
Enacted
FY 2021 Pres
Budget
FY 2021 Pres
Budget v.
Estimated FY 2020
Enacted
Environmental Programs &. Management
$5,033.5
$9,554.0
$2,729.0
-$6,825.0
Hazardous Substance Sn/>i'r/niitl
$662.2
SOJJ.O
sn.n
-SfiJJ.O
Total Budget Authority
$5,695.7
$10,187.0
$2,729.0
-$7,458.0
Total Workyears
29.1
34.9
4.0
-30.9
Program Project Description:
EPA's Environmental Justice (EJ) Program fosters environmental and public health and
sustainability in communities disproportionately burdened by pollution by integrating and
addressing EJ issues in our programs and policies. The Superfund portion of this program focuses
on issues that affect low income and minority communities at or near Superfund sites. The EJ
Program complements the Agency's community outreach and other work done under the
Superfund Program at affected sites. The Environmental Justice Program at EPA is led and
supported by the Office of Environmental Justice.
FY 2021 Activities and Performance Plan:
Superfund resources and FTE are proposed for elimination for this program in FY 2021. EJ work
impacting the Agency will be incorporated into policy work within EPA's Office of the
Administrator.
Performance Measure Targets:
EPA's FY 2021 Annual Performance Plan does not include annual performance goals specific to
this program.
FY 2021 Change from Estimated FY 2020 Enacted Budget (Dollars in Thousands):
• (-$633.0 / -3.5 FTE) This funding change proposes to eliminate Superfund specific funding
for the Environmental Justice Program. Environmental Justice work will continue in the
Environmental Programs and Management appropriation.
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Statutory Authority:
Reorganization Plan No. 3 of 1970, 84 Stat. 2086, as amended by Pub. L. 98-80, 97 Stat. 485
(codified at Title 5, App.) (EPA's organic statute); Comprehensive Environmental Response,
Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA).
459

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Forensics Support
Program Area: Enforcement
Goal: Greater Certainty, Compliance, and Effectiveness
Objective(s): Compliance with the Law

(Dollars in Thousands)

FY 2019
Actuals
Estimated
FY 2020
Enacted
FY 2021 Pres
Budget
FY 2021 Pres
Budget v.
Estimated FY 2020
Enacted
Science & Technology
$11,534.7
$13,592.0
$11,723.0
-$1,869.0
Hazardous Substance Sn/>i'r/niitl
S1.-102.3
S I.I-IXO
SI,312.0
.s ur.o
Total Budget Authority
$12,937.0
$14,737.0
$13,035.0
-$1,702.0
Total Workyears
57.4
68.9
52.1
-16.8
Program Project Description:
The Forensics Support Program provides expert scientific and technical support for Superfund
civil and criminal enforcement cases, as well as technical expertise for the Agency's compliance
efforts. EPA's National Enforcement Investigations Center (NEIC) is an environmental forensic
center accredited for both laboratory and field sampling operations that generate environmental
data for law enforcement purposes. It is fully accredited under International Standards
Organization (ISO) 17025, the main standard used by testing and calibration laboratories, as
recommended by the National Academy of Sciences.2 The NEIC maintains a sophisticated
chemistry and physical science laboratory, and a corps of highly trained inspectors and scientists
with expertise across media. The NEIC works closely with EPA's Criminal Investigation Division
to provide technical support (e.g., sampling, analysis, consultation and testimony) to criminal
investigations. The NEIC also works closely with EPA's programs to provide technical assistance,
consultation, on-site inspection, investigation, and case resolution services in support of the
Agency's Superfund Enforcement Program.
FY 2021 Activities and Performance Plan:
Work in this program directly supports Goal 3/Objective 3.1, Compliance with the Law in the
FY 2018 - 2022 EPA Strategic Plan. In FY 2021, the NEIC will continue to streamline its forensics
work and identify enhancements to our sampling and analytical methods, using existing
technology. In support of that effort, NEIC will build on its progress using the EPA Lean
Management System to maximize the efficiency and effectiveness of its operations, reduce the
time for completion of civil inspection reports, improve procurement processes, and continue to
identify and implement further efficiencies in laboratory operations. The results of these efforts
will inform EPA's work in FY 2021 and beyond.
The Forensics Support Program will continue to provide expert scientific and technical support for
EPA's criminal and civil enforcement efforts. The Program will continue to focus its work on
2 Strengthening Forensic Science in the United States: A Path Forward, National Academy of Sciences, 2009, available at:
http://www.nap. edu/catalog ,php?recoid_id= 12589.
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collecting and analyzing materials to characterize contamination, and attribute it to individual
sources and/or facilities. The laboratory will continue to coordinate its support for the Superfund
Program with the Agency's Research and Development Program and Land and Emergency
Management Program.
Performance Measure Targets:
EPA's FY 2021 Annual Performance Plan does not include annual performance goals specific to
this program.
FY 2021 Change from Estimated FY 2020 Enacted Budget (Dollars in Thousands):
•	(+$23.0) This change is an increase due to the recalculation of base payroll costs.
•	(+$107.0 / -0.5 FTE) This net program change reflects a focus on analyzing material to
attribute it to individual sources or facilities.
•	(+$37.0) This change to fixed and other costs is an increase due to the recalculation of rent,
utilities, and security or lab fixed costs.
Statutory Authority:
Reorganization Plan No. 3 of 1970, 84 Stat. 2086, as amended by Pub. L. 98-80, 97 Stat. 485
(codified at Title 5, App.) (EPA's organic statute); Comprehensive Environmental Response,
Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA).
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Superfund: Enforcement
Program Area: Enforcement
Goal: Greater Certainty, Compliance, and Effectiveness
Objective(s): Compliance with the Law

(Dollars in Thousands)

FY 2019
Actuals
Estimated
FY 2020
Enacted
FY 2021 Pres
Budget
FY 2021 Pres
Budget v.
Estimated FY 2020
Enacted
Utizurthms Substance Siiperjuml
SI35.020."
S I52.5VI.0
SI 02.50-1.0
N V. VI 3.11
Total Budget Authority
$135,626.7
$152,591.0
$162,504.0
$9,913.0
Total Workyears
699.0
771.3
745.3
-26.0
Program Project Description:
The Superfund Enforcement Program protects communities by ensuring that responsible parties
conduct cleanups, preserving federal dollars for sites where there are no viable contributing parties.
EPA's Superfund Enforcement Program ensures prompt site cleanup and reuse by maximizing the
participation of liable and viable parties in performing and paying for cleanups. In both the
Superfund Remedial and Superfund Emergency Response and Removal Programs, the Superfund
Enforcement Program obtains potentially responsible parties' commitments to perform and pay
for cleanups through civil judicial and administrative site actions. The Superfund Enforcement
Program works closely with the Superfund Program and the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) to
combine litigation, legal, and technical skills to bring enforcement actions and address emerging
issues.
The Superfund Enforcement Program:
•	develops cleanup enforcement policies;
•	provides guidance and tools that clarify potential environmental cleanup liability, with
specific attention to the cleanup, reuse and revitalization of contaminated properties;
•	ensures that responsible parties cleanup sites to reduce direct human exposure to hazardous
substances, thereby providing long-term human health protections and making
contaminated properties available for reuse;
•	negotiates site cleanup agreements with Potentially Responsible Parties (PRPs) and, where
negotiations fail, either initiates enforcement actions to require cleanup or initiates cost
recovery if EPA expends Superfund appropriated dollars to remediate the sites; and
•	addresses liability concerns of parties who want to clean up and reuse Superfund sites.
In 2019, the Superfund Enforcement Program secured private party commitments for cleanup and
cost recovery and billed for oversight amounts totaling more than $961 million. The use of
Superfund enforcement tools resulted in cleanup and redevelopment at 160 private party sites in
2019.
Special accounts are created when funds are received as part of a settlement to fund a site cleanup.
Funds received in settlements with PRPs are used to clean up the specific Superfund sites that were
462

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the subject of the settlement agreement. Having the ability to use special accounts provides needed
cleanup dollars at many sites that otherwise may not have received funding absent EPA's
enforcement efforts. In FY 2019, EPA created 69 special accounts and collected $374.4 million
for response work. The Agency disbursed or obligated $236.7 million from special accounts for
response work (excluding reclassifications).
Furthermore, the Superfund Enforcement Program assists the Superfund Program to ensure that
contaminated sites across the country are remediated to protect human health and the environment
and returned to beneficial use as expeditiously as possible.
The Superfund Enforcement Program continues to work to encourage and facilitate PRPs'
expeditious and thorough cleanup of sites, create oversight efficiencies and promote the
redevelopment and reuse of sites by encouraging PRPs to invest in reuse outcomes. In addition,
the Superfund Enforcement Program works to encourage new private investment in the cleanup
and reuse of sites by optimizing tools to encourage third-party investment. EPA also works to
ensure that required, legally enforceable, institutional controls and financial assurance requirements
are in place at Superfund sites to ensure the long-term protectiveness of Superfund cleanup
remedies.
FY 2021 Activities and Performance Plan:
Work in this program directly supports Goal 3/Objective 3.1, Compliance with the Law in the FY
2018 - 2022 EPA Strategic Plan. In FY 2021, the Agency will prioritize its efforts on the most
significant sites in terms of environmental impact (particularly those that may present an
immediate risk) and on increasing private party funding of cleanups. The Agency will continue its
efforts to establish special accounts to facilitate cleanup. As special account funds may only be
used for sites and uses specified in the settlement agreement, both special account resources and
annually appropriated resources are critical to the Superfund Program to clean up Superfund sites.
DOJ support is statutorily mandated for settlements related to remedial action cleanups, most cost
recovery settlements, and is required for all judicial enforcement matters. DOJ's support will be
prioritized to negotiate and enter into consent decrees with PRPs to perform remedial actions, to
pursue judicial actions to compel PRP cleanup, and to pursue judicial actions to recover monies
spent in cleaning up contaminated sites.
Cost Recovery Support
In FY 2020, EPA will continue implementing the e-Recovery system to replace legacy systems
for cost recovery support. This effort will modernize the system and assist with the Agency's
burden reduction efforts. In FY 2021, the Agency will continue to standardize and streamline the
financial management processes for the financial management aspects of Superfund cost recovery
and the collection of related collection of debt to the federal government. EPA's financial,
programmatic, and legal offices will continue to maintain the accounting and billing of Superfund
oversight costs attributable to responsible parties. These costs represent EPA's cost of overseeing
Superfund site cleanup efforts by responsible parties as stipulated in the terms of settlement
agreements. In FY 2019, the Agency collected $219.7 million in cost recoveries, of which $73.3
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million were returned to the Superfund Trust Fund and $146.4 million were deposited in site-
specific, interest bearing special accounts.3
Performance Measure Targets:
EPA's FY 2021 Annual Performance Plan does not include annual performance goals specific to
this program.
FY 2021 Change from Estimated FY 2020 Enacted Budget (Dollars in Thousands):
•	(+$11,647.0) This change is an increase due to the recalculation of base payroll costs.
•	(-$1,734.0 / -26.0 FTE) This net program change reflects a focus on sites with significant
risks, securing private party funding for cleanups, and a reduction in resources for
Superfund cost recovery to be offset in part by streamlining those functions.
Statutory Authority:
Reorganization Plan No. 3 of 1970, 84 Stat. 2086, as amended by Pub. L. 98-80, 97 Stat. 485
(codified at Title 5, App.) (EPA's organic statute); Comprehensive Environmental Response,
Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA).
3 In FY 2019, the Agency earned approximately $36.9 million in interest on the total special account funds invested in the
Superfund Trust Fund.
464

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Superfund: Federal Facilities Enforcement
Program Area: Enforcement
Goal: Greater Certainty, Compliance, and Effectiveness
Objective(s): Compliance with the Law

(Dollars in Thousands)

FY 2019
Actuals
Estimated
FY 2020
Enacted
FY 2021 Pres
Budget
FY 2021 Pres
Budget v.
Estimated FY 2020
Enacted
Utizurthms Substance Siiperjuml
SO. ()-//>. V
S 0J6I.0
S'JJO.O
SVMM
Total Budget Authority
$6,046.9
$6,361.0
$7,330.0
$969.0
Total Workyears
34.5
40.9
37.4
-3.5
Program Project Description:
EPA's Superfund Federal Facilities Enforcement Program ensures that sites where federal entities
are performing Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act
(CERCLA) responses and/or CERCLA sites with federal ownership are monitored and that
appropriate enforcement responses are pursued. After years of service and operation, some federal
facilities contain environmental contamination such as hazardous wastes, unexploded ordnance,
radioactive wastes, or other toxic substances. Enforcement actions can facilitate cleanup and
potential redevelopment of these sites.
Pursuant to CERCLA Section 120, EPA must enter into Interagency Agreements, commonly
referred to as Federal Facility Agreements (FFAs), with responsible federal entities to ensure
protective and timely cleanup of their National Priorities List (NPL) sites. The agreements provide
that EPA oversee the cleanups to ensure that they protect public health and the environment. These
FFAs govern cleanups at 174 federal facility Superfund sites, which include many of the Nation's
largest and most complex cleanup projects.
FY 2021 Activities and Performance Plan:
Work under this program directly supports Goal 3/Objective 3.1, Compliance with the Law in the
FY 2018 - 2022 EPA Strategic Plan. In FY 2021, EPA will focus its resources on the highest
priority sites, particularly those that may present an imminent and/or substantial endangerment,
have human exposure not yet under control or have the potential for redevelopment. EPA also will
negotiate FFAs for federal facility sites on the NPL, monitor FFAs for compliance and resolve
formal disputes, take enforcement actions at priority sites, and implement the Superfund Task
Force recommendations4 to expedite cleanup and redevelopment of federal facility sites. EPA will
continue to seek ways to improve its engagement with other federal agencies and states,
emphasizing protective, timely cleanups and recognizing site reuse opportunities.
4 For additional information, please refer to: https://www.epa.gov/superfund/superfund-task-foTce-Tecommendations.
465

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Performance Measure Targets:
EPA's FY 2021 Annual Performance Plan does not include annual performance goals specific to
this program.
FY 2021 Change from Estimated FY 2020 Enacted Budget (Dollars in Thousands):
•	(+$1,627.0) This change is an increase due to the recalculation of base payroll costs.
•	(-$658.0 / -3.5 FTE) This net program change reflects a focus on facility clean ups and
redevelopment at sites.
Statutory Authority:
Reorganization Plan No. 3 of 1970, 84 Stat. 2086, as amended by Pub. L. 98-80, 97 Stat. 485
(codified at Title 5, App.) (EPA's organic statute); Comprehensive Environmental Response,
Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) § 120.
466

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Homeland Security
467

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Homeland Security: Preparedness, Response, and Recovery
Program Area: Homeland Security
Goal: A Cleaner, Healthier Environment
Objective(s): Revitalize Land and Prevent Contamination

(Dollars in Thousands)

FY 2019
Actuals
Estimated
FY 2020
Enacted
FY 2021 Pres
Budget
FY 2021 Pres
Budget v.
Estimated FY 2020
Enacted
Science & Technology
$20,492.7
$23,593.0
$25,542.0
$1,949.0
Hazardous Substance Sn/>i'r/niitl
S31.5 2/,."
S 3I.5W.II
S33.-I5-I.lt
SJ.S55.tl
Total Budget Authority
$52,019.4
$55,192.0
$58,996.0
$3,804.0
Total Workyears
115.3
124.1
127.1
3.0
Program Project Description:
EPA leads or supports many aspects of preparing for and responding to a nationally significant
incident involving possible chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear (CBRN) agents. The
Homeland Security Preparedness, Response, and Recovery Program implements a broad range of
activities for a variety of federal efforts, including:
•	National trainings;
•	Participation in national interagency exercises with federal and state partners;
•	Support for headquarters and regional Emergency Operations Centers;
•	Support for the Agency's continuity of operations devolution site in the EPA Colorado
office;
•	Enhancements for national information technology systems;
•	Secured warehouse space for homeland security operations and storage; and
•	Laboratory analyses of environmental samples and site decontamination projects.
EPA's homeland security program develops these responsibilities through research and
maintaining a level of expertise, training, and preparedness specifically focused on threats
associated with CBRN. This work is consistent with the Department of Homeland Security's
(DHS) National Response Framework.
EPA assists with multi-media training and exercise development/implementation for responders,
which establishes and sustains coordination with states, local communities, tribes, and other
federal agencies. The Agency also provides technical assistance to other federal agencies,
including DHS, the Department of Defense (DOD), the Department of Justice (DOJ), and the
Department of Health and Human Services, with expertise in environmental characterization,
468

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decontamination, and waste disposal methods. In addition, the program operates a national
environmental laboratory for chemical warfare agents and implements EPA's National Approach
to Response.
FY 2021 Activities and Performance Plan:
Work in this program directly supports Goal 1/Objective 1.3, Revitalize Land and Prevent
Contamination in the FY 2018 - 2022 EPA Strategic Plan. In FY 2021, the Homeland Security
Preparedness, Response, and Recovery Program will:
•	Participate in trainings and exercises on CBRN preparedness and response topics with key
federal response partners (e.g., DHS, DOD, and DOJ) on select interagency workgroups.
•	Provide expertise on environmental characterization, decontamination, and waste disposal
methods following the release of a CBRN agent.
•	Maintain operational support for the Emergency Management Portal and WebEOC
response systems.
•	Develop site characterization, decontamination, waste management, and clearance
methods and strategies for priority chemical, biological, and radiological threats that enable
remediation while reducing time and cost and promote site reoccupation.
•	Continue the development of sample collection protocols and analysis methods for
inclusion in the Environmental Sampling & Analytical Methods (ESAM)5 on-line tool.
The ESAM detection and sampling and analysis tool helps local, state, tribal, and federal
emergency response field personnel and their supporting laboratories more efficiently
respond to incidents, enabling smooth transitions of samples and data from the field to the
laboratory to the decision makers.
•	Utilize the Airborne Spectral Photometric Environmental Collection Technology
(ASPECT) aircraft. ASPECT aids first responders by detecting chemical and radiological
vapors, plumes, and clouds with real-time data delivery.
•	Assist with site characterization during a significant CBRN incident, when EPA mobile
lab capabilities are needed. EPA will maintain mobile lab capabilities with support of
EPA's Portable High-Throughput Integrated Identification Systems (PHILIS) units.
PHILIS can be deployed to sites for high volume, quick turnaround analyses of chemical
and biological capacity and capability.
5 For more information, please see: https://www.epa.gov/esam.
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•	Develop a study to begin formally planning for the next generation of ASPECT and
PHILIS and through a www.challenge.gov initiative to crowdsource innovative ideas
allowing the public to contribute creative technology concepts for the replacement
technology of ASPECT.
•	Maintain a highly skilled, well-trained, and well-equipped response workforce that has the
capacity to respond to simultaneous incidents as well as threats involving CBRN
substances. This includes training On-Scene Coordinators and volunteers of the Response
Support Corps (RSC) and members of Incident Management Teams (IMTs). These RSC
volunteers provide critical support to headquarters and regional Emergency Operations
Centers and assist with operations in the field. To ensure technical proficiency, this cadre
of response personnel requires initial training and routine refresher training.
Performance Measure Targets:
EPA's FY 2021 Annual Performance Plan does not include annual performance goals specific to
this program.
FY 2021 Change from Estimated FY 2020 Enacted Budget (Dollars in Thousands):
•	(+$2,027.0) This change is an increase due to the recalculation of base payroll costs.
•	(+$500.0) This program change is an increase to study and formally plan for the potential
replacement of ASPECT and PHIL IS.
•	(+$1,000.0) This program change is an increase for a www.challenge.gov initiative to
crowdsource replacement technology ideas for ASPECT.
•	(-$1,672.0) This net program change will result in prioritizing exercises and training held
with federal, state, and local partners. In addition, within this change, there is a reduction
in resources for research related to analysis of chemical agents and decision support for
chemical agent remediation of chemical, biological, radiological, or nuclear (CBRN)
agents in the environment.
Statutory Authority:
Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act, §§ 104, 105, and 106;
Homeland Security Act of 2002.
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Homeland Security: Protection of EPA Personnel and Infrastructure
Program Area: Homeland Security
Goal: Greater Certainty, Compliance, and Effectiveness
Objective(s): Improve Efficiency and Effectiveness

(Dollars in Thousands)

FY 2019
Actuals
Estimated
FY 2020
Enacted
FY 2021 Pres
Budget
FY 2021 Pres
Budget v.
Estimated FY 2020
Enacted
Environmental Programs & Management
$5,755.6
$5,355.0
$4,986.0
-$369.0
Science & Technology
$410.0
$443.0
$500.0
$57.0
Building and Facilities
$4,259.1
$6,676.0
$6,176.0
-$500.0
Hazardous Substance Sn/>i'r/niitl
.S V'V.3
s i.tir.ti
S'JlxO
-SI 02.0
Total Budget Authority
$11,404.0
$13,491.0
$12,577.0
-$914.0
Total Workyears
8.8
9.2
9.2
0.0
Total workyears in FY 2021 include 9.2 FTE to support Homeland Security working capital fund (WCF) services.
Program Project Description:
The federal government develops and maintains Continuity of Operations (COOP) plans and
procedures that provide for the continued performance of its essential functions. The Homeland
Security COOP Program works with other government and non-government organizations to
ensure that Mission Essential Functions (MEFs) and Primary Mission Essential Functions
(PMEFs) continue to be performed during emergency situations. The Department of Homeland
Security/Federal Emergency Management Agency's (FEMA) Federal Continuity Directive-1
requires EPA to develop a continuity plan that ensures its ability to accomplish its MEFs from
an alternate site, during a national disaster, continues and the Agency be able to do so with limited
staffing and without access to resources available during normal activities.
FY 2021 Activities and Performance Plan:
Work in this program directly supports Goal 3/Objective 3.5, Improve Efficiency and
Effectiveness in the FY 2018 - 2022 EPA Strategic Plan. In FY 2021, EPA will undertake the
following:
•	Conduct selected annual reviews of regional COOP plans, PMEFs and MEFs, and make
updates as needed.
•	Monitor the continuity programs across the Agency, focusing on testing, training, and exercises
as related to general COOP awareness and procedures.
•	Undergo a monthly evaluation of the headquarters COOP Program, including Program Plans
and Procedures, Risk Management, Budgeting, and Essential Functions. Further, FEMA
performs an in-person biannual review of EPA's COOP Program and provides the results to
the Administrator and to the Executive Office of the President.
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Performance Measure Targets:
EPA's FY 2021 Annual Performance Plan does not include annual performance goals specific to
this program.
FY 2021 Change from Estimated FY 2020 Enacted Budget (Dollars in Thousands):
• (-$102.0) This program change reduces funding for COOP assessment and updates.
Statutory Authority:
Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act, §§ 104, 105, 106;
Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004; Homeland Security Act of 2002;
Reorganization Plan No. 3 of 1970, 84 Stat. 2086, as amended by Pub. L. 98-80, 97 Stat. 485
(codified at Title 5, App.) (EPA's organic statute).
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Information Exchange / Outreach
473

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Exchange Network
Program Area: Information Exchange / Outreach
Goal: Greater Certainty, Compliance, and Effectiveness
Objective(s): Streamline and Modernize

(Dollars in Thousands)

FY 2019
Actuals
Estimated
FY 2020
Enacted
FY 2021 Pres
Budget
FY 2021 Pres
Budget v.
Estimated FY 2020
Enacted
Environmental Programs & Management
$17,090.3
$15,184.0
$12,328.0
-$2,856.0
Hazardous Substance Sn/>i'r/niitl
SI.-/2-/..S
SIJ2S.0

-SJxO
Total Budget Authority
$18,515.1
$16,512.0
$13,621.0
-$2,891.0
Total Workyears
27.8
30.2
30.2
0.0
Program Project Description:
EPA's Environmental Information Exchange Network (EN) is a standards-based, secure approach
for EPA and its state, tribal, and territorial partners to exchange and share environmental data over
the internet. Capitalizing on advanced technology, data standards, open-source software, shared
services for the E-Enterprise business strategy, and reusable tools and applications, the EN offers
its partners tremendous capabilities for managing and analyzing environmental data more
effectively and efficiently, leading to improved decision-making.
The Central Data Exchange (CDX)6 is the largest component of the EN Program and serves as the
point of entry on the EN for environmental data transactions with the Agency. CDX provides a set
of core shared services that promote a leaner and more cost-effective service framework for the
Agency by avoiding the creation of duplicative applications. It enables faster and more efficient
transactions for internal and external EPA clients, resulting in reduced burden. Working in concert
with CDX is EPA's System of Registries, which is a system of shared data services designed to
enhance efficiency, reduce burden on the regulated community, and improve environmental
outcomes.
These shared data services catalog entities routinely referenced by EPA and EN partners, from
commonly regulated facilities and substances to the current list of federally recognized tribes. They
identify the standard or official names for these assets, which, when integrated into EPA and
partner applications, foster data consistency and data quality as well as enable data integration.
FY 2021 Activities and Performance Plan:
Work in this program directly supports Goal 3/Objective 3.4, Streamline and Modernize in the FY
2018 - 2022 EPA Strategic Plan. In FY 2021, EPA will continue to support core functions for the
EN IT systems, which is in line with the President's Management Agenda for IT modernization
and data, accountability, and transparency.7
6	For more information on the Central Data Exchange, please visit: http://www.epa.gov/cdx/.
7	For additional information, please refer to: https://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/management/pma/.
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EPA aims to reduce burden and avoid costs when improving IT. The Agency has provisioned 70
Virtual Exchange Services (VES) or virtual nodes to facilitate large-scale data transactions
supporting 19 states and over 88 tribal partners, with another 20 anticipated by the end of FY 2020.
The electronic signature service supports 62 partner exchanges to date and six more are expected
in FY 2020. EPA estimates implementation of these services resulted in cost avoidance of
approximately $2.3 million for the 19 partner states, who otherwise would have had to build and
manage exchange services independently. EPA will continue to carry out the baseline support for
the adoption and onboarding of VES and associated services for EPA and its partners.
In FY 2021, EPA will continue to maintain the EPA Federal Regulation Finder, a public-facing
digital service that was deployed to the E-Enterprise Portal8 in Q2 of FY 2020. The EPA Federal
Regulation Finder integrates multiple shared services into a discovery tool that helps industry and
the public to more easily identify potentially applicable regulations. It integrates three catalogs: a
substance catalog (Substance Registry Services [SRS]); an Enterprise Vocabulary; and a catalog
of federal statutes and regulations (Laws and Regulations Services) to enable a user to search for
laws and regulations by substance or keyword. In FY 2021, enhancements to the EPA Federal
Regulation Finder may include expanding this tool to allow users to search in the North American
Industrial Classification System and establishing additional shared data services, such as zip codes,
countries, and counties, so that EPA systems no longer must manage these data, instead relying on
the centralized services.
Multiple performance efforts also use exchange services and registries (shared data services) to
improve data quality in EPA, state, and tribal program data, and to reduce reporting burden on the
regulated community. EPA will continue to promote the adoption of the Tribal Identification
(TRIBES) shared service by tracking its use by EPA systems that collect tribal names. In FY 2019,
EPA increased the number of EPA systems using TRIBES services by 58 percent, from 12 to 19
systems.
EPA also tracks the number of registry webpages users and web service hits as one measure of
usage. For example, the SRS website is visited by approximately 50,000 users per month; many
of these users visit SRS to understand regulatory information about chemicals. SRS also receives
between 20,000 and 140,000 web service hits per month (depending on reporting cycles), mostly
by EPA systems that have incorporated the web services into their online reporting forms.
Priorities for EPA registries include improving registry technologies by moving them into an open-
source platform so they are cloud-ready. In FY 2021, EPA will maintain the registries at FY 2020
levels, and selectively move them into open-source platforms. EPA will expand the number of
EPA and partner systems that integrate registry services into their online reports and systems,
reducing burden and improving data quality. This includes updating EPA's dataset registry to
allow EPA scientists, external partners, and others to share information and make information
easier to find in the cloud.
Performance Measure Targets:
EPA's FY 2021 Annual Performance Plan does not include annual performance goals specific to
this program.
8 For additional information, please refer to: https://www.e-enterprise.gov/workbench.
475

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FY 2021 Change from Estimated FY 2020 Enacted Budget (Dollars in Thousands):
• (-$35.0) This net program change is an adjustment that streamlines quality assurance of
registries; refocuses modernization efforts; and reduces the collection and exchange of
environmental data with states, tribes, and regulated entities.
Statutory Authority:
Federal Information Security Management Act (FISMA); Comprehensive Environmental
Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA); Government Performance and Results
Act (GPRA); Government Management Reform Act (GMRA); Clinger-Cohen Act (CCA).
476

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IT/ Data Management/ Security
All

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Information Security
Program Area: IT / Data Management / Security
Goal: Greater Certainty, Compliance, and Effectiveness
Objective(s): Improve Efficiency and Effectiveness

(Dollars in Thousands)

FY 2019
Actuals
Estimated
FY 2020
Enacted
FY 2021 Pres
Budget
FY 2021 Pres
Budget v.
Estimated FY 2020
Enacted
Environmental Programs & Management
$7,649.5
$7,593.0
$14,012.0
$6,419.0
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Total Budget Authority
$8,248.4
$8,286.0
$19,094.0
$10,808.0
Total Workyears
18.7
13.1
12.8
-0.3
Program Project Description:
Digital information is a valuable national resource and a strategic asset that enables EPA to fulfill
its mission to protect human health and the environment. The Information Security Program's
mission is to protect the confidentiality, availability, and integrity of EPA's information assets. The
information protection strategy includes, but is not limited to: policy, procedure, and practice
management; information security awareness, training, and education; governance and oversight;
risk-based weakness management; operational security management; and incident detection,
response, and recovery.
FY 2021 Activities and Performance Plan:
Work in this program directly supports Goal 3/Objective 3.5, Improve Efficiency and
Effectiveness in the FY 2018 - 2022 EPA Strategic Plan. Cybersecurity is a serious challenge to
our nation's security and economic prosperity. Effective information security requires vigilance
and the ability to adapt to new challenges every day. As reported to the Department of Homeland
Security (DHS), in FY 2019, EPA experienced 194 confirmed incidents against its systems. As a
result, the Agency has identified significant gaps in its ability to detect, respond to, protect against,
and recover from attacks, which increase the risk to compromise agency information.
In response to DHS's Cybersecurity Risk Management Assessment, EPA will continue to leverage
capabilities through the Continuous Diagnostics and Mitigation (CDM) Program. EPA will focus
on closing existing gaps by identifying and alerting unauthorized hardware and software into the
Agency's networks and systems, checking outbound traffic for unauthorized exfiltration, and
assessing systems with a Security Content Automation Protocol. In addition to protecting EPA
information assets, CDM will help the Agency identify and respond to federal-wide cybersecurity
threats and incidents quicker and more efficiently.
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EPA's cost to implement new and maintain existing CDM capabilities as mandated by the Office
of Management and Budget (OMB) is estimated to be over $12 million in FY 2021 across all
appropriations. In accordance with OMB Memorandum M-20-04 "Fiscal Year 2019-2020
Guidance on Federal Information Security and Privacy Management Requirements",9 EPA also is
developing a plan for the Agency's Security Operations Center to improve incident detection and
response capabilities, which will be implemented by the end of FY 2020.
With available resources, EPA will work to close non-CDM capability gaps essential to adequately
protect agency information assets. Such efforts include analyzing malicious email attachments,
detecting and mitigating effects of insider threats and advanced persistent threats, and conducting
program responsibilities, such as governance, oversight, and risk management. Additionally, the
Agency practices Coordinated Vulnerability Disclosure, a standard process to decrease the harm
or time an adversary can use to deny or disrupt services to its networks by working with internal
stakeholders, private industry, and federal organizations to communicate vulnerabilities
discovered or encountered.
Cybersecurity Risk Management Assessment metrics developed by the National Institute of
Standards and Technology and industry best practices help prioritize action to adequately protect
agency information assets and provide visibility on vulnerabilities. While EPA's cybersecurity
posture is expected to remain at risk in FY 2021, the Agency will continue to conduct risk
assessments and alternative analyses to determine which protections EPA must maintain or
implement. The Agency is evaluating alternatives for Security Operations as a Service and cloud
security options such as Cloud Access Security Brokers Services for possible implementation.
In FY 2021, the Information Security Program will continue to collect Federal Information
Security Modernization Act (FISMA) metrics and evaluate related processes, tools, and personnel
to continue to identify areas of weakness and opportunities for improvement. The Program will
collect phishing test results and evaluate the effectiveness of awareness efforts. With these data,
the Agency will identify strategies and prioritize areas to mitigate risks. The Agency will expand
strategies for identifying and leveraging common controls while managing system boundaries to
reduce compliance costs.
Performance Measure Targets:
EPA's FY 2021 Annual Performance Plan does not include annual performance goals specific to
this program.
FY 2021 Change from Estimated FY 2020 Enacted Budget (Dollars in Thousands):
• (+$4,389.0) This program change supports mandatory cybersecurity requirements,10
including CDM funding that will be used to close existing gaps by improving audit
capabilities, ensuring accountability, and adding protections directly associated with the
information.
9	For more information, please refer to: https://www.whitehouse.gOv/wp-content/uploads/2019/l l/M-20-04.pdf.
10	Including those found in Federal Information Security Modernization Act of 2014 and Federal Information Security
Cybersecurity Act of 2015.
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Statutory Authority:
Reorganization Plan No. 3 of 1970, 84 Stat. 2086, as amended by Pub. L. 98-80, 97 Stat. 485
(codified at Title 5, App.) (EPA's organic statute); Cybersecurity Act of 2015; Federal Information
Security Modernization Act (FISMA); Government Performance and Results Act (GPRA);
Government Management Reform Act (GMRA); Clinger-Cohen Act (CCA); Comprehensive
Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA).
480

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IT / Data Management
Program Area: IT / Data Management / Security
Goal: Greater Certainty, Compliance, and Effectiveness
Objective(s): Improve Efficiency and Effectiveness

(Dollars in Thousands)

FY 2019
Actuals
Estimated
FY 2020
Enacted
FY 2021 Pres
Budget
FY 2021 Pres
Budget v.
Estimated FY 2020
Enacted
Environmental Programs & Management
$78,748.7
$80,223.0
$79,064.0
-$1,159.0
Science &. Technology
$3,092.6
$3,072.0
$2,890.0
-$182.0
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Total Budget Authority
$95,596.8
$97,087.0
$95,828.0
-$1,259.0
Total Workyears
391.4
459.4
469.9
10.5
Total workyears in FY 2021 include 172.0 FTE to support IT/Data Management working capital fund (WCF) services.
Program Project Description:
The work performed under the Information Technology/Data Management (IT/DM) Program is
partially funded by the Superfund program. The IT/DM Program supports human health and the
environment by providing critical IT infrastructure and data management. The Program ensures
analytical support for interpreting and understanding environmental information; exchange and
storage of data, analysis, and computation; rapid, secure, and efficient communication; and access
to scientific, regulatory, policy, and guidance information needed by the Agency, regulated
community, and the public.
This Program supports the maintenance of EPA's IT and Information Management (IT/IM)
services that enable citizens, regulated facilities, states, and other entities to interact with EPA
electronically to get the information they need on-demand, to understand what it means, and to
share environmental data. The IT/DM Program also provides support to other IT development
projects and essential technology to EPA staff, enabling them to conduct their work effectively
and efficiently in the context of federal IT requirements, including the Federal Information
Technology Acquisition Reform Act (FITARA); Technology Business Management (TBM);
Capital Planning and Investment Control; and the Open, Public, Electronic, and Necessary
Government Data Act.
FY 2021 Activities and Performance Plan:
Work in this program directly supports Goal 3/Objective 3.5, Improve Efficiency and
Effectiveness in the FY2018 - 2022 EPA Strategic Plan. EPA is committed to enhancing the power
of information by delivering on-demand data to relevant parties. An example of this includes
continued progress on enterprise data architecture and establishing the role of a Chief Data Officer
as required by the Foundations for Evidence-Based Policymaking Act. The Agency's increased
investment in TBM will enable EPA to make sound, data-driven IT investment decisions by
481

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incorporating critical IT expenditure data into EPA Chief Information Officer (CIO) portfolio
reviews.
In FY 2021, EPA will strengthen further its IT acquisition review process as part of the
implementation of federal Common Baseline Controls for FITARA. FITARA controls include an
established communication and engagement strategy for the CIO with the Agency's programs and
regional offices to ensure their IT plans are well designed, directly drive EPA long-term
performance goals, and follow best practices. These controls also enable the CIO to engage closely
with key IT stakeholders across EPA and to foster plans to refresh IT skills within the Agency.
The Agency will continue to focus on improving customer experiences to allow EPA, its partners,
and the public to acquire, generate, manage, use, and share information as a critical resource. In
line with the President's Management Agenda for IT modernization and for data, accountability,
and transparency,11 EPA will improve how it supports and manages the lifecycle of information
and information products.
In FY 2021, the following IT/DM activities will continue:
•	Data Management and Collection: Data management and collection efforts include
support for a variety of essential enterprise information management programs. The
National Records Management Program will continue providing policies/procedures,
coordination, and support to help fulfill EPA's statutory obligations to maintain records.
The Program will invest resources to support digitization efforts for the Agency by
providing records storage facilities and scanning services for converting paper records into
EPA's electronic record keeping systems. In addition, the Program will replace EPA's
enterprise records management solution. The Discovery Services Program will continue
supporting the search/collection of agency information needed to help respond to requests
for information from external stakeholders. EPA will continue to coordinate and oversee
the Agency's Information Collection Request (ICR) development and approval process,
helping to ensure data collections are submitted timely and approved by the Office of
Management and Budget (OMB) as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act. The Section
508 Program will develop training for different stakeholder communities. This program
will assess documentation for all public-facing EPA systems/applications via an
independent third party and acquire a compliance tool to improve reporting to OMB.
•	Mission Software and Digital Services Capabilities: The FY 2021 President's Budget
includes funding to continue to enhance the Agency's software development and
architecture capability, including application development and deployment approaches and
technical platforms. This program continues EPA's adoption of transformative
technologies and practices, including cloud computing, agile development methodologies,
and shared software development services.
•	Geospatial: The Agency will continue to support the essential capabilities of GeoPlatform,
a shared technology enterprise for geospatial information and analysis. By implementing
11 For additional information, please refer to: https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploadsQ018/03/PTesidents-Management-
Agenda, pdf.
482

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geospatial data, applications, and services, the Agency can integrate and interpret multiple
data sets and information sources to support environmental decisions. GeoPlatform will
continue to publish internal and public mapping tools, which will better inform the public
about EPA's programs to protect the environment and public health. As of December 2019,
EPA has over 5,200 GeoPlatform mapping applications created or modified for public and
internal use, and since calendar year 2014 the number of users has increased tenfold to over
9,000 users.
•	Information Access and Analysis: EPA will focus on providing core support to agency
infrastructure and tools that will drive better environmental decision-making with data from
across the Agency. EPA will partner with other agencies, states, tribes, and academic
institutions to propose innovative ways to use, analyze, and visualize data. EPA will
continue to support Envirofacts and data visualization applications, which receive over 50
million annual application interface requests.
•	Information Technology and Infrastructure: EPA will adjust the schedule for
replacement or upgrades to align with resources and will continue to maintain and provide:
desktop computing equipment, network connectivity, e-mail and collaboration tools,
hosting services, remote access, telephone services, web and network services, and other
IT-related equipment. In FY 2021, the Agency will continue efforts to consolidate EPA's
data centers and computer rooms and to optimize operations within EPA's remaining data
centers. In addition, the Agency will continue to modernize IT/IM infrastructure,
applications, and services to empower a mobile workforce using innovative and agile
solutions.
Performance Measure Targets:
Work under this program supports performance results in the Facilities Infrastructure and
Operations Program under the EPM appropriation.
FY 2021 Change from Estimated FY 2020 Enacted Budget (Dollars in Thousands):
•	(+$830.0) This change is an increase due to recalculation of base payroll costs.
•	(-$748.0 / -2.5 FTE) This net program change modifies the timeline for development of
new technologies to address agency needs such as new assistive technology tools, ability
to re-platform legacy applications, and replace end of service IT equipment that provides
basic workforce support across the Agency.
Statutory Authority:
Reorganization Plan No. 3 of 1970, 84 Stat. 2086, as amended by Pub. L. 98-80, 97 Stat. 485
(codified at Title 5, App.) (EPA's organic statute); Federal Information Technology Acquisition
Reform Act; Federal Information Security Modernization Act (FISMA); Government
Performance and Results Act (GPRA); Government Management Reform Act (GMRA); Clinger-
Cohen Act (CCA); Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act
(CERCLA); Rehabilitation Act of 1973 § 508.
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Legal / Science / Regulatory / Economic Review
484

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Alternative Dispute Resolution
Program Area: Legal / Science / Regulatory / Economic Review
Goal: More Effective Partnerships
Objective(s): Enhance Shared Accountability

[Dollars in Thousands)

FY 2019
Actuals
Estimated
FY 2020
Enacted
FY 2021 Pres
Budget
FY 2021 Pres
Budget v.
Estimated FY 2020
Enacted
Environmental Programs &. Management
S667.4
$870.0
so.o
-S870.0
Hazardous Substance Sn/>i'r/niitl
S5
$710.0
S 0.0
-$710.0
Total Budget Authority
$1,240.7
$1,580.0
$0.0
-$1,580.0
Total Workyears
4.3
5.9
0.0
-5.9
Program Project Description:
EPA's General Counsel and Regional Counsel Offices provide environmental Conflict Prevention
and Resolution Center (CPRC) services and workplace conflict prevention. EPA utilizes CPRC as
a method for preventing or resolving conflicts prior to engaging in formal litigation. CPRC
includes the provision of legal counsel, facilitation, mediation, and consensus building advice and
support. This program oversees a strategically-sourced contract for these services that provides
mediation, facilitation, public involvement, training, and organizational development support to
all headquarters and regional programs.
FY 2021 Activities and Performance Plan:
Resources and FTE are proposed for elimination for this program in FY 2021.
Performance Measures Targets:
EPA's FY 2021 Annual Performance Plan does not include annual performance goals specific to
this program.
FY 2021 Change from Estimated FY 2020 Enacted Budget (Dollars in Thousands):
• (-$710.0 / -1.4 FTE) This funding change proposes to eliminate the CPRC program.
Programs across the Agency may pursue ADR support services and training individually.
Statutory Authority:
Administrative Dispute Resolution Act (ADRA) of 1996; Negotiated Rulemaking Act of 1996;
Reorganization Plan No. 3 of 1970, 84 Stat. 2086, as amended by Pub. L. 98-80, 97 Stat. 485
(codified at Title 5, App.) (EPA's organic statute); Comprehensive Environmental Response,
Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA).
485

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Legal Advice: Environmental Program
Program Area: Legal / Science / Regulatory / Economic Review
Goal: Greater Certainty, Compliance, and Effectiveness
Objective(s): Create Consistency and Certainty

(Dollars in Thousands)

FY 2019
Actuals
Estimated
FY 2020
Enacted
FY 2021 Pres
Budget
FY 2021 Pres
Budget v.
Estimated FY 2020
Enacted
Environmental Programs & Management
$51,526.8
$47,978.0
$50,263.0
$2,285.0
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Total Budget Authority
$52,041.8
$48,521.0
$50,871.0
$2,350.0
Total Workyears
258.2
257.4
242.8
-14.6
Total workyears in FY 2021 include 5.5 FTE funded by TSCA fees and 1.0 FTE to support Legal Advice working
capital fund (WCF) services.
Program Project Description:
This program provides legal representation, legal counseling, and legal support for environmental
activities under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act
(CERCLA). Funding supports legal advice needed in the Superfund Program's extensive work
with Potentially Responsible Parties and other entities and landowners. For example, this program
provides legal analysis and advice to help inform EPA's decisions regarding the assessment of
certain contaminants at a given Superfund site under federal law, and a party's potential liability
under CERCLA.
This program supports EPA's Superfund work at thousands of sites spanning the wide array of
Superfund legal issues regarding removal and remedial cleanups costing billions of dollars. This
program is essential to providing the high-quality legal work to ensure that EPA's decisions are
defensible and upheld by the courts against judicial challenges.
FY 2021 Activities and Performance Plan:
Work in this program directly supports Goal 3/Objective 3.2, Create Consistency and Certainty in
the FY 2018-2022 EPA Strategic Plan. In FY 2021, the Program will prioritize its legal support
capabilities to focus support on high profile and critical CERCLA cases for the Superfund
program. The Program will work within available resources to support CERCLA activities, which
includes analyzing defensibility of Agency actions, drafting significant portions of Agency actions,
and participating in litigation in defense of Agency actions. Legal review is critical to the
Superfund program at many points throughout the cleanup process. For example, in support of
Goal 1 of the FY 2018-FY 2022 EPA Strategic Plan (A Cleaner, Healthier Environment) this
program provides legal advice and counseling for final rules adding Superfund sites to the National
Priorities List.
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The following examples illustrate this program's important role in implementing the Agency's
core priorities and mission:
•	Participating in and providing legal counsel on the Administrator's Superfund Initiative
Task Force including the development of the Task Force Report.
•	Providing critical legal support and advice to the Superfund Remedial, Removal, and
Enforcement programs on complex, high visibility, expensive Superfund cleanups, such as
Gold King Mine.
Performance Measure Targets:
Work under this program supports performance results in the Legal Advice: Environmental
Program under the EPM appropriation.
FY 2021 Change from Estimated FY 2020 Enacted Budget (Dollars in Thousands):
•	(+$21.0) This change is an increase due to the recalculation of base payroll costs.
•	(+$44.0) This program change is an increase to focus on legal support and advice for the
Superfund Remedial, Removal, and Enforcement programs.
Statutory Authority:
Reorganization Plan No. 3 of 1970, 84 Stat. 2086, as amended by Pub. L. 98-80, 97 Stat. 485
(codified at Title 5, App.) (EPA's organic statute); Comprehensive Environmental Response,
Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA).
487

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Operations and Administration
488

-------
Acquisition Management
Program Area: Operations and Administration
Goal: Greater Certainty, Compliance, and Effectiveness
Objective(s): Improve Efficiency and Effectiveness

(Dollars in Thousands)

FY 2019
Actuals
Estimated
FY 2020
Enacted
FY 2021 Pres
Budget
FY 2021 Pres
Budget v.
Estimated FY 2020
Enacted
Environmental Programs & Management
$33,799.8
$30,945.0
$29,621.0
-$1,324.0
Leaking Underground Storage Tanks
$70.2
$163.0
$138.0
-$25.0
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Total Budget Authority
$52,463.2
$51,641.0
$52,741.0
$1,100.0
Total Workyears
261.2
285.7
259.5
-26.2
Program Project Description:
Superfund resources in the Acquisition Management Program support the Agency's contract
activities for Superfund Emergency Response and Removal, Remedial, Emergency Preparedness,
and Federal Facilities Response programs. These resources enable the Agency to assess and
cleanup Superfund sites, as well as prepare and respond to natural disasters and terrorist incidents.
FY 2021 Activities and Performance Plan:
Work in this program directly supports Goal 3/Objective 3.5, Improve Efficiency and
Effectiveness in the FY 2018 - 2022 EPA Strategic Plan. In FY 2021, EPA will continue to process
contract actions in accordance with Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) and guidance from the
Office of Federal Procurement Policy (OFPP).
Timely procurement processing is crucial to efficient operations. In FY 2019, EPA met its target
of 85 percent for procurement action lead times (PALT). The Agency is continuing work toward
its long-term performance goal to reduce procurement processing times by achieving 100 percent
for PALT by FY 2022. EPA tracks and reviews PALT achievement data on a monthly basis and
works with program offices to determine the causes of delays and to improve processing times. As
a result of the monthly PALT reviews, EPA has developed additional trainings and resources for
the Agency's acquisition community to improve the quality of procurement requests, which is an
indicator for the achievement of PALT.
EPA is fully committed to leveraging category management, Spend Under Management (SUM),
Best-In-Class (BIC), and strategic sourcing principles in each of its programs and purchasing areas
to save taxpayer dollars and improve mission outcomes:
• The OMB Category Management Cross-Agency Priority (CAP) goal focuses on total
acquisition spend transitioned from contract vehicles that are unaligned with category
management principles to the Spend Under Management (SUM) program. In FY 2019, to
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further EPA's ability to meet its FY 2020 Category Management CAP goal, the EPA
revised its Acquisition Guidance section 8.0.100, Requirements for Mandatory Use of
Common Contract Solutions to include the policy mandating the use of enterprise-wide
contract vehicles, in addition to BIC contract solutions and other OMB-designated contract
solutions. Based on this policy change, EPA anticipates greater than 50 percent of total
addressable spend will have been transitioned into the SUM program by the end of FY
2021, relative to the end of FY 2018 result of 26 percent.
•	In FY 2021, EPA will continue to implement BIC solutions to identify pre-vetted,
government-wide contracts as part of the Agency's effort to utilize more mature, market-
proven acquisition vehicles.12 Through BIC solutions, EPA will leverage acquisition
experts to optimize spending within the government-wide category management
framework and increase the transactional data available for agency level analysis of buying
behaviors.
•	In FY 2021, EPA also will continue to maximize its Strategic Sourcing Program (SSP),
thereby enhancing purchase coordination, improving price uniformity and knowledge-
sharing, and leveraging small business capabilities to meet acquisition goals. The SSP
allows the Agency to research, assess, and award contract vehicles that will maximize time
and resource savings. The SSP serves as a foundation for effective financial and resource
management because it simplifies the acquisition process and reduces costs. Long-term
implementation of the SSP is transforming the Agency's acquisition process into a
strategically driven function, ensuring maximum value for every acquisition dollar spent.
In FY 2019, EPA realized a $4.7 million cost avoidance by using data analysis tools to
monitor specific, measurable data related to print services, cellular services, shipping,
Microsoft software, voice services, office supplies, lab supplies, PCs, and furniture. Since
the beginning of the Strategic Sourcing Program in FY 2013 through the end of FY 2019,
EPA has achieved cost avoidance of $19.4 million. In FY 2021, EPA anticipates
approximately $4.3 million in additional savings.
In FY 2021, EPA also will continue supporting the Superfund Remedial Acquisition Framework
(RAF), which modifies EPA's existing approach for acquiring services to support the Superfund
Remedial Program. The RAF consists of three suites of multiple award, indefinite quantity
contracts as the primary means for acquiring remedial services: Design and Engineering Services,
Remediation Environmental Services, and Environmental Services and Operations. In addition to
providing a variety of acquisition tools for Superfund remedial services, RAF aligns with
government-wide directives, maximizes competition to realize cost efficiency, strengthens the
Agency's contract management processes, and helps to improve efficiency across the Superfund
Remedial Program.
In FY 2021, EPA requests an increase to evaluate options for replacing the EPA Acquisition
System (EAS) with an approved government-wide Federal Shared Service Provider (FSSP) for a
contract writing system. This investment will support the Agency's long-term performance goal
in the FY 2018 - 2022 EPA Strategic Plan to increase the adoption of shared services. It also is in
12 For additional information, please refer to: https://www.wliitehouse.gov/sites/whitehouse.gov/fLles/omb/memoranda/2017/M-
17-2 9 .pdf Best-in-Class Mandatory Solution -Package Delivery Services.
490

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line with OMB-19-16 "Centralized Mission Support Capabilities for the Federal Government"13
and the President's Management Agenda CAP Goal 5: Sharing Quality Services.14 The Agency is
focusing on a solution that reduces costs while increasing efficiency by standardizing federal
procurement planning, contract award, administration, and close-out processes. Transition
preparations include data management strategies, business process reviews, and user engagement
to develop a business case and ensure data elements conform with Federal Government
Procurement standards.
In FY 2021, EPA will continue to focus on implementing the Financial Information Technology
Acquisition Reform Act (FITARA) by competing contracts with multiple vendors or confining the
scope of the contract to a limited task, thereby avoiding vendor lock-in, and developing acquisition
vehicles that support the Agency in FITARA compliance and implementation.
Performance Measure Targets:
Work under this program supports performance results in the Acquisition Management Program
under the EPM appropriation and the Central Planning, Budgeting and Finance Program under the
EPM appropriation.
FY 2021 Change from Estimated FY 2020 Enacted Budget (Dollars in Thousands):
•	(+$4,625.0) This change is an increase due to recalculation of base payroll costs.
•	(+$100.0) This program change is an increase to support planning for the migration to a
Federal Shared Service Provider contract writing system.
•	(-$2,276.0 / -15.0 FTE) This program change streamlines contractor support for: helpdesk
services for EPA's Acquisition System; the closeout of contracts; and the Defense Contract
Management Agency for Audit Services and the Virtual Acquisition Office (a source for
up-to-date government acquisition news, research, and analysis). It also proposes to
eliminate funding for Contracts Management Assessment Program Reviews, which
enables EPA to self-identify and remedy internal weaknesses, and reduces the Agency's
training for its acquisition community.
Statutory Authority:
Reorganization Plan No. 3 of 1970, 84 Stat. 2086, as amended by Pub. L. 98-80, 97 Stat. 485
(codified at Title 5, App.) (EPA's organic statute); Comprehensive Environmental Response,
Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA).
13	For more information, please refer to: https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/M-19-16.pdf.
14	For more information, please visit: https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/Presidents-Management-
Agenda.pdf".
491

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Central Planning, Budgeting, and Finance
Program Area: Operations and Administration
Goal: Greater Certainty, Compliance, and Effectiveness
Objective(s): Improve Efficiency and Effectiveness

(Dollars in Thousands)

FY 2019
Actuals
Estimated
FY 2020
Enacted
FY 2021 Pres
Budget
FY 2021 Pres
Budget v.
Estimated FY 2020
Enacted
Environmental Programs & Management
$72,920.6
$71,423.0
$76,603.0
$5,180.0
Leaking Underground Storage Tanks
$258.3
$321.0
$450.0
$129.0
Utizurtlims Substance Siiperjuml
N_V. "2."
S 2l.V~J.lt
N 2 2.-/02.0
S JVI.lt
Total Budget Authority
$96,951.6
$93,715.0
$99,515.0
$5,800.0
Total Workyears
421.4
456.0
435.3
-20.7
Total workyears in FY 2021 include 1.0 FTE funded by TSCA fees and 1.0 FTE funded by e-Manifest fees.
Total workyears in FY 2021 include 39.0 FTE to support Central Planning, Budgeting, and Finance working capital
fund (WCF) services.
Program Project Description:
EPA's financial management community maintains a strong partnership with the Superfund
Program. EPA's Office of the Chief Financial Officer (OCFO) supports this continuing partnership
by providing a full array of financial management support services and systems necessary to pay
Superfund bills and recoup cleanup and oversight costs for the Trust Fund. EPA's OCFO manages
Superfund activities under the Central Planning, Budgeting, and Finance Program in support of
integrated planning, budget formulation and execution, financial management, performance and
accountability processes, financial cost recovery, and systems to ensure effective stewardship of
Superfund resources. This program supports the requirements of the Digital Accountability and
Transparency (DATA) Act of 2014 and the Federal Information Technology Acquisition Reform
Act (FITARA) of 2015.
FY 2021 Activities and Performance Plan:
Work in this program directly supports Goal 3/Objective 3.5, Improve Efficiency and
Effectiveness in the FY 2018 - 2022 EPA Strategic Plan. EPA will continue to provide resource
stewardship to ensure that all agency programs operate with fiscal responsibility and management
integrity, financial services are efficiently and consistently delivered nationwide, and programs
demonstrate results. EPA will maintain key planning, budgeting, and financial management
activities. EPA will sustain basic operations and maintenance of core agency financial
management systems: Compass, PeoplePlus (Time and Attendance), Budget Formulation System,
and related financial reporting systems. In line with the President's Management Agenda, the
Agency is reviewing its financial systems for modernization opportunities to support greater
efficiencies and effectiveness and targeting legacy systems for replacement.
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EPA will continue to modernize and streamline business processes and operations to promote
transparency and efficiency. The Program will apply Lean principles and leverage input from
customer-focused councils, advisory groups, and technical workgroups to continue improving as
a high-performance organization. EPA will standardize and streamline internal business processes
and use additional federal and/or internal shared services when supported by business case
analysis. Since 2014, Department of Interior's (DOI) Interior Business Center (IBC) serves as
EPA's payroll and HR shared service provider. The resources requested directly support the long-
term performance goal in the FY 2018 - 2022 EPA Strategic Plan: By September 30, 2022,
increase enterprise adoption of shared services by four.
In FY 2021, the Program will continue to focus on core responsibilities in the areas of strategic
planning and budget preparation, financial reporting, transaction processing, and Superfund Cost
Recovery. The Program will continue to implement FITARA requirements in accordance with
EPA's Implementation Plan.15 The Chief Information Officer will continue to be engaged
throughout the budget planning process to ensure that IT needs are properly planned and resourced
in accordance with FITARA.
During FY 2021, EPA will focus on implementation of G-Invoicing, Treasury's Interagency
Agreement system. The goal is to align EPA's business processes to deliver the new, more
streamlined approach for the end-to-end delivery of financial transactions for IAs. Over the next
several years, other federal shared services are planned that will impact financial transactions.
Among other benefits, EPA seeks to adopt accepted and standardized business processes that will
deliver greater streamlining and efficiency and achieve improved financial and programmatic
oversight. Equally important is the ability to meet increased transparency needs, such as those
prescribed in the DATA Act, as well as increased compliance and reporting standards.
EPA will continue to follow OMB Circular A-123 guidance, conduct internal control program
reviews, and use the results and recommendations from the Office of Inspector General (OIG) to
provide evidence of the soundness of EPA's financial management program and identify areas for
further improvement. The Agency will collect key operational statistics for its financial
management program to further evaluate its operations and for management decision-making. For
example, since FY 2018, through extensive employee outreach and improved communication with
human resources, EPA reduced the number of payroll payments made outside of the normal payroll
process by 92 percent. EPA also uses its major systems' help desk ticket data to evaluate ticket
durations, urgent ticket responses, ticket escalations, and customer experience to determine
potential improvements and best practices. In addition, EPA is dedicated to reducing fraud, waste,
and abuse, and strengthening internal controls over improper payments. Since the implementation
of the Improper Payments Information Act of 2002, EPA has continually reviewed, sampled, and
monitored its payments to protect against erroneous payments and complied with reporting
requirements.
15 For more information please see: http://www.epa.gov/open/fitara-implementation-plan-and-chief-iiifoniiation-ofFicer-
assignment-plan.
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Performance Measure Targets:
Work under this program supports performance results in the Central Planning, Budgeting, and
Finance Program under the EPM appropriation.
FY 2021 Change from Estimated FY 2020 Enacted Budget (Dollars in Thousands):
•	(+$3,126.0) This change is an increase due to recalculation of base payroll costs.
•	(-$2,826.0 / -12.1 FTE) This net program change is a decrease as the Agency streamlines
in the areas of strategic planning, budget preparation, financial reporting, and transaction
processing including the closure of the Las Vegas Finance Center and related
decommissioning of the LAN and IGMS interface.
•	(-$1,034.0) This decrease represents savings from the decommissioning of the Superfund
Cost Recovery Package Imaging and On-line System (SCORPIOS).
•	(+$1,225.0) This program increase supports the e-Recovery system to provide cost
recovery support.
Statutory Authority:
Reorganization Plan No. 3 of 1970, 84 Stat. 2086, as amended by Pub. L. 98-80, 97 Stat. 485
(codified as Title 5, App.) (EPA's organic statute); Comprehensive Environmental Response,
Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA).
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Facilities Infrastructure and Operations
Program Area: Operations and Administration
Goal: Greater Certainty, Compliance, and Effectiveness
Objective(s): Improve Efficiency and Effectiveness

(Dollars in Thousands)

FY 2019
Actuals
Estimated
FY 2020
Enacted
FY 2021 Pres
Budget
FY 2021 Pres
Budget v.
Estimated FY 2020
Enacted
Environmental Programs & Management
$321,500.4
$287,595.0
$317,345.0
$29,750.0
Science & Technology
$67,856.9
$65,372.0
$67,908.0
$2,536.0
Building and Facilities
$23,017.8
$26,922.0
$33,377.0
$6,455.0
Leaking Underground Storage Tanks
$847.2
$868.0
$796.0
-$72.0
Inland Oil Spill Programs
$577.3
$665.0
$682.0
$17.0
Hazardous Substance Sn/>i'r/niitl

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s 'o.sji.o
SJ5.S.0
Total Budget Authority
$496,042.8
$457,895.0
$496,939.0
$39,044.0
Total Workyears
329.9
315.4
307.6
-7.8
Total workyears in FY 2021 include 2.1 FTE to support Facilities Infrastructure and Operations working capital fund
(WCF) services.
Program Project Description:
Superfund resources in the Facilities Infrastructure and Operations Program fund the Agency's
rent, utilities, and security. The Program also supports centralized administrative activities and
support services, including health and safety, environmental compliance and management,
facilities maintenance and operations, space planning, sustainable facilities and energy
conservation planning and support, property management, printing, mail, and transportation
services. Funding for such services is allocated among the major appropriations for the Agency.
FY 2021 Activities and Performance Plan:
Work in this program directly supports Goal 3/Objective 3.5, Improve Efficiency and
Effectiveness in the FY 2018 - 2022 EPA Strategic Plan. In FY 2021, EPA will continue to invest
in the reconfiguration of EPA's workspaces, enabling the Agency to release office space and
reduce long-term rent costs, consistent with HR 4465,16 the Federal Assets Sale and Transfer Act
of 2016. EPA is implementing a long-term space consolidation plan that will reduce the number
of occupied facilities, consolidate space within remaining facilities, and reduce square footage
wherever practical. EPA also will continue to work to enhance its Federal infrastructure and
operations in a manner that increases efficiency.17
16	For additional information, please refer to: https://www.congress.gOv/bill/l 14th-congress/house-bill/4465. Federal Assets Sale
and Transfer Act of 2016.
17	For additional information, please refer to: https://www.whitdiouse.gov/presidential-actions/executive-order-regarding-
efficient-federal-operationsA Executive Order 13834 "Efficient Federal Operations". For information on EPA's FY 2018
performance for efficient Federal operations/management, please visit: https://www.sustainabitity.gov/iiiiages/scorecards/epa-
scorecard-fy 201.8 .pug.
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EPA is working toward the long-term performance goal in the FY2018 - 2022 EPA Strategic Plan
to reduce unused office and warehouse space by 850,641 square feet nationwide by September 30,
2022. This has the potential to provide a cumulative annual rent avoidance of nearly $28 million
across all appropriations. This will help offset EPA's escalating rent and security costs. In FY
2019, EPA released 128,150 square feet of unused office and warehouse space. Planned
consolidations in FY 2021 will allow EPA to release an expected 319,693 square feet of space.
For FY 2021, the Agency is requesting $46.84 million for rent, $2.39 million for utilities, and
$8.64 million for security in the Superfund appropriation. EPA uses a standard methodology to
ensure that rent charging appropriately reflects planned and enacted resources at the appropriation
level.
In FY 2021, the Agency will take aggressive action to reconfigure EPA's workplaces with the goal
of reducing long-term rent costs. Space consolidation and reconfiguration enables EPA to reduce
its footprint to create a more efficient, collaborative, and technologically sophisticated workplace.
EPA will continue to manage lease agreements with GSA and private landlords, and maintain EPA
facilities, fleet, equipment, and fund costs associated with utilities and building security needs.
EPA also will meet regulatory Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)
obligations and provide health and safety training to field staff (e.g., inspections, monitoring, On-
Scene Coordinators), and track capital equipment of $25 thousand or more.
In addition, the Agency will continue to utilize GSA's Managed Service Office, USAccess, for
PIV card enrollment and issuance. USAccess is a shared services solution which is in line with
OMB's Federal IT Shared Services Strategy and the President's Management Agenda.18
Performance Measure Targets:
Work under this program supports performance results in the Facilities Infrastructure and
Operations Program under the EPM appropriation and the Central Planning, Budgeting, and
Finance Program under the EPM appropriation.
FY 2021 Change from Estimated FY 2020 Enacted Budget (Dollars in Thousands):
•	(+$283.0) This change is an increase due to recalculation of base payroll costs.
•	(+$1,454.0) This change to fixed and other costs is an increase due to the recalculation of
rent, utilities, and security.
•	(-$1,379.0 / -2.3 FTE) This program change reduces environmental management system
activities, comprehensive facility energy audits, and re-commissioning.
18 For additional information, please refer to: https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/Presidents-Management-
Agenda.pdf.
496

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Statutory Authority:
Federal Property and Administration Services Act; Reorganization Plan No. 3 of 1970, 84 Stat.
2086, as amended by Pub. L. 98-80, 97 Stat. 485 (codified at Title 5, App.) (EPA's organic
statute); Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA).
497

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Financial Assistance Grants / IAG Management
Program Area: Operations and Administration
Goal: Greater Certainty, Compliance, and Effectiveness
Objective(s): Improve Efficiency and Effectiveness

(Dollars in Thousands)

FY 2019
Actuals
Estimated
FY 2020
Enacted
FY 2021 Pres
Budget
FY 2021 Pres
Budget v.
Estimated FY 2020
Enacted
Environmental Programs & Management
$23,794.8
$23,802.0
$21,452.0
-$2,350.0
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SJ.5/"
S2.5S0.0
s
SJ2J.0
Total Budget Authority
$26,312.5
$26,382.0
$24,355.0
-$2,027.0
Total Workyears
129.9
139.5
115.7
-23.8
Program Project Description:
Superfund resources in the Financial Assistance Grants and Interagency Agreement (IA)
Management Program support the management of grants and IAs, and suspension and debarment
activities. Resources in this program ensure that EPA's management of grants and IAs meet the
highest fiduciary standards, that the grant and IA funding produces measurable results for
environmental programs, and that the suspension and debarment program effectively protects the
government's business interest. These objectives are critically important for the Superfund
Program, as a substantial portion of the Program is implemented through IAs with the U.S. Army
Corps of Engineers and the U. S. Coast Guard.
FY 2021 Activities and Performance Plan:
Work in this program directly supports Goal 3/Objective 3.5, Improve Efficiency and
Effectiveness in the FY 2018 - 2022 EPA Strategic Plan. Accordingly, EPA will continue to
implement activities to achieve efficiencies while enhancing quality and accountability. In FY
2021, EPA will continue investments in modernizing grant and IA information
technology/information management (IT/IM) systems in support of the President's Management
Agenda.19
Work in this program supports the long-term performance goal in the FY 2018 - 2022 EPA
Strategic Plan: By September 30, 2022, increase enterprise adoption of shared services by four.
The Agency will complete activities to align its IA business processes to ensure compatibility with
the government-wide mandate to adopt G-Invoicing by June 2021.
In FY 2021, additional resources are requested for the Agency to complete the deployment of
EPA's Next Generation Grants System (NGGS) and retiring outdated legacy grants management
system. The transition to NGGS has a relatively low deployment time and will require fewer
training resources as the system is based on legacy grant system infrastructure already familiar to
19 For more information, please visit: https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/Presidents-Management-
Agenda.pelf".
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staff. NGGS relies on a flexible platform that will enable it to adapt to changing technology and
business processes and will allow it to easily integrate with other agency systems. Prior to moving
forward with the development of NGGS, EPA researched available federal shared service
providers for grants systems and was unable to identify an existing solution that would enable the
Agency to fulfill its fiduciary responsibilities, and ensure proper accountability, oversight,
controls, reporting capability, and financial stewardship of EPA grants.
EPA will continue to focus on reducing the administrative burden on EPA and grants recipients,
and on improving grants management procedures by: 1) streamlining EPA's grants management
policies through a new comprehensive framework to guide policy development, implementation,
compliance, and review; 2) using EPA's Lean Management System to refine grants management
processes; and 3) moving to a risk-based method of pre- and post-award monitoring for grants to
more effectively ensure compliance and to also reduce burden.
The Agency will continue to make use of discretionary debarments and suspensions to protect the
government's business interests. In FY 2021, EPA will focus suspension and debarment activity
onto the most egregious violations. Congress and federal courts have long recognized federal
agencies' inherent authority and obligation to exclude non-responsible parties from eligibility to
receive government contracts and non-procurement awards (for example: grants, cooperative
agreements, loans, and loan guarantees). A number of recent federal statutes, GAO reports, and
OMB directives require that federal agencies administer effective suspension and debarment
programs to protect the public's interest and the integrity of federal programs.
Performance Measure Targets:
Work under this program supports performance results in the Central Planning, Budgeting, and
Finance Program under the EPM appropriation.
FY 2021 Change from Estimated FY 2020 Enacted Budget (Dollars in Thousands):
•	(+$650.0) This change is an increase due to recalculation of base payroll costs.
•	(-$427.0 / -2.4 FTE) This program change reflects expected efficiencies in the processing
of grant and IA awards, lower requested grant funding levels throughout the Agency, and
a review of unliquidated obligations. EPA will target funds to core grant and IA activities.
•	(+$100.0) This program change is an investment to support migration to a new grants
administration management system and retiring outdated legacy software.
Statutory Authority:
Reorganization Plan No. 3 of 1970, 84 Stat. 2086, as amended by Pub. L. 98-80, 97 Stat. 485
(codified at Title 5, App.) (EPA's organic statute); Federal Grant and Cooperative Agreement Act;
Federal Acquisition Streamlining Act § 2455; Comprehensive Environmental Response,
Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA).
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Human Resources Management
Program Area: Operations and Administration
Goal: Greater Certainty, Compliance, and Effectiveness
Objective(s): Improve Efficiency and Effectiveness

(Dollars in Thousands)

FY 2019
Actuals
Estimated
FY 2020
Enacted
FY 2021 Pres
Budget
FY 2021 Pres
Budget v.
Estimated FY 2020
Enacted
Environmental Programs & Management
$43,339.9
$41,556.0
$44,538.0
$2,982.0
Hazardous Substance Sn/>i'r/niitl
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VO-/.V.W
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-SS-I-I.O
Total Budget Authority
$49,503.6
$48,104.0
$50,242.0
$2,138.0
Total Workyears
201.4
228.2
223.0
-5.2
Program Project Description:
Superfund resources for the Human Resources (HR) Management Program support human capital
(HC) activities throughout EPA. To help achieve its mission and maximize employee productivity
and job satisfaction in the Superfund Program, EPA continually works to improve business
processes for critical HC functions including recruitment, hiring, employee development,
performance management, leadership development and workforce planning. This includes
personnel and payroll processing through the Human Resources Line of Business. Superfund
resources also support Chief Human Capital Officer Council activities under applicable statutes
and guidance, including the Agency's Human Capital Operating Plan.
FY 2021 Activities and Performance Plan:
Work in this program directly supports Goal 3/Objective 3.5, Improve Efficiency and Effectiveness
in the FY 2018 - 2022 EPA Strategic Plan. Effective workforce management is critical to EPA's
ability to accomplish its mission. EPA's efforts in HC functions are focused on sustaining the
workforce, retaining critical expertise, and capturing institutional knowledge. The Agency is
developing and deploying management tools to assist EPA in ensuring the right staff with the
appropriate skills are placed in the most suitable positions. These tools also will be valuable as an
increasing percentage of the workforce becomes retirement eligible. Currently, 25 percent of
EPA's workforce is retirement eligible, increasing to an estimated to 50 percent over the next five
years. EPA will continue to support efforts to maintain the high-quality of core operations, improve
productivity, and achieve cost savings in mission support functions including HC management.
In FY 2021, the Agency will continue to build upon its performance, learning, and succession
management activities. EPA will maintain and operate FedTalent, a talent management system
provided through the Department of Interior (DOI)'s Interior Business Center (IBC). FedTalent
serves as a valuable tool that assists with developing, delivering, and tracking high-impact training.
EPA will continue to migrate and consolidate training data from more than 15 disparate training
repositories to ensure FedTalent is a one-stop-shop for all training needs. Additionally, the Agency
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is planning to procure and deploy a performance management system to move from paper to an
automatic process for the start of FY 2021.
In FY 2021, EPA will continue to maintain and operate two other recent workforce planning tools
- the Mission Critical Occupations dashboard (to be fully launched in FY 2020) and the Workforce
Demographics and Diversity dashboards (both fully deployed and in place). These dashboards
provide data visualizations and easy-to-understand information about the current workforce and
are essential for succession planning and management because they afford managers a strategic
view of retirement eligibility, diversity information, occupational series, and grade levels, as well
as the ability to drill down and access data at lower organizational levels. The dashboards assist
EPA with succession planning by helping identify workforce gaps due to anticipated retirements
and attrition trends.
The Agency will continue the development and piloting of its Talent Enterprise Diagnostics (TED)
tool in FY 2020, which advances human capital priorities by enhancing EPA's ability to make
strategic workforce decisions. In FY 2021, TED data will serve a crucial role in EPA's Workforce
Planning and Succession Management process to identify potential competency gaps across the
Agency and to increase management's understanding of where needed skill sets reside within EPA.
EPA is working to develop and maintain a high-caliber and modern information technology and
security workforce though direct hiring authority (DHA) granted by 5 CFR § 33720 for information
technology (IT) positions. This authority allows EPA to recruit highly skilled candidates in very
technical areas of work without regard to the provisions of Title 5. The Agency hired 23 IT
specialists leveraging this authority in FY 2019. EPA will continue to leverage the use of the DHA
across IT specialist occupation categories in FY 2020 and FY 2021.
In FY 2021, EPA's Human Resources Shared Service Centers (HRSSC) in Cincinnati, Ohio and
Research Triangle Park, North Carolina will continue to manage recruitment, employee relations
and advisory services, develop, implement, and enhance training and employee orientation
programs, and provide management guidance on workforce planning and personnel policies.
Additionally, the HRSSCs will continue to coordinate and deliver a comprehensive human
resource management program. Other, specific functions encompass employee benefits, retirement
counseling, career development, performance management, personnel actions, and quality of life
issues.
Performance Measure Targets:
Work under this program supports performance results in the Central Planning, Budgeting, and
Finance Program under the EPM appropriation.
FY 2021 Change from Estimated FY 2020 Enacted Budget (Dollars in Thousands):
• (-$182.0) This change is an increase due to the recalculation of base payroll costs.
20 For more information, please refer to: https://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-
idx?c=ecfr&sid=lb430a73f84957c9flaf2dee2f[9d0d5&rgn=div5&view=text&node=5:l .0.1. .2.48&idno=5#5:1. .0.1. .2.48.2.1.6.1.
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• (-$662.0) This net program change reduces funding for: operational support for HR
programs being utilized agencywide including the Agency's recruitment and diversity and
inclusion activities, EPA's Human Resources Council and National Partnership Council,
the Leave Bank, and the Workplace Solutions; enhancements and maintenance of EPA's
HR IT Systems including HR Line of Business, data management and analysis,
troubleshooting, and change requests; support for Federal Advisory Committees not
mandated by statute; and centrally-provided, non-mandatory training.
Statutory Authority:
Title 5 of the U.S.C.; Reorganization Plan No. 3 of 1970, 84 Stat. 2086, as amended by Pub. L.
98-80, 97 Stat. 485 (codified at Title 5, App.) (EPA's organic statute); Comprehensive
Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA).
502

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Research: Sustainable Communities
503

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Research: Sustainable and Healthy Communities
Program Area: Research: Sustainable Communities
Goal: Greater Certainty, Compliance, and Effectiveness
Objective(s): Prioritize Robust Science

(Dollars in Thousands)

FY 2019
Actuals
Estimated
FY 2020
Enacted
FY 2021 Pres
Budget
FY 2021 Pres
Budget v.
Estimated FY 2020
Enacted
Science & Technology
$135,083.1
$132,477.0
$58,597.0
-$73,880.0
Leaking Underground Storage Tanks
$130.5
$320.0
$304.0
-$16.0
Inland Oil Spill Programs
$599.6
$664.0
$522.0
-$142.0
Hazardous Substance Sn/>i'r/niitl
S 11,00-1.'
SI (>,-103.0
S H.44H.0
-S 5.01x0
Total Budget Authority
$146,817.9
$149,924.0
$70,871.0
-$79,053.0
Total Workyears
411.9
421.8
294.6
-127.2
Program Project Description:
This area of EPA's Sustainable and Healthy Communities (SHC) Research Program responds
directly to the Superfund law requirements for a comprehensive and coordinated federal "program
of research, evaluation, testing, development, and demonstration of alternative or innovative
treatment technologies... which may be utilized in response actions to achieve more permanent
protection of human health and welfare and the environment."21
The SHC Research Program is one of six integrated and transdisciplinary research programs in the
Research and Development Program. Each of the six integrated and transdisciplinary research
programs is guided by a Strategic Research Action Plan (StRAP) that reflects the research needs
of agency program and regional offices, states, and tribes, and is implemented with their active
collaboration and involvement. As part of the FY 2021 Budget, the new SHC FY 2019-2022
StRAP builds upon prior SHC StRAPs and continues a practice of conducting innovative scientific
research aimed at solving the problems encountered by agency partners and stakeholders.
SHC's research under the Superfund appropriation provides federal, regional, and community
decision-makers with: 1) engineering tools, methods, and information to assess current conditions
at Superfund sites; 2) decision support tools to evaluate the implications of alternative remediation
approaches and technologies, and reuse of sites; 3) the latest science to support policy development
and implementation; and 4) rapid access to technical support through EPA's Superfund Technical
Support Centers.
21 42 U.S.C. § 9660(b).
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Recent Accomplishments of the SHC Research Program include:
•	Superfund Technical Support Centers (TSC) for Engineering22 and Groundwater:23
EPA's Engineering Technical Support Center (ETSC) services both National Priorities List
Superfund and Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) sites and prepares
Engineering Issue Papers and webinars/presentations on critical topics of broad application
to site remediation across the United States. The Ground Water Technical Support Center
(GWTSC) consists of a group of scientists and engineers with broad expertise who provide
help with subsurface contamination, contaminant fluxes from groundwater to other media,
and ecosystem restoration issues. The ETSC and GWTSC respond to approximately 275
requests for assistance per year, 75-80 percent of which are from National Priority List
sites.24 Requests come from Superfund and RCRA corrective action staff from all 10 EPA
Regions. Most requests are for document review or for technical advice. Some requests
require field work, sampling, or laboratory analysis. The TSC responded to requests for
assistance at some of the Agency's highest priority Superfund sites,25 including the Bonita
Peak Mining district in CO, the Quendell Terminal site in WA, the Tar Creek site in OK,
the L. A. Clarke & Sons site in PA, and the Olin Chemical Superfund site in MA.
•	Peer-reviewed journal articles in FY 2019 on geophysical methods to characterize and
monitor groundwater-surface water interactions:26 EPA addresses contaminated
groundwater at approximately 85 percent of Superfund sites27 and at many RCRA28 sites
and Brownfields29 sites. Such contamination can interact with surface water and pollute
drinking water or produce adverse impacts on aquatic species and mobilize contaminants
through the food chain, impacting human health. The two articles published in 2019
support the scientific foundation to map, characterize, and understand groundwater inputs
into surface water bodies. The geophysical methods referenced in the 2019 articles
facilitate Agency decision-making at Superfund and RCRA sites and aid in remediation
and plume capture design. This work supports the Land and Emergency Management
Program priorities for understanding the linkages between contaminant concentrations in
sediment and fish tissue concentrations.
•	Peer-reviewed journal publication on Thioarsenite Detection and Implications for
Arsenic Transport in Groundwater (September 2019):30 EPA research addresses
problems encountered at Superfund sites across the country, where groundwater pollution
can result in polluted aquifers, wells, and surface water leading to polluted drinking water.
Arsenic toxicity and mobility in groundwater depend on the chemical compounds that
22	For more information, please see: https://www.epa.gov/knd-research/engineering-technical-support-center-etsc.
23	For more information, please see: https://www.epa.gov/water-research/ground-water-techiiical-support-center-gwtsc.
24	For more information, please see: Engineering Technical Support Center Annual Reports: Groundwater Technical Support
Center Annual Reports.
25	For more information, please see: https://www.epa.gov/supeifuiid/adiiiiiiistrators-enipliasis-list.
26	For more information, please see: https://doi.org/10.51.94/liess-22-6383-2018: https://doi.org/10.1.1.1.1/gwat. 1.2846:
https://doi.org/! 0.1.002/201. SW.R01.821.9.
27	For more information, please see: https://www.epa.goY/superfuiid/how-supeifuiid-addresses-grouiidwater-coiitaiiiiiiatioii.
28	For more information, please see, for example: https://www.epa.gov/hweniiittiiig/grouiid-water-iiioiiitoriiig-requireiiieiits-
hazardous-waste-treatiiieiit-storage-and-disposal.
29	For more information, please see: https://www.epa.goY/sites/productioii/files/201.7-1. l/documents/brownfieldsroadmapepaS42-
30	For more information, please see: https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acs.est.9b04478.
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arsenic forms in groundwater. EPA research describes methods to characterize those
arsenic compounds, especially those containing sulfur. The published, analytical methods
allow better prediction of transport and fate of arsenic in groundwater and the development
of remediation approaches for treating impacted aquifers.
FY 2021 Activities and Performance Plan:
Work in this program directly supports Goal 3 Objective 3.3, Prioritize Robust Science in the
FY 2018 - 2022 EPA Strategic Plan, as well as the recommendations of the Superfund Task Force
of July 2017.31 In FY 2021, EPA research under SHC will support the Land and Emergency
Management Program, regional offices, states, and tribes, by providing technical assistance and
support to help characterize, remediate, and manage contaminated sites and groundwater. The tools
developed under the SHC Research Program will help the Land and Emergency Management
Program and the regional offices address complex contamination problems at Superfund, RCRA,
and Brownfields sites in the United States. EPA research personnel and associated support staff
also will analyze existing research data on vapor intrusion, contaminated groundwater and
sediments, and innovative technologies for site characterization and remediation. Additionally,
scientific journal articles will be published to disseminate findings associated with the data.
Research Planning:
EPA's Board of Scientific Counselors (BOSC) is a federal advisory committee that provides
advice and recommendations to EPA's Research and Development Program on technical and
management issues of its research programs. The SHC Research Program will continue to meet
regularly over the next several years with the BOSC SHC subcommittee to seek input on topics
related to research program design, science quality, innovation, relevance, and impact.
The Agency assesses its research performance through the distribution of research evaluation
surveys to key users of its research products. This provides evidence for how research products
are being used, by whom, and the degree of satisfaction product users have with research product
quality, usability, and timeliness of delivery. Through the evaluation process, the Agency identifies
its strengths and finds targeted areas for improvement to its research programs.
EPA's state engagement program32 is designed to inform states about their role within EPA and
EPA's research programs, and to better understand the science needs of state environmental and
health agencies. Key partners at the state level include: the Environmental Council of the States,
with its Environmental Research Institute of the States and Interstate Technology and Regulatory
Council; the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials; as well as state media
associations, such as the Association of State and Territorial Solid Waste Management Officials.
31	For more information, please see: https://www.epa.gov/superfund/superfund-task-force-recommendations.
32	For more information on EPA's state engagement efforts, please see: https://www.epa.gov/research/epa-research-solutions-
states.
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Performance Measure Targets:
Work under this program supports performance results in the Research: Sustainable and Healthy
Communities Program under the S&T appropriation.
FY 2021 Change from Estimated FY 2020 Enacted Budget (Dollars in Thousands):
•	(+$80.0) This change is an increase due to the recalculation of base payroll costs.
•	(-$5,095.0 / +8.5 FTE) This net program change streamlines funding for research
associated with designating chemicals as hazardous substances. It also refocuses the
Agency's scientific and engineering expertise provided to address environmental problems
via Technical Support Centers.
Statutory Authority:
Reorganization Plan No. 3 of 1970, 84 Stat. 2086, as amended by Pub. L. 98-80, 97 Stat. 485
(codified as Title 5 App.) (EPA's organic statute); Comprehensive Environmental Response,
Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA).
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Research: Chemical Safety and Sustainability
508

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Health and Environmental Risk Assessment
Program Area: Research: Chemical Safety for Sustainability
Goal: Greater Certainty, Compliance, and Effectiveness
Objective(s): Prioritize Robust Science

(Dollars in Thousands)

FY 2019
Actuals
Estimated
FY 2020
Enacted
FY 2021 Pres
Budget
FY 2021 Pres
Budget v.
Estimated FY 2020
Enacted
Science & Technology
$37,003.7
$37,351.0
$24,694.0
-$12,657.0
Hazardous Substance Sn/>i'r/niitl
9
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Total Budget Authority
$39,868.6
$50,175.0
$30,853.0
-$19,322.0
Total Workyears
144.0
154.9
111.6
-43.3
Program Project Description:
EPA's Health and Environmental Risk Assessment (HERA) Research Program is focused on the
science of assessments that inform decisions made by EPA and others, including states and tribes.
These assessments provide the scientific basis for decisions under an array of environmental laws,
including: Clean Air Act; Clean Water Act; Safe Drinking Water Act; Toxic Substances Control
Act (TSCA); and Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act
(CERCLA). HERA supports the risk assessment needs of the Agency's Superfund Program and
regional risk assessors. With funding from Superfund, the HERA Research Program provides
Provisional Peer-Reviewed Toxicity Values (PPRTVs) and rapid risk assessments to respond to
emergent scenarios, and technical support on the application of human health and ecological risk
assessment practices at hazardous waste sites for Superfund. These assessment tools and activities
support risk-based management decisions at contaminated Superfund and hazardous waste sites.
The HERA Research Program is one of six integrated and transdisciplinary research programs
within the Research and Development Program. The six research programs are each guided by a
Strategic Research Action Plan (StRAP) that reflects the research needs of agency program and
regional offices, states, and tribes, and is implemented with their active collaboration and
involvement. As part of the FY 2021 Budget, the new HERA FY 2019-2022 StRAP builds upon
prior Human Health Risk Assessment (HHRA) StRAPs and continues a practice of conducting
innovative scientific research aimed at solving the problems encountered by agency partners and
stakeholders.
For the FY 2021 Budget, EPA renamed the HHRA Research Program to the HERA Research
Program, to more accurately reflect the breadth of assessments conducted under this research
program, including exposure and ecological assessments as well as human health hazard
assessments. For example, this research program prepares the Integrated Science Assessments
(ISAs) for both the primary and secondary National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS),
the former statutorily related to human health effects and the latter covering human welfare, which
includes ecological and other environmental impacts of the air pollutants. The timing of the
509

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proposed name change to HERA coincides with, and is supportive of, the Research and
Development Program's reorganization which occurred in September 2019.
HERA supports the Agency's mission to protect human health and the environment by identifying
and characterizing the health hazards of chemicals of concern to the Superfund Program and
responding to technical requests on topics relevant to human health or ecological risk assessment
at hazardous waste sites. Scientists in the HERA Research Program synthesize available scientific
information on the potential health and environmental impacts of exposures to individual
chemicals and chemical mixtures in the environment to assist in the Agency's chemical risk
assessment work. PPRTVs are an important source of toxicity information and toxicity values to
ensure improvements in human health and the environment in communities near Superfund sites.
Priorities for PPRTV development are based on the needs of the Agency's Land and Emergency
Management Program, with input from agency regional offices, and are evaluated annually. HERA
research areas include applying new data streams, read-across approaches and computational tools,
enhancement of supporting data/knowledge bases, and efficiency of derivation for PPRTV values.
There are over 1,300 Superfund sites on the National Priorities List.33 Communities near
Superfund sites or in emergency situations are faced with an urgent need for coordinated assistance
to assess and address issues of environmental contamination. The HERA Research Program
anticipates environmental contamination issues and develops new assessment approaches to
enhance rapid response and screening capabilities and to augment toxicity value derivation
procedures for health assessments.
Recent Accomplishments of the HERA Research Program include:
•	PPRTV Documents: In FY 2019, the HERA Research Program completed three PPRTV
documents based on the needs and priorities of EPA's Superfund Program. These include,
2-Ethylhexanol,34 2-Nitropropane,35 and p-a,a,a-tetrachlorotoluene.36
•	Technical Support: In FY 2019, HERA fielded more than ten requests for scientific
support on human and ecological assessment via the Superfund Health Risk Technical
Support Center and Ecological Risk Assessment Support Center. These requests included
assistance with employing new approach methods and continued stakeholder engagement
on complex science to address needs of Superfund sites across the United States.
FY 2021 Activities and Performance Plan:
Work in this program directly supports Goal 3/Objective 3.3, Prioritize Robust Science in the
FY2018 - 2022 EPA Strategic Plan. In FY 2021, the HERA Research Program's work will focus
explicitly on efforts integral to achieving the Agency's priorities and informing EPA's
implementation of key environmental regulations. Examples of this work include:
33	For more information, please see: https://www.epa.gov/superfmd/superfund-national-priorities-list-npl.
34	For more information, please see: https://cfpub.epa.gov/ncea/pprtv/recordi splay.cfm?deid=344923.
35	For more information, please see: https://cfpub.epa.gov/ncea/pprtv/recordi splay.cfm?deid=347734.
36	For more information, please see: https://cfpub.epa.gov/ncea/pprtv/recordisplay.cfm?deid=347733.
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•	PPRTV Assessments: Provide at least six additional PPRTV assessments of variable scale
as prioritized by EPA's Land and Emergency Management Program.
•	Portfolio of Chemical Evaluation Products: Complement the PPRTVs by providing
additional 'fit-for-purpose' assessment products for priority chemicals, such as for up to
five perfluorinated compounds and lead as prioritized by the Land and Emergency
Management Program. Having modernized its assessment infrastructure, HERA will use
evidence mapping to provide a better understanding of the extent and nature of evidence
available to address agency needs (i.e., 'fit for purpose'). This approach is expected to
improve throughput for PPRTV development.
•	Linking Databases and Management Tools: Continue to collaborate with the Chemical
Safety for Sustainability (CSS) Research Program to link the architecture of assessment
databases and literature management tools, including Health and Environmental Research
Online, with the RapidTox Dashboard being developed in CSS.
•	Rapid Technical Support: Continue essential technical assistance across EPA to provide
rapid technical support to programs and regions. These activities will provide expedited
health hazard and exposure technical support for evaluating chemical-specific exposures
at Superfund and contaminated sites, as well as incorporating case-specific information
related to urgent situations.
Research Planning:
EPA's Board of Scientific Counselors (BOSC) is a federal advisory committee that provides
advice and recommendations to EPA on technical and management issues of its research programs.
The HERA Research Program and the BOSC HERA subcommittee will meet regularly over the
next several years to seek input on topics related to research program design, science quality,
innovation, relevance, and impact.
The Agency assesses its research performance through the distribution of research evaluation
surveys to key users of its research products. This provides evidence for how research products
are being used, by whom, and the degree of satisfaction product users have with research product
quality, usability and timeliness of delivery. Through the evaluation process, the Agency identifies
its strengths and finds targeted areas for improvement to its research programs.
EPA's state engagement37 is designed to inform states about their role within EPA and EPA's
research programs, and to better understand the science needs of state environmental and health
agencies. Key partners at the state level include: the Environmental Council of the States, with its
Environmental Research Institute of the States and the Interstate Technology and Regulatory
Council; the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials; as well as state media
associations, such as the Association of State and Territorial Solid Waste Management Officials.
Performance Measure Targets:
37 For more information, please see: https://www.epa.gov/research/epa-research-solutions-states.
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Work under this program supports performance results in the Research: Chemical Safety for
Sustainability Program under the S&T appropriation.
FY 2021 Change from Estimated FY 2020 Enacted Budget (Dollars in Thousands):
•	(+$546.0) This change is an increase due to the recalculation of base payroll costs.
•	(-$9,725.0) This program change streamlines funding for research associated with
designating chemicals as hazardous substances. It also streamlines Superfund related
research within the area of health and environmental assessment.
•	(+$2,514.0 / +14.7 FTE) This rebalances resources from the S&T appropriation to the
Superfund appropriation within this program for work related to IRIS assessments.
Statutory Authority:
Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA).
512

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Superfund Cleanup
513

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Superfund: Emergency Response and Removal
Program Area: Superfund Cleanup
Goal: A Cleaner, Healthier Environment
Objective(s): Revitalize Land and Prevent Contamination

(Dollars in Thousands)

FY 2019
Actuals
Estimated
FY 2020
Enacted
FY 2021 Pres
Budget
FY 2021 Pres
Budget v.
Estimated FY 2020
Enacted
Utizurthms Substance Siiperjuml
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SI~4HM
-SISJ5S.0
Total Budget Authority
$215,077.1
$189,306.0
$170,748.0
-$18,558.0
Total Workyears
262.9
244.7
244.7
0.0
Program Project Description:
The Emergency Response and Removal Program (SF Removal) is the foundation of federal
emergency response to releases of hazardous substances, pollutants, or contaminants and is
essential to managing the associated risks. In the case of a national emergency, EPA is charged
with preventing, limiting, mitigating, or containing chemical, oil, radiological, biological, or
hazardous materials released during and in the aftermath of an incident. Situations requiring
emergency response and removal actions vary greatly in size, nature, and location, and include
chemical releases, fires or explosions, natural disasters, and other threats to people from exposure
to hazardous substances. EPA's 24-hour-a-day response capability is a cornerstone element of the
National Contingency Plan.38 Further, this program is responsible for the Agency's only Primary
Mission Essential Function.
Over the last 10 years (2010-2019), EPA completed or oversaw more than 3,066 Superfund
removal actions across the country. SF Removal sites can be found in remote rural areas as well
as large urban settings. Approximately 11 million people live within three miles of 221 SF
Removal sites where EPA completed a removal action in FY 2016 - equal to about 3 percent of
the total US population.39 SF Removal clean-ups vary in complexity and contain a wide variety of
contaminants including mercury, lead, and asbestos.40
The SF Removal Program provides technical assistance and outreach to industry, states, tribes,
and local communities as part of the Agency's effort to ensure national safety and security for
chemical and oil responses. EPA trains, equips, and deploys resources in order to manage, contain,
and remove contaminants. These substances, until contained or removed, have the potential to
significantly damage property, endanger public health, and have critical environmental impact on
communities.
38	For additional information, please refer to: https:/Avww.epa.gov/emergency-response/national-oil-and-hazardous-substances-
pollution-contingency-plan-ncp-overview.
39	U.S. EPA, Office of Land and Emergency Management Estimate 2017. Data collected includes (1) site information as of the
end of FY 2016 and (2) census data from the 2011-2015 American Community Survey.
40	Data from US EPA Superfund Enterprise Management System.
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Agency On-Scene Coordinators (OSCs) make up the core of the SF Removal Program. These
trained and equipped EPA personnel respond to, assess, mitigate, and clean up environmental
releases regardless of the cause. States, local, and tribal communities rely upon the OSC's expertise
and support to deal with environmental emergencies that are beyond their capabilities and
resources.
FY 2021 Activities and Performance Plan:
Work in this program directly supports Goal 1/Objective 1.3, Revitalize Land and Prevent
Contamination in the FY 2018 - 2022 EPA Strategic Plan. During FY 2019, EPA conducted 233
removal actions exceeding its annual target of 175 removals by 33 percent. In FY 2021, the SF
Removal Program will:
•	Respond to, and provide technical assistance for, emergency responses, removal
assessments, and limited time critical response actions (non-emergency responses).
•	Conduct and participate in selected multi-media training and exercises for emergency
responders. These events ensure readiness by focusing on necessary coordination and
consistency across the Agency, enhance specialized technical skills and expertise, and
strengthen partnerships with state, local, tribal, and other federal responders.
•	Support the Environmental Response Team (ERT), which provides nationwide assistance
and consultation for emergency response actions, including unusual or complex incidents.
In such cases, the ERT supplies the OSC, or lead responder, with special equipment and
technical or logistical assistance.
•	Continue to deploy its National Incident Management Assistance Team to set up
organizational systems that help with the long-term strategic planning and response efforts.
Performance Measure Targets:
(PM 137) Number of Superfund removals completed.

FY 2014
FY 2015
FY 2016
FY 2017
FY 2018
FY 2019
FY 2020
FY 2021
Units
Target

275
275
275
175
175
141
141
Removals
Actual

278
226
255
242
233


FY 2021 Change from Estimated FY 2020 Enacted Budget (Dollars in Thousands):
•	(+$3,704.0) This change is an increase due to the recalculation of base payroll costs.
•	(-$22,262.0) The EPA will prioritize its resources on sites which pose an immediate threat
to human health and the environment.
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Statutory Authority:
Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) Sections
104, 105, 106; Clean Water Act (CWA); and Oil Pollution Act (OPA).
516

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Superfund: EPA Emergency Preparedness
Program Area: Superfund Cleanup
Goal: A Cleaner, Healthier Environment
Objective(s): Revitalize Land and Prevent Contamination

(Dollars in Thousands)

FY 2019
Actuals
Estimated
FY 2020
Enacted
FY 2021 Pres
Budget
FY 2021 Pres
Budget v.
Estimated FY 2020
Enacted
Utizurthms Substance Siiperjuml

S
S '.'IIIUI
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Total Budget Authority
$7,679.9
$7,636.0
$7,700.0
$64.0
Total Workyears
33.5
37.4
37.4
0.0
Program Project Description:
The Superfund Emergency Preparedness Program provides for EPA's engagement on the National
Response Team (NRT) and Regional Response Teams (RRT) where it ensures federal agencies
are prepared to respond to national incidents, threats, and major environmental emergencies. EPA
implements the Emergency Preparedness Program in coordination with Department of Homeland
Security and other federal agencies in order to deliver federal hazard assistance to state, local, and
tribal governments.
The Agency carries out its responsibility under multiple statutory authorities as well as the
National Response Framework (NRF), which provides the comprehensive federal structure for
managing national emergencies. EPA is the designated lead for the NRF's Oil and Hazardous
Materials Response Annex - Emergency Support Function #10 which covers responsibilities for
responding to releases of hazardous materials, oil, and other contaminants that are a threat to
human health and the environment. As such, the Agency participates and leads applicable
interagency committees and workgroups to develop national planning and implementation policies
at the operational level.
FY 2021 Activities and Performance Plan:
Work in this program directly supports Goal 1/Objective 1.3, Revitalize Land and Prevent
Contamination in the FY 2018 - 2022 EPA Strategic Plan. EPA continuously works to improve
its management of emergency response assets to be better prepared to handle large unprecedented
incidents in order to increase cost effectiveness and avoid costly cleanup actions. The Superfund
Emergency Preparedness Program participates in national and local exercises and drills,
coordinates with stakeholders to develop Area and Regional Contingency Plans, and provides
technical assistance to industry, states, tribes, and local communities. Specific activities include:
• Chair the NRT41 and co-chair the 13 RRTs. The NRT and RRTs are the only active
environmentally-focused interagency executive committees addressing oil and hazardous
41 For additional information, please refer to: https://www.nrt.org/.
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substance emergencies. They serve as multi-agency coordination groups supporting
emergency responders when convened as incident specific teams.
•	Participate in the development of limited, scenario-specific exercises and regional drills
designed to assess national emergency response management capabilities. These activities
will involve the RRTs, NRT, and/or principal level participants.
•	Continue to implement the National Incident Management System42 which provides the
approach to manage incidents and works hand in hand with the NRF.
Performance Measure Targets:
EPA's FY 2021 Annual Performance Plan does not include annual performance goals specific to
this program.
FY 2021 Change from Estimated FY 2020 Enacted Budget (Dollars in Thousands):
•	(+$1,167.0) This change is an increase due to the recalculation of base payroll costs.
•	(-$1,103.0) This net program change will result in streamlined exercises and training held
with federal, state, and local partners.
Statutory Authority:
Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA), §§ 104,
105, 106; Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act.
42 For additional information, please refer to: http://www.fema.gov/national-iiicident-managemeiit-system.
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Superfund: Federal Facilities
Program Area: Superfund Cleanup
Goal: A Cleaner, Healthier Environment
Objective(s): Revitalize Land and Prevent Contamination

(Dollars in Thousands)

FY 2019
Actuals
Estimated
FY 2020
Enacted
FY 2021 Pres
Budget
FY 2021 Pres
Budget v.
Estimated FY 2020
Enacted
Utizurthms Substance Siiperjuml
S 22.5-1-1.5
S 21.125.0
S2J.02JM
S 4Vh.it
Total Budget Authority
$22,544.5
$21,125.0
$21,621.0
$496.0
Total Workyears
104.5
109.7
114.7
5.0
Total workyears in FY 2021 include 11.5 reimbursable FTEto support Federal Facilities.
Program Project Description:
The Superfund Federal Facilities Program oversees and provides technical assistance for the
protective and efficient cleanup and reuse of Federal Facility National Priorities List (NPL) sites,
pursuant to Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act
(CERCLA) Section 120. Program responsibilities include: 1) inventory and assess potentially
contaminated sites; 2) implement protective remedies; 3) facilitate early transfer of property; and
4) ensure ongoing protectiveness of completed cleanups.
The Federal Facility NPL sites are among the largest in the Superfund Program and can encompass
specialized environmental contaminants such as munitions and radiological waste, and
contaminants of emerging concern such as per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). To ensure
efficiencies and consistent approaches to cleanup, the Program collaborates with the other federal
agencies and states. The Superfund Federal Facilities Program will continue to work with our
federal partners to target high priority sites, consider best practices, develop innovative solutions
to emerging and unique contaminants, implement strategies to reach cleanup completion at sites,
and bring contaminated land into beneficial reuse.43
Cleaning up contaminated sites at federal facilities can serve as a catalyst for economic growth
and community revitalization. The Superfund Federal Facilities Program facilitates the
redevelopment of federal facility sites across the country by assisting other federal agencies
(OFAs) expedite activities related to CERCLA response actions, while protecting human health
and the environment. Collaborative efforts among OF As; developers; and state, local, and tribal
partners encourages restoration of sites. Since federal facility Superfund sites often encompass
thousands of acres with buildings, roads, and other infrastructure, their effective and efficient
cleanup and reuse can play a pivotal role in a community's economic growth. An FY 2019 study
identified 22 federal facility Superfund sites in reuse with a total of 1,400 businesses that generated
$9.4 billion in annual sales and provide 115,000 jobs and $7 billion in annual employment
44
income.
43	For additional information, please refer to: https:/Avww.epa.gov/fedfac.
44	For additional information, please refer to: https://www.epa.gov/fedfac/redevelopment-economics-federal-facilities.
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FY 2021 Activities and Performance Plan:
Work in this program directly supports Goal 1/Objective 1.3, Revitalize Land and Prevent
Contamination in the FY 2018 - 2022 EPA Strategic Plan. One of the Agency's top priorities is
accelerating progress on Superfund sites. The Program will focus on Superfund Task Force
recommendations including engaging with state, local, and tribal partners; and creating sensible
approaches that enhance economic growth. A program goal is to achieve sites ready for anticipated
use and promote the reuse and restoration of federal facility sites by prioritizing resources to focus
on remedial actions and construction completions to accelerate Site-Wide Ready for Anticipated
Use determinations and NPL deletions. In addition, the Program will prioritize and continue to
partner with OF As, states, tribes, and local communities to limit human exposure to potentially
harmful levels of PFAS and lead in the environment.
EPA also will continue to oversee complex cleanups at Federal Facility NPL sites, such as
contamination in groundwater, munitions and explosives of concern, contaminants of emerging
concern such as PFAS, and contamination from legacy nuclear weapons development and energy
research. While Department of Energy (DOE) has completed cleanup work at many of its sites,
DOE estimates that the remaining legacy Cold War sites will take decades to complete due to
groundwater, soil, and waste processing. Similarly, the Department of Defense (DOD) inventory
includes sites that contain chemical and explosive compounds which require special handling,
storage, and disposal practices, as well as cleanup. EPA will continue to provide oversight and
technical assistance at DOD's military munitions response sites and support DOD's development
of new technologies to streamline cleanups.
In FY 2019, the Program designated remedial decisions at 57 federal facility sites to address
environmental contamination. The Program also achieved 33 Remedial Action Project
Completions and reviewed 53 Five-Year Reviews to confirm protective remedies remain in place.
Additionally, the Program is engaged at 88 Federal Facility NPL sites with PFAS detections,
ensuring consistent and protective responses.
In FY 2021, the Superfund Federal Facilities Program will prioritize the highest risk sites and focus
on activities that bring human exposure and groundwater migration under control. In addition,
EPA manages the Federal Agency Hazardous Waste Compliance Docket (Docket) which contains
information reported by federal facilities that manage hazardous waste or from which hazardous
substances, pollutants, or contaminants have been or may be released. The Docket: 1) identifies
all federal facilities that must be evaluated through the site assessment process; 2) determines
whether they pose a risk to human health and the environment sufficient to warrant inclusion on
the NPL; and 3) provides a mechanism to make the information available to the public.45 The
Docket is updated semi-annually and has over 2,300 facilities listed. To ensure the long-term
protectiveness of the cleanup remedies, EPA will continue monitoring, overseeing progress, and
improving the quality and consistency of Five-Year Reviews conducted at NPL sites where waste
has been left in place and land use is restricted as required under Section 121(c) of CERCLA.
45 EPA developed a website called FEDFacts, where all sites are mapped and linked to available environmental information,
which may be found at: https://www.epa.gov/fedfacts.
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Performance Measure Targets:
Work under this program supports performance results in the Superfund Remedial Program under
the SF appropriation.
FY 2021 Change from Estimated FY 2020 Enacted Budget (Dollars in Thousands):
•	(+$1,669.0) This change is an increase due to the recalculation of base payroll costs.
•	(-$1,173.0) This net program change may require modified project schedules and cleanup
milestones. The Program will prioritize resources on those facilities that present the highest
risk to human health and the environment.
•	(+5.0 FTE) This program change increases reimbursable FTE to support acceleration of
cleanup work at Department of Energy's Hanford NPL Site.
Statutory Authority:
Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) § 120.
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Superfund: Remedial
Program Area: Superfund Cleanup
Goal: A Cleaner, Healthier Environment
Objective(s): Revitalize Land and Prevent Contamination

(Dollars in Thousands)

FY 2019
Actuals
Estimated
FY 2020
Enacted
FY 2021 Pres
Budget
FY 2021 Pres
Budget v.
Estimated FY 2020
Enacted
Utizurthms Substance Siiperjuml
s Mt4.o5v.it
S
S4S2J2V.lt
-S V-IJ-I4.U
Total Budget Authority
$604,659.0
$576,673.0
$482,329.0
-$94,344.0
Total Workyears
894.9
868.8
868.8
0.0
Program Project Description:
The Superfund Remedial Program addresses many of the worst contaminated areas in the United
States by investigating contaminated sites and implementing long-term clean-up remedies. The
Superfund Remedial Program also oversees response work conducted by potentially responsible
parties (PRPs) at National Priorities List (NPL) and Superfund Alternative Approach (SAA) sites.
Completing relatively straightforward response actions, such as soil excavation or capping
remedies, can take a few months, while implementing remedies at complex, large area-wide
groundwater, sediment, or mining sites may take decades.
By addressing the human health and environmental risks posed by releases at NPL and SAA sites,
the Superfund Remedial Program strengthens the economy and spurs economic growth by
returning Superfund sites to productive use. As of FY 2019, EPA data shows that approximately
1,000 Superfund sites are in reuse, more than half the number of sites ever placed on the NPL.
EPA has data on over 9,100 businesses at 602 of these sites. In FY 2019 alone, these businesses
generated $58.3 billion in sales. These businesses employed more than 208,000 people who earned
a combined income of over $14 billion. Over the last eight years, these businesses generated at
least $321 billion in sales.46
While conducting cleanup at NPL and SAA sites, Superfund remedial construction projects can
enhance our national infrastructure while addressing harmful exposures. Cleanup work lowers
human health risk - for example, recent research indicates that Superfund clean-up lowered the
risk of elevated blood lead levels by roughly 8 to 18 percent for children living within two
kilometers of a Superfund NPL site where lead is a contaminant of concern.47 Cleanup work under
the Superfund Remedial Program also improves property values. A study conducted by researchers
at Duke University and University of Pittsburgh found that residential property values within three
46	For more information on Redevelopment Economics, please refer to: https://www.epa.gov/superfund-redevelopment-
initiative/redevelopment-economics- superfund-sites.
47	Details can be found at https://www.epa.gov/environmental-economics/research-environmental-economics-ncee-working-
paper-series.
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miles of Superfund sites increased between 18.7 and 24.4 percent when sites were cleaned up and
deleted from the NPL.48
In July 2017, EPA's Superfund Task Force developed a report containing 42 recommended actions
in five goal areas: 1) Expediting Cleanup and Remediation; 2) Re-Invigorating Responsible Party
Cleanup and Reuse; 3) Encouraging Private Investment; 4) Promoting Redevelopment and
Community Revitalization; and 5) Engaging Partners and Stakeholders. Since then, EPA has
worked to efficiently implement the recommendations and reach outcome-driven results aimed at
expediting site cleanup, redevelopment, and community revitalization. As of September 2019, all
42 recommendations have been implemented by the Superfund Program. Key accomplishments
related to the Superfund Remedial Program under the Superfund Task Force recommendations
include:
•	Increased the number of sites with Human Exposure Under Control;
•	Improved public access to information on human exposure status;
•	Increased number of sites fully or partially deleted from the NPL compared to prior years;
•	Implemented Administrator review of remedy decisions greater than or equal to $50
million;
•	Focused optimization evaluations on priority sites;
•	Developed a Superfund Risk Communication Improvement Plan;
•	Furthered use of new remediation technologies by developing technical information and
presenting webinars and training; and
•	Made information on Superfund sites with reuse potential more widely available.
Additional Superfund Task Force accomplishments, including detailed information on
implementation efforts, can be found in the Superfund Task Force Recommendations Final
Report.49
FY 2021 Activities and Performance Plan:
Work in this program directly supports Goal 1/Objective 1.3, Revitalize Land and Prevent
Contamination, in the FY2018 - 2022 EPA Strategic Plan. For example, EPA made 48 Superfund
sites ready for anticipated use in FY 2019, contributing to a two-year FY 2018-2019 Agency
Priority Goal (APG) of 102 sites. EPA continues to focus on making sites ready for anticipated
use and will report results for the FY 2020 - 2021 APG: Accelerate the pace of cleanups and return
sites to beneficial use in their communities.
In FY 2021, EPA will prioritize resources to execute its non-delegable, federal responsibility to
remediate sites and protect human health, welfare, and the environment. The Superfund Remedial
Program endeavors to maximize the use of special account resources collected from PRPs for site-
specific response actions as stipulated in settlement agreements. More than half of non-federal
48	Shanti Gamper-Rabindran and Christopher Timmons. 2013. "Does cleanup of hazardous waste sites raise housing values?
Evidence of spatially localized benefits," Journal of Environmental Economics and Management 65(3): 345-360,
http://dx.doi.org/10.101.6/i .ieem.2012.1.2.001..
49	The Superfund Task Force (SFTF) Recommendations Final Report can be found at:
https://semspub.epa.gov/work/HQ/100002231.pdf.
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sites on the final NPL do not have an associated open special account and must rely on annually
appropriated funds.
In FY 2021, EPA plans to continue to incorporate activities recommended by the Superfund Task
Force to expedite cleanup while continuing to encourage private investment, promote Superfund
site redevelopment, and build and strengthen partnerships. EPA also will continue to prioritize
ongoing fund-led investigation, remedial design, construction, and long-term response actions to
bring human exposure and groundwater migration under control.
In FY 2021, EPA proposes to direct resources in the Superfund Remedial Program to support
implementation of the Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) Action Plan. This investment
provides additional tools to help states and communities assess PFAS presence. This work supports
the FY 2020 - 2021 APG: Reduce PFAS risks to the public.
Performance Measure Targets:
(PM 151) Number of Superfund sites with human exposures brought under control.

FY 2014
FY 2015
FY 2016
FY 2017
FY 2018
FY 2019
FY 2020
FY 2021
Units
Target
10
9
9
9
8
12
10
10
Sites
Actual
9
10
12
24
32
17


(PM 170) Number of remedial action projects completed at Superfund sites.

FY 2014
FY 2015
FY 2016
FY 2017
FY 2018
FY 2019
FY 2020
FY 2021
Units
Target
115
105
105
105
95
95
80
80
Projects
Actual
115
104
105
97
87
89


(PM S10) Number of Superfund sites made ready for anticipated use site-wide.

FY 2014
FY 2015
FY 2016
FY 2017
FY 2018
FY 2019
FY 2020
FY 2021
Units
Target
55
45
45
45
51
51
51
51
Sites
Actual
45
45
41
43
51
48


FY 2021 Change from Estimated FY 2020 Enacted Budget (Dollars in Thousands):
•	(+$9,126.0) This change is an increase due to the recalculation of base payroll costs.
•	(+$1,000.0) This program change is an investment supporting cross-agency work on
implementation of the PFAS Action Plan.
•	(-$104,470.0) This net program change is a decrease to the Superfund Remedial Program.
Funds will be prioritized for NPL sites that present the highest risk to human health and
the environment, while modifying timelines for completing remedial
investigation/feasibility study, remedial design and new construction projects for other
sites, and reducing discretionary activities.
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Statutory Authority:
Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA).
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Superfund Special Accounts
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Superfund Special Accounts
Background
EPA has the authority to collect funds from parties to support Superfund investigations and
cleanups. Section 122(b)(3) of the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and
Liability Act (CERCLA) authorizes EPA to retain and use funds received pursuant to a settlement
agreement with a party to carry out the purpose of that agreement. Funds are deposited in
Superfund special accounts for cleanup at the sites designated in individually negotiated settlement
agreements. Through the use of special accounts, EPA ensures responsible parties pay for cleanup
so that annually appropriated resources from the Superfund Trust Fund are generally conserved
for sites where no viable or liable potentially responsible parties (PRPs) can be identified. Each
account is set up separately and distinctly and may only be used for the sites and uses outlined in
the settlement(s) with the party or parties.
Special accounts are sub-accounts in the Superfund Trust Fund. Pursuant to the specific
agreements, which typically take the form of an Administrative Order on Consent or a Consent
Decree, EPA uses special account funds to finance site-specific CERCLA response actions at the
site for which the account was established. Of the current 1,335 Superfund sites listed as final on
the National Priorities List, more than half do not have special account funds available for use (as
of October 1, 2019). As special account funds may only be used for sites and uses specified in the
settlement agreement, both special account resources and annually appropriated resources are
critical to the Superfund Program to clean up Superfund sites.
Special account funds are used to conduct many different site-specific CERCLA response actions,
including, but not limited to, investigations to determine the nature and extent of contamination
and the appropriate remedy, design, construction and implementation of the remedy, enforcement
activities, and post-construction activities. EPA also may provide special account funds as an
incentive to another PRP(s) who agrees to perform additional work beyond the PRP's allocated
share at the site, which EPA might otherwise have to conduct. Because response actions may take
many years, the full use of special account funds also may take many years. Once all site-specific
response work pursuant to the settlement agreement is complete and site risks are addressed,
special account funds may be used to reimburse EPA for site-specific costs incurred using
appropriated resources (i.e., reclassification), allowing the latter resources to be allocated to other
sites. Any remaining special account funds are transferred to the Superfund Trust Fund, where
they are available for future appropriation by Congress to further support response work.
EPA, through the implementation of recommendations from the Superfund Task Force50, is
working to ensure that contaminated sites across the country are remediated to protect human
health and the environment and returned to beneficial use as expeditiously as possible. Maximizing
the use of special accounts to facilitate site cleanup and/or redevelopment is one of the Task
Force's recommendations EPA continues to work on. The "Updated Consolidated Guidance on
the Establishment, Management, and Use of CERCLA Special Accounts" was issued on August
50 The Superfund Task Force Final Report can be found here: https://www.epa.gov/sites/productioii/files/2019-
09/docuiiients/sftfreport	vl7~9~S	for508s.pdf.
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5, 2019.51 The guidance document addressed the Superfund Task Force report's recommendation
specific to special accounts with a more robust discussion about when to establish a special
account; types of funds that can be deposited in a special account; activities that may be funded
through a special account; timing for use of special account funds; providing special account funds
to external parties to conduct response actions; and management of special accounts. The issuance
of this guidance completed this recommendation of the Superfund Task Force report.
FY 2019 Special Account Activity
Since the inception of special accounts through the end of FY 2019, EPA has collected
approximately $7.4 billion from parties and earned more than $585.2 million in interest.
Approximately 56 percent of the funds have been disbursed or obligated for response actions at
sites and plans have been developed to guide the future use of the remaining 44 percent of available
special account funds. In addition, at sites with no additional work planned or costs to be incurred
by EPA, EPA has transferred over $35.8 million to the Superfund Trust Fund. As of the end of FY
2019, over $4.0 billion has been disbursed for site response actions and approximately $388.4
million has been obligated but not yet disbursed.
The Agency continues to receive site-specific settlement funds that are placed in special accounts
each year, so progress on actual obligation and disbursement of funds may not be apparent upon
review solely of the cumulative available balance. In FY 2019, EPA deposited more than $374.4
million into special accounts and disbursed and obligated over $249.9 million from special
accounts (including reclassifications). At the end of FY 2019, the cumulative amount available in
special accounts was approximately $3.45 billion.
Special accounts vary in size. A limited set represent the majority of the funds available. At the
end of FY 2019, 5 percent of open accounts had greater than $10 million available and hold more
than 72 percent of all available funds in open accounts. There are many accounts with lower
available balances. 72 percent of all open accounts with up to $1 million available represent only
5 percent of available funds in all open accounts.
The balance of approximately $3.45 billion is not equivalent to an annual appropriation. The funds
collected under settlements are intended to finance future response work at particular sites for the
length of the project. EPA is carefully managing those funds that remain available for site response
work and develops plans to utilize the available balance. EPA will continue to plan the use of funds
received to conduct site-specific response activities or reclassify and/or transfer excess funds to
the Superfund Trust Fund to make annually appropriated funds available for use at other Superfund
sites.
For some Superfund sites, although funds are readily available in a special account, remedial action
may take time to initiate and complete. This is due to site-specific conditions such as the specific
requirements for special account use set forth in the settlement agreement, the stage of site cleanup,
the viability of other responsible parties to conduct site cleanup, and the nature of the site
contamination. EPA has plans to spend approximately $1.3 billion of currently available special
account funds over the next 5 years, but funds also are planned much further into the future to
51 For a copy of the guidance, please see: https://semspub.epa.gov/work/HQ/100002182.pdf.
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continue activities such as conducting five year reviews or remedy optimization where waste has
been left in place.
In FY 2019, EPA disbursed and obligated approximately $236.7 million from special accounts
(excluding reclassifications) for response work at more than 650 Superfund sites. Some examples
include $39.8 million to support work at the New Bedford Harbor site in Massachusetts, $27.3
million for the Welsbach & General Gas Mantle (Camden Radiation) site in New Jersey, and more
than $12 million for the Atlantic Wood Industries, Inc. site in Virginia. Without special account
funds being available, appropriated funds would have been necessary for these response actions to
be funded. In other words, EPA was able to fund approximately $236.7 million in response work
at sites in addition to the work funded through appropriated funds obligated or disbursed in FY
2019.
The summary charts below provide additional information on the status of special accounts.
Exhibit 1 illustrates the cumulative status of open and closed accounts, FY 2019 program activity,
and planned multi-year uses of the available balance. Exhibit 2 provides the prior year (FY 2019),
current year (FY 2020), and estimated future budget year (FY 2021) activity for special accounts.
Exhibit 3 provides prior year data (FY 2019) by EPA regional offices to exhibit the geographic
use of the funds.
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Exhibit 1: Summary of FY 2019 Special Account Transactions
and Cumulative Multi-Year Plans for Using Available Special Account Funds
Account Sliilns1
Number of
Accounts
( umukiliw ()|vn
l.|()4
( umiilali\ c Closed

I'Y 2019 Speci:il Account Aclmty
S in Thoiisiiiuls

Beginning Available Balance
$3,287,875.2

FY 2019 Activities


+ Receipts
$374,438.1

- Transfers to Superfund Trust Fund (Receipt Adjustment)
($2,794.5)

+ Net Interest Earned
$36,866.1

- Net Change in Unliquidated Obligations
$68,492.1

- Disbursements - For EPA Incurred Costs
($300,105.6)

- Disbursements - For Work Party Reimbursements under Final Settlements
($5,058.7)

- Reclassifications
($13,268.5)

End of Fiscal Year (EOFY) Available Balance2
$3,446,444.3
\
ulli-Yciir I'hins lor KOI-'Y 201() Axnihiblc IJithtiue4
S in Thoiisiiiuls

2019 EOFY Available Balance
$3,446,444.3

- Estimates for Future EPA Site Activities based on Current Site Plans4
$3,221,681.1

- Estimates for Potential Disbursement to Work Parties Identified in Final
Settlements5
$85,331.1

- Estimates for Reclassifications for FYs 2019-20216
$106,760.3

- Estimates for Transfers to Trust Fund for FYs 2019-20216
$26,719.8

- Available Balance to be Planned for Site-Specific Response7
$5,952.0
1	FY 2019 data is as of 10/01/2019. The Beginning Available Balance is as of 10/01/2018.
2	Numbers may not add due to rounding.
3Planning data were recorded in the Superfund Enterprise Management System (SEMS) as of 11/7/2019 in reference to special
account available balances as of 10/01/2019.
4	"Estimates for EPA Future Site Activities" includes all response actions that EPA may conduct or oversee in the future, such as
removal, remedial, enforcement, post-construction activities as well as allocation of funds to facilitate a settlement to encourage PRPs
to perform the cleanup. Planning data are multi-year and cannot be used for annual comparisons.
5	"Estimates for Potential Disbursements to Work Parties Identified in Finalized Settlements" includes those funds that have already
been designated in a settlement document, such as a Consent Decree or Administrative Order on Consent, to be available to a PRP for
reimbursements but that have not yet been obligated.
6	"Reclassifications" and "Transfers to the Trust Fund" are estimated for three FYs only. These amounts are only estimates and may
change as the EPA determines what funds are needed to complete site-specific response activities.
7	These include resources received by the EPA at the end of the fiscal year and will be assigned for site-specific response activities.
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Exhibit 2: Actual and Estimated Special Account Transactions FY 2019 - FY 20211

I V 2019
I V 2020
osliniiito
I V 2021
esliniiilo

S in 1 hoiisiincls
Beginning Available Balance
$3,287,875.2
$3,446,444.3
$3,500,000.0
Receipts2,3
$374,438.1
$290,000.0
$290,000.0
Transfers to Trust Fund (Receipt Adjustment)3
($2,794.5)
($2,300.0)
($2,300.0)
Net Interest Earned3'4
$36,866.1
$44,000.0
$44,000.0
Net Obligations3'5
($236,672.2)
($260,000.0)
($260,000.0)
Reclassifications3
C$13.268.51
C$15,000 01
C$15.000 01
End of Year Available Balance6
$3,446,444.3
$3,500,000.0
$3,550,000.0
1	FY 2019 data is as of 10/01/2019. The Beginning Available Balance is as of 10/01/2018.
2	The estimates for Receipts are in line with more typical years.
3	The estimates for Receipts, Transfers to Trust Fund, Net Interest, Net Obligations, and Reclassifications are based on a three-year
historical average.
4	FY 2019 net interest earned does not include interest earned from an investment which matured in September 2019. Interest
earned was posted in EPA's Special Account Interest database the following month.
5	Net Obligations reflect special account funds no longer available for obligation, excluding reclassifications and receipts
transferred to the Trust Fund.
6Numbers may not add due to rounding.
Exhibit 3: FY 2019 Special Account Transactions by EPA Regional Offices
$ in Thousands

Beginning
Available
Balance
Receipts
Transfers to
Trust Fund
(Receipt
Adjustment)
Net
Interest
Earned
Net
Obligations
Reclassifications
End of Year
Available
Balance2
Region 1
$225,319.0
$27,803.5
($750.9)
$3,326.5
($46,296.9)
($4,415.3)
$204,986.0
Region 2
$524,373.3
$94,389.5
$0.0
$5,919.6
($63,817.2)
($3,536.9)
$557,328.4
Region 3
$138,124.8
$68,972.0
$0.0
$1,505.4
($19,394.7)
($827.0)
$188,380.5
Region 4
$74,907.9
$3,803.7
($1,242.2)
$707.8
($6,718.7)
($542.1)
$70,916.5
Region 5
$400,381.1
$14,517.1
($0.8)
$4,344.1
($16,809.5)
($2,507.0)
$399,925.1
Region 6
$106,200.8
$26,282.8
$0.0
$1,164.0
($10,799.9)
($92.6)
$122,755.1
Region 7
$150,740.2
$14,953.6
$0.0
$1,875.9
($16,707.7)
($708.6)
$150,153.3
Region 8
$204,478.3
$80,125.9
($800.7)
$2,372.6
($13,316.4)
($128.4)
$272,731.3
Region 9
$1,317,793.5
$22,793.2
$0.0
$13,494.9
($25,215.2)
($459.3)
$1,328,407.0
Region 10
$145,556.2
$20,796.8
$0.0
$2,155.2
($17,595.9)
($51.2)
$150,861.1
Total
$3,287,875.2
$374,438.1
($2,794.5)
$36,866.1
($236,672.2)
($13,268.5)
$3,446,444.3
1 FY 2019 data is as of 10/01/2019. The Beginning Available Balance is as of 10/01/2018.
2Numbers may not add due to rounding.
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532

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