United States
Environmental Protection Agency
FISCAL YEAR 2023
Justification of Appropriation
Estimates for the Committee
on Appropriations
Tab 15: FY 2023 Annual Evaluation and
Other Evidence-Building Act
April 2022
EPA-190-R-22-001 www.epa.gov/cj
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Environmental Protection Agency
FY 2023 Annual Performance Plan and Congressional Justification
Table of Contents - FY 2023 Annual Evaluation and Other Evidence-Building Activities
EPA FY 2023 Annual Evaluation Plan 947
EPA FY 2023 Annual Plan for Evidence-Building Activities 951
Evidence-Building Activities Supporting EPA's Learning Agenda 951
Other EPA Evidence-Building Activities 957
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EPA FY 2023 Annual Evaluation Plan
The Foundations for Evidence-Based Policymaking Act (Evidence Act) provides a framework to
promote a culture of evaluation and continuous learning to ensure Agency decisions are made
using the best available evidence. EPA's FY 2023 Annual Evaluation Plan (AEP) describes
significant program evaluations the Agency plans to undertake in FY 2023. The Agency's FY2023
AEP includes program evaluations that assess program outcomes, support program improvement,
and aid decision making,
Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention (OCSPP)
Title
EPA-Supported WPS Training of Farmworkers
Lead National Program
Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention
Strategic Goal,
Objective, and/or
Cross-Agency Strategy
Goal 7: Ensure Safety of Chemicals for People and the Environment
Objective 7.1: Ensure Chemical and Pesticide Safety
Planned start date
October 2022 Planned completion date September 2023
Purpose and description: EPA provides funding through a five-year cooperative grant to train
farmworkers in accordance with the Agricultural Worker Protection Standard (WPS) rule. WPS
pesticide safety training is an annual requirement. This activity will assess the number of
individuals trained and the effectiveness of the training.
Programmatic or policy decisions this activity will inform: Effectiveness and scope of the
EPA-supported WPS training.
Question(s) this activity will address:
• How many farmworkers are receiving EPA-supported annual training required under the WPS
rule, and what is their knowledge retention of the material?
• Is EPA funding under the grant resulting in quality training? Is the grantee fulfilling the
conditions of the grant in a satisfactory manner?
Data, tools, method/analytical approach: Data will include critical datasets from the grantee,
including the number of individuals trained in WPS as well as the results from pre- and post-
assessments given to the trainees to determine knowledge gained about WPS and knowledge
comprehension. The Office will assess whether additional data-gathering will need to be
conducted as part of the assessment's data collection plan.
Anticipated challenges and proposed solutions: The COVID-19 public health emergency may
continue to influence the grantee's ability to conduct training. Social distancing and other COVID
protection strategies, such as smaller training groups, can result in fewer trained. Remote training
also may present technical challenges for some workers. In-person training is the preferred method
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to engage with trainees; the grantee and agricultural establishments will continue to implement
strategies to address the pandemic-related obstacles while meeting the training needs.
Dissemination of findings: Information used in this evidence gathering will be made publicly
available in the Annual Reports on PRIA Implementation (https://www.epa.gov/pria-fees/annual-
reports-pria-implementation). Information and any findings also will be shared with appropriate
EPA staff and management.
Title
IT Modernization of EPA Pesticide Tracking Systems
Lead National Program
Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention
Strategic Goal,
Objective, and/or
Cross-Agency Strategy
Goal 7: Ensure Safety of Chemicals for People and the Environment
Objective 7.1: Ensure Chemical and Pesticide Safety
Planned start date
April 2019
Planned completion date
September 2023
Purpose and brief Description: Background: In 2019, EPA kicked off Phase 1 of a multi-year
digital transformation to create a fully electronic workflow for EPA registration and reevaluation
activities. This effort builds on the 2016 launch of the Pesticide Submission Portal, a secure, web-
based portal in EPA's Central Data Exchange (CDX) environment through which the public can
electronically submit applications for EPA assessment. In mid-2020, a pilot of the new system
went live for one of the three regulatory divisions within the Office of Pesticide Programs (OPP),
as well as the Information Technology and Resource Management Division (ITRMD) which in-
processes all applications. In early 2021, a second regulatory division in OPP entered the pilot.
The pilot is specific to registration application workflows under the Pesticide Registration
Improvement Act (PRIA) and its reauthorizations.
Purpose and description: The next phase of the effort will be development of additional
workflows and expansion to all of the divisions in the OPP that support registration and
reevaluation regulatory activities. By improving the employee and user experience, and, later,
improving the customer experience, EPA will enhance the ability of the regulated community,
other stakeholders, partners, and the American public to directly engage with the regulatory and
science efforts.
Programmatic or policy decisions this activity will inform: Digital transformation to a single
system will inform additional IT system development and facilitate enterprise resilience through
strategic planning, proactive risk management, effective organizational change management and
capacity planning, as well as emergent technologies. Managers will be able to monitor task
assignments throughout their organizational unit, while leaders will be able to see the progress and
timeliness of all registrations and registration review cases Predictive algorithms will help
determine where skills gaps lie so targeted hiring decision can be applied to remove bottlenecks.
Employees also will have access to assessment data in one place and augmented intelligence tools
being built into the new system will eventually automate administrative tasks, allowing staff to
focus on tasks that bring a higher efficiency and rigor to the science. Robotic Process Automation
(RPA) will enable automation of many routine tasks allowing the scientists and regulatory
specialists to focus on higher value work.
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Question(s) this activity will address: How does a fully electronic workflow for EPA registration
and reevaluation activities affect EPA employee work processes, such as the timeliness and
efficiency of reviews?
Data, tools, method/analytical approach: Data from EPA's PRISM and OPPIN systems
measuring how much time is spent at each stage of the risk assessment will allow EPA to establish
a baseline and assess improvement in the overall review processes for registration and registration
review cases. The Salesforce interface currently being piloted for antimicrobial and biopesticide
applications will allow EPA to establish baselines for how much time is spent at each stage and
assess improvement in review processes supporting new active ingredients registration
determinations. In addition, the augmented intelligence and advance data analytics within
Salesforce will allow EPA to identify stages in the review process that present bottlenecks,
allowing further system development and/or resource allocation to address identified concerns.
Anticipated challenges and proposed solutions: OCSPP is currently awaiting award of the
Mission Support IT Contract to continue work on the digital transformation. Current contracts
supporting development and operations and maintenance of systems expire in November, thereby
making the award of the new contract urgent.
Dissemination of findings: Process improvements relating to pesticide registration and
registration review activities, as well as information technology improvements, are described
annually in the PRIA annual report ("https://www.epa.gov/pria-fees/annual-reports-pria-
implementation). Information and any findings also will be shared with appropriate EPA staff and
management.
Office of Land and Emergency Management
Title
Gathering Data on Results of Newly Required Annual and Triennial
Testing to Evaluate Impacts of U.S. EPA's 2015 Federal
Underground Storage Tank Regulation.
Lead National Program
Office of Land and Emergency Management
Strategic Goal,
Objective, and/or
Cross-Agency Strategy
Goal 6: Safeguard and Revitalize Communities
Objective 6.2: Reduce Waste and Prevent Environmental
Contamination
Planned start date
January 2022 Planned completion date January 2023
Purpose and brief Description: The purpose of this study is to understand how newly required
Underground Storage Tank (UST) compliance testing requirements included in the 2015 updated
UST regulation impacted the number of tests conducted to achieve a passing compliance test result.
To this end, EPA's Office of Underground Storage Tanks (OUST) plans to collect failing and
passing test counts for four newly required UST compliance tests over a six-year period from
2015-2021 within 17 states and territories whose compliance deadlines fell before the end of 2021.
OUST will submit an information collection request (ICR) to covering this data gathering
activities; After the ICR is approved, OUST will task a contractor with collecting the information
from a census of 120 UST compliance testing companies, who conduct the compliance tests,
within these 17 states.
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Programmatic or policy decisions this activity will inform: This study will help OUST to better
understand the impacts of the new requirements included in the 2015 update to UST regulations.
OUST will share the information from the study with implementing agencies, who may use the
information to better target resources and compliance assistance efforts. The information will help
OUST plan outreach and technical assistance, may help to inform future EPA rulemaking efforts.
Question(s) this activity will address:
• Does the inclusion of four new operation and maintenance compliance requirements, which
require a UST owner/operator to achieve a passing test result at least every one or three years,
improve release prevention efforts (as measured by fewer tests required per each passing test
result) by incentivizing owners/operators to better maintain required safety equipment or
rapidly replace this equipment when necessary?
• Which, if any, required equipment poses more frequent operation and maintenance challenges?
How EPA and implementing agencies can best target compliance assistance or enforcement
efforts most effectively?
Data, tools, method/analytical approach: OUST will use data on the number of failing and
passing test results for each of four types of compliance tests conducted from the period 2015-
2021 within 17 states and territories. OUST plans to use a contractor to collect this information
from a census of 120 UST compliance testing companies operating in these states. OUST will
work with an EPA economist to analyze the information collected and determine whether
statistically significant conclusions may be drawn about changes in passing test rates over the two
three-year periods of the study. OUST developed a data submission template to share with
respondents.
Anticipated challenges and proposed solutions: Since the study will collect information from a
census of 120 UST compliance testing companies, EPA anticipates challenges in participation
from all respondents due to the burden of reporting the information. EPA anticipates higher
participation rates from larger compliance testing companies. EPA plans to collect information
that will allow us to weight results to represent the entire population, rather than equally weighting
only those who choose to respond, which would bias results in favor of larger companies who are
likely to represent larger owner/operators.
Dissemination of findings: The summary of the results will be shared with regional, state, and
industry partners and on EPA's website within the OUST page. Information and any findings also
will be shared with appropriate EPA staff and management.
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EPA FY 2023 Annual Plan for Evidence-Building Activities
The Foundations for Evidence-Based Policymaking Act (Evidence Act) provides a framework to
promote a culture of evaluation and continuous learning to ensure Agency decisions are made
using the best available evidence. EPA's FY 2023 Annual Plan for Evidence-Building Activities
describes Agency plans for significant evidence-building across a range of program areas. In this
section EPA describes evidence-building activities other than program evaluation1, such as data
analysis, foundational fact finding, research, statistical analysis, continuous process improvement,
and performance measurement. This document shares examples of evidence-building that supports
EPA's decision-making in response to Administration priorities, Congressional mandates, and
management priorities.
The first part of this document gives an overview of EPA's evidence-building activities in support
of the Agency's Learning Agenda, which is part of the FY 2022 - 2026 EPA Strategic Plan. This
part is organized by Learning Priority Area. The second part of this document, the Other Evidence-
Building Activities, is organized by national program.
Evidence-Building Activities Supporting EPA's Learning Agenda
Expanding EPA's Toolkit of Air Benefits Assessment Methodologies and
Practices
Lead National Program
Office of Air and Radiation
Strategic Goal and
Objective supported
Goal 4: Ensure Clean and Healthy Air for All Communities
Objective 4.1: Improve Air Quality and Reduce Localized Pollution
and Health Impacts
Planned start date
October 2022
Planned completion date
September 2023
Purpose and brief Description: EPA uses well-established methods for estimating the health
benefits associated with reductions in some pollutants. However, as noted by scientific bodies
including the NAS and SAB2, there are areas where the science of air pollution effects continues
to advance and there are benefits that EPA does not currently quantify and monetize.
Programmatic or policy decisions this activity will inform: This activity will improve EPA's
ability to: (1) characterize the health benefits of improved air quality within Environmental
Justice communities; (2) account for the role of air pollution in promoting the progression of
chronic disease and subsequent death; (3) quantify the health benefits of toxic air pollutants.
1 For descriptions of significant program evaluations, please see EPA's FY2023 Annual Evaluation Plan
2 National Research Council. 2002. Estimating the Public Health Benefits of Proposed Air Pollution Regulations. Washington,
DC: The National Academies Press.https://doi.org/10.17226/10511. National Research Council. 2008. Estimating Mortality Risk
Reduction and Economic Benefits from Controlling Ozone Air Pollution. Washington, DC: The National Academies
Press.https://doi.org/10.17226/12198.
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Question(s) this activity will address:
• What are the health benefits of reducing human exposures to air pollutants not currently
quantified, particularly those related to hazardous air pollutants (HAPs)?
• What are the health benefits of reducing the risk of air pollution-related effects that are
challenging to quantify but nonetheless important to the exposed populations?
• What are the benefits of health outcomes that cannot yet be valued using Willingness-to-Pay
or other measures of economic value?
• How can we account for sequelae and the progression of disease when quantifying benefits?
Data, tools, method/analytical approach: Addressing the above questions will require access
to economic and health datasets providing information on health effect incidence, health
outcomes, and health care expenditures. We would apply these newly developed techniques
using existing Agency tools, including the environmental Benefits Mapping and Analysis
Program (BenMAP).
Anticipated challenges and proposed solutions: Addressing questions of the scope and
complexity of those above will require significant contract resources and additional FTE (in
particular, economists, biostatisticians and air pollution epidemiologists).
Dissemination of findings: Project materials will be made available through the EPA website.
Information and any findings also will be shared with appropriate EPA staff and management.
Drinking Water Systems Out of Compliance
Lead National Program
Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance
Strategic Goal,
Objective, and/or
Cross-Agency Strategy
Goal 3: Enforce Environmental Laws and Ensure Compliance
Objective 3.2: Detect Violations and Promote Compliance
Planned start date
October 2022 Planned completion date September 2023
Purpose and description: Drinking water noncompliance is greatest in small, disadvantaged
communities and may be higher than EPA data suggests due to failures to monitor and report. The
Drinking Water Systems out of Compliance learning priority area in EPA's Learning Agenda aims
to increase drinking water compliance rates through evaluation of key program components
identified by stakeholder experts.
Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance (OECA), Office of Water (OW), and the
Drinking Water Systems out of Compliance learning priority workgroup are assessing drinking
water data reported to EPA to determine whether it accurately measures national compliance and
substantiates EPA policy decisions; considering noncompliance root causes and corresponding
technical/managerial/financial factors; and testing efficacy of technical assistance, enforcement,
and state oversight.
The assessments, once complete, will identify key water system characteristics for which EPA and
states should focus its policies and the most effective way to apply compliance assurance tools for
increasing compliance in the drinking water program.
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OECA anticipates FY2023 funds will support finalizing Question 1 - access to data for measuring
drinking water compliance; completing Question 2 - root cause analysis of system compliance;
and conducting prospective studies for Question 3 - efficacy of enforcement on compliance.
EPA/OECA anticipate beginning work on questions 4 and 5 in future years.
For Question 1, OECA developed a detailed work plan for assessing Safe Drinking Water
Information System (SDWIS) data quality and determining if sample results data provide better
insight into compliance. Existing reports and audits on SDWIS data quality have been reviewed
for data quality issues, program file review reports are being reviewed and OECA is in the process
of securing states' sample results data to compare to SDWIS data as a quality check. In FY 2021,
OECA synthesized information from existing assessments of the quality of EPA's drinking water
data for Question 1. EPA also has begun analyzing existing information for Questions 2 and 3.
In FY 2023, for Questions 2 and 3, those analyses will continue and OECA will conduct work to
determine root causes of compliance and to assess the influence of enforcement and inspection
activities on compliance, which may include planning for randomized control trial studies -
especially likely for Question 3.
Programmatic or policy decisions this activity will inform: Applying compliance assurance
tools to effectively increase drinking water compliance rates.
Question(s) this activity will address:
• Does EPA have ready access to data to measure drinking water compliance reliably and
accurately?
• What factors determine system noncompliance and optimal performance?
• Does increased use of compliance assurance tools (inspections and enforcement) improve
system compliance, and if so under what circumstances?
• How can EPA determine if a system has the technical, managerial, and financial capacity to
provide safe water on a continuous basis to its customers?
• What EPA oversight activities are effective at assessing and improving state programs' ability
to drive compliance?
Data, tools, method/analytical approach: Question 2 Root Cause Analysis: The analysis will
identify key system characteristics associated with noncompliance and continual compliance using
the Agency's existing correlative and anecdotal data. Systems would likely be stratified by
categories such as tribal versus non-tribal, rural versus urban, to identify system characteristics
that correlate with compliance performance trends. This question seeks to identify the variation in
challenges systems start with and how those challenges affect compliance rates. EPA's objective
is to then acquire empirical evidence on the causal factors that lead to noncompliance and, on the
positive side, optimal system performance.
Question 3 Enforcement and Inspection Efficacy: In future years, the Agency will empirically test
the impact of increased use of compliance monitoring inspections and enforcement actions as
compared to the status quo practice of heavily relying on sanitary surveys and other types of
assistance. This priority question complements the Drinking Water National Compliance Initiative
(NCI), EPA's increased use of inspections and enforcement for drinking water compliance could
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be planned such that those activities form the basis of a prospective study to inform the evaluation.
The results of the study could inform future compliance assurance strategies either as part of or
beyond the NCI.
Anticipated challenges and proposed solutions: Dependent on high stakeholder engagement and
participation (states, academic institutions, EPA management and staff, etc.)
Dissemination of findings: Final reports will be posted publicly on EPA's website. Information
and any findings also will be shared with appropriate EPA staff and management.
Workforce Planning
Lead National Program
Office of Mission Support (OMS)
Strategic Goal,
Objective, and/or
Cross-Agency Strategy
Cross-Agency Strategy 3: Advance EPA's Organizational Excellence
and Workforce Equity
Planned start date
October 2022
Planned completion date
September 2023
Purpose and description: EPA identified Human Capital Management as an Enterprise Risk due
to the high number of staff eligible for retirement and EPA's aging workforce. The Workforce
Planning learning priority area in EPA's Learning Agenda will develop an evidence-based
roadmap for how EPA can ensure it has employees with the competencies needed to achieve its
mission now and in the future. It also will help determine the overall processes required to cultivate
and manage the workforce, while anticipating internal and external changes, and continuously
maximizing the efficiency and effectiveness of the Agency's Human Resources services.
Programmatic or policy decisions this activity will inform: Near and long-term strategies to
attract, recruit, train, and retain a diverse and effective workforce.
Question(s) this activity will address:
• Does EPA have access to the tools and strategies needed to analyze and understand the
Agency's near and long-term workforce needs?
• What are the critical skills needed to support the Agency's mission, now and in the future?
• What are the best strategies to attract, recruit, train, and retain a diverse workforce? What
makes people stay in the Agency long-term?
• What is the best way to ensure knowledge is transferred from outgoing to current and
incoming staff to support succession planning?
Data, tools, method/analytical approach: EPA will enhance the Agency's competency
assessment tool and conduct skills assessments for the Agency's Mission Critical Occupations
(MCOs). In this activity, the Agency will first revalidate its MCOs to ensure the correct positions
and competencies are assessed. The Agency also will enhance EPA's competency assessment tool
and conduct skills gap analyses among its Agency-specific MCOs. EPA will analyze internal and
external recruitment strategies, enhance employee engagement strategy, develop an employee
career progression model; and conduct an attrition cause analysis. EPA has various data sets and
tools to capture employee demographic, hiring, and attrition data, but no current agencywide data
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sets exist on current and future employee skills and competencies. To develop such data sets, EPA
will use internal and contractor support to gather information from various internal and external
stakeholders, including but not limited to: EPA employees and supervisors, the Human Resource
Officer/Program Management Officer (HRO/PMO) community, Human Resources Council, First
Line Supervisor Advisory Group (FLAG), senior leaders, and members of the external human
resources academic and practitioner community. Surveys, literature reviews, focus groups,
interviews, and other quantitative and qualitative methods will be used to obtain needed
information. Cost-benefit analysis, benchmarking, and appropriate quantitative and qualitative
analyses will be used along with other analytical approaches. Data will be managed consistent with
security and privacy requirements.
Anticipated challenges and proposed solutions: There might be low participation among
stakeholders in the assessment and analysis of the four workforce priority questions. This possible
challenge will be mitigated by enlisting the buy-in and support of senior leaders, the Human
Resources Council, and other key stakeholders to help promote the process prior to its start and
keeping in constant contact with those stakeholders during the evaluation and analysis process.
Dissemination of findings: The identified workforce activities are considered key components of
management's strategic decision-making process; findings will be shared consistent with
requirements related to information that may be privileged or prohibited from disclosure. It is
anticipated relevant results will be shared with internal stakeholders, including senior leaders and
EPA's Human Resource Officer/Program Management Officer community. Aggregate
information on findings might be shared with other federal agencies and/or publicly.
Grant Commitments met
Lead National Program
Office of the Administrator/Office of Congressional and
Intergovernmental Relations
Strategic Goal,
Objective, and/or Cross-
Agency Strategy
Cross-Agency Strategy 4: Strengthen Tribal, State, and Local
Partnerships and Enhance Engagement.
Planned start date
October 2022
Planned completion date
September 2023
Purpose and description: Every year, EPA awards over $4 billion in grants and other assistance
agreements. Through these grants, EPA helps to protect human health and the environment through
the work of its grantees. The goal of the Grant Commitments Met learning priority area in EPA's
Learning Agenda is to learn whether grant program accomplishments achieve the intended
environmental results and to build a comprehensive system for tracking and reporting grant
program outputs and outcomes by collecting and analyzing data and information on the Agency's
practices for tracking and reporting grant program outputs and outcomes.
The Agency Learning Agenda outlines work to establish the baseline, assess the current state,
define the future state, and begin grant program reviews. This effort spans three fiscal years,
FY2021 through FY2023. Beyond FY2023, it is anticipated that the Agency will implement a
regular schedule of grant program reviews.
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Programmatic or policy decisions this activity will inform: Practices and tools to effectively
track whether grantees are fulfilling their workplan grant commitments, including outputs and
environmental outcomes.
Question(s) this activity will address:
• How are the Agency' s grant programs meeting their intended purpose?
• What data and information exists to provide a baseline assessment of the Agency's grant and
tracking systems?
• Which criteria are used to assess the ability of programs to successfully monitor grantee
performance?
Data, tools, method/analytical approach: EPA is surveying all active EPA grant programs to
determine the universe of existing grant reporting and tracking systems. The surveys are intended
to provide the data and information needed to understand existing Agency approaches and
processes for collecting, monitoring, reporting, and evaluating grant commitments. These data will
provide a baseline inventory of what the Agency's grant programs are collecting and how the
national programs are using the grant commitment information. Preliminary analyses are defining
the current state of the Agency's grant commitment tracking and serve as the foundation for
answering the Learning Agenda questions planned for FY2022 and FY2023.
EPA is comparing the current state of grants management to an ideal future state, considering the
programmatic and statutory requirements unique to each grant program, and available tools for
programmatic monitoring. A workgroup will develop criteria to assess the ability of programs to
successfully monitor grantee performance, with a specific focus on tracking environmental
outcomes and outputs. This activity will inform the next phase (Learning Agenda Question 2),
which will analyze the Agency's ability to review progress made in protecting human health and
the environment through its grant programs and demonstrate how EPA's grants programs are
achieving the intended environmental results.
Anticipated challenges and proposed solutions: Dependent on high stakeholder engagement and
participation (states, academic institutions, EPA management and staff, etc.)
Dissemination of findings: Final reports will be posted publicly on EPA's website. Information
and any findings also will be shared with appropriate EPA staff and management.
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Other EPA Evidence-Building Activities
Office of Air and Radiation (OAR)
Title
Title V Permitting Program Reviews
Lead National Program
Office of Air and Radiation
Strategic Goal,
Objective, and/or Cross-
Agency Strategy
Goal 4: Ensure Clean and Healthy Air for All Communities
Objective 4.1: Improve Air Quality and Reduce Localized Pollution
and Health Impacts
Planned start date
October 2022
Planned completion date
September 2023
Purpose and description: EPA periodically assesses state and local permitting programs,
including the sufficiency of fees collected, under Title V of the Clean Air Act as part of its
responsibility to oversee delegated and approved air permitting programs.
Programmatic or policy decisions this activity will inform: In general, these analyses identify
good practices, document areas needing improvement, and inform how EPA can help the
permitting agencies improve their performance.
Question(s) this activity will address:
• What are some good practices and areas of improvement in state and local permitting programs
under Title V of the Clean Air Act?
• How can EPA help the permitting agencies improve their performance?
Data, tools, method/analytical approach: In general, EPA uses a questionnaire to gather
preliminary information, reviews files maintained on permits, conducts site visits, and follows up
with the permitting program to clarify information in conducting a Title V program assessment.
Anticipated challenges and proposed solutions: The Agency conducts these analyses annually
and does not anticipate challenges.
Dissemination of findings: The Title V Permit analyses are posted on ^ website. Information
and any findings also will be shared with appropriate EPA staff and management.
Title
Our Nation's Air: Status and Trends Through 2021
Lead National Program
Office of Air and Radiation
Strategic Goal,
Objective, and/or Cross-
Agency Strategy
Goal 4: Ensure Clean and Healthy Air for All Communities
Objective 4.1: Improve Air Quality and Reduce Localized Pollution
and Health Impacts
Planned start date
October 2022
Planned completion date
September 2023
Purpose and description: EPA is committed to protecting public health and the environment by
improving air quality and reducing air pollution. This annual report presents the trends in the
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nation's air quality and summarizes the detailed information found at EPA's Air Trends website
and other air quality and emissions data.
Programmatic or policy decisions this activity will inform: This activity provides an annual
assessment of air quality in an accessible format, allowing EPA, states, and other stakeholders to
understand how air quality is changing both in their local area and across the nation. Stakeholders
can use this information to help inform their decisions in their air quality programs.
Question(s) this activity will address:
• Where are areas experiencing air quality above the national ambient air quality standards?
• Are these areas trending toward improving air quality?
Data, tools, method/analytical approach: Existing data is pulled from several sources to generate
the report such as the National Emission Inventory (NEI) and Air Quality System (AQS).
Anticipated challenges and proposed solutions: The Agency produces this report annually and
does not anticipate challenges. This activity is contingent upon air quality data availability from
state, local, and tribal air pollution control agencies.
Dissemination of findings: This report is annually included on aids website.
Information and any findings also will be shared with appropriate EPA staff and management.
Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention (OCSPP)
Title
TSCA Risk Evaluation and Management Activities
Lead National Program
Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention
Strategic Goal,
Objective, and/or
Cross-Agency Strategy
Goal 7: Ensure Safety of Chemicals for People and the Environment
Objective 7.1: Ensure Chemical and Pesticide Safety
Planned start date
October 2022 Planned completion date September 2023
Purpose and description: OCSPP's Office of Pollution Prevention and Toxics (OPPT) will
continue to stand up a project management program that eventually will support all major activities
in the office. A primary area in which this effort is expected to contribute is the planning and
execution of risk evaluation and risk management actions taken by EPA under TSCA.
Programmatic or policy decisions this activity will inform: This activity will inform the
understanding of how is meeting TSCA's mandates and how this can be improved, as well as what
appropriate measures are for tracking performance.
Question(s) this activity will address: Can the processes currently used to develop TSCA risk
evaluations and risk management actions be improved?
Data, tools, method/analytical approach: Critical data sets include performance metric targets
and results and any other data sets that could point to a need for operational improvements. For
some aspects of this work, new information will be developed to establish a baseline for future
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measurement. The project management approach and tools will be used to understand, plan, and
improve TSCA implementation.
Anticipated challenges and proposed solutions: OCSPP does not anticipate major challenges,
but the adoption of new approaches across a highly technical and complex program will take time
to realize results. Similarly, TSCA timelines for risk evaluation and risk management actions run
for about five years per chemical, so improvements may not be able to be demonstrated
immediately.
Dissemination of findings: OCSPP will make results publicly available via performance
reporting. Information and any findings also will be shared with appropriate EPA staff and
management.
Title
Effectiveness of OCSPP Pollution Prevention Activities
Lead National Program
Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention
Strategic Goal,
Objective, and/or
Cross-Agency Strategy
Goal 7: Ensure Safety of Chemicals for People and the Environment
Objective 7.2: Promote Pollution Prevention
Planned start date
October 2022 Planned completion date September 2023
Purpose and description: The Pollution Prevention (P2) Program seeks to alleviate
environmental problems by leveraging business-relevant approaches to achieve significant
reductions in the generation of hazardous releases to air, water, and land; reductions in the use of
hazardous materials, which also advances EPA's chemical risk reduction and management goals
under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA); reductions in the generation of greenhouse gases;
and reductions in the use of water. As a result of these preventative approaches, the P2 Program
helps businesses and others reduce costs and access market opportunities.
Programmatic or policy decisions this activity will inform: The review will assess the degree
of progress and effects of the P2 Programs, as well as the utility of performance measures (APG,
LTPG, internal operational metrics) for the Program.
Question(s) this activity will address:
• What are the effects of EPA's P2 Program on different stakeholders' outcomes?
• What is the potential pace of the Safer Choice Program when appropriately resourced?
Data, tools, method/analytical approach: Critical data sets include data collected as part of the
P2 Program, the existing list of Safer Choice products, and performance metric targets and results
and any other data sets that could point to a need for operational improvements.
Anticipated challenges and proposed solutions: OCSPP does not anticipate any major
challenges in gathering relevant data.
Dissemination of findings: OCSPP will make results publicly available via performance
reporting. Information and any findings also will be shared with appropriate EPA staff and
management.
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Title
Reducing Use of Animals in Chemical Testing
Lead National Programs
Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention and Office of
Research and Development
Strategic Goal,
Objective, and/or
Cross-Agency Strategy
Goal 7: Ensure Safety of Chemicals for People and the
Environment
Objective 7.1: Ensure Chemical and Pesticide Safety
Planned start date
October 2020 Planned completion date October 2035
Purpose and description: OCSPP and ORD have been world leaders in advancing the science of
moving away from the use of animals for toxicity testing. In June of 2020, EPA released, "New
Approach Methods Work Plan: Reducing Use of Animals in Chemical Testing," which provides
a workplan to develop metrics for reducing the use of mammalian laboratory animals in both
research and for safety evaluations for pesticides and industrial chemicals.
Additionally, the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) released a report to Congress in
2019 recommending that Federal agencies develop metrics to assess the progress made toward
reducing, refining, and replacing animal use in testing. EPA implemented activities and policies
over the past several years that demonstrate significant reductions in the number of animals used
in testing and saving resources for the Agency and stakeholders.
Programmatic or policy decisions this activity will inform: OCSPP primarily uses laboratory
animal data for assessing the risks of pesticides and industrial chemicals under FIFRA and TSCA.
This effort will support metrics that show progress regarding the move away from this historical
paradigm towards replacing animal studies with new approach methods that are more efficient and
more human relevant.
Question(s) this activity will address:
• What progress is being made towards achieving the goal of reducing mammal study requests
and funding by 30 percent by 2025?
• What progress is being made towards achieving the goal of eliminating mammalian study
requests and funding by 2035?
Data, tools, method/analytical approach: OCSPP tracks the reduction and replacement metrics
through internal committees, primarily the Hazard and Science Policy Council (HASPOC) and the
Chemistry and Acute Toxicology Science Advisory Council (CATSAC) and division-level
processes.
OCSPP is in the process of an Analysis of TSCA Available, Expected and Potentially Useful
Information (ATAEPI) that will provide the foundation for developing metrics for TSCA-specific
activities in this area.
Anticipated challenges and proposed solutions: Under TSCA, there is no defined set of
toxicology data requirements which makes establishing baselines difficult. In addition, OCSPP
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needs to develop the processes for tracking and working towards publicly accessible metrics where
the submitted data are protected as TSCA CBI.
Accelerating progress towards adopting new approach methods requires the availability of
approaches that are "equal to or better than" the typically used animal studies. Other activities
described in the June 2020 workplan will address this challenge.
Dissemination of findings: EPA efforts to reduce use of animals in chemical testing is reported
in the Annual Reports on PRIA Implementation. In the future, OCSPP also will publish metrics
on its website. Information and any findings also will be shared with appropriate EPA staff and
management.
Title
Pesticide Registration Review
Lead National Program
Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention
Strategic Goal,
Objective, and/or
Cross-Agency Strategy
Goal 7: Ensure Safety of Chemicals for People and the Environment
Objective 7.1: Ensure Chemical and Pesticide Safety
Planned start date
October 2022 Planned completion date September 2023
Purpose and description: Review will assess the degree of progress and timely completion of
docket openings, draft risk assessments, and case completions for the second cycle of registration
review.
Programmatic or policy decisions this activity will inform: Decisions on whether any changes
are needed to performance measures or the process for completion of pesticide registration review
activities.
Question(s) this activity will address:
• Do OCSPP's processes for meeting registration review statutory timeframes warrant further
revision?
• Should OCSPP develop a new suite of performance measures to measure current or new
processes, and if so, what are the options?
Data, tools, method/analytical approach: Critical data sets include performance metric targets
and results and any other data sets that could point to a need for operational improvements.
Anticipated challenges and proposed solutions: OCSPP does not anticipate any major
challenges in gathering performance data. Expert input will be brought to bear on any challenges
and possibility that solutions will be needed.
Dissemination of findings: OCSPP will make results publicly available via performance
reporting. Information and any findings also will be shared with appropriate EPA staff and
management.
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Title
ESA Effects Determinations for Listed Species
Lead National Program
Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention
Strategic Goal,
Objective, and/or
Cross-Agency Strategy
Goal 7: Ensure Safety of Chemicals for People and the Environment
Objective 7.1: Ensure Chemical and Pesticide Safety
Planned start date
October 2022 Planned completion date September 2023
Purpose and description: The Endangered Species Act (ESA) requires that the actions of federal
agencies do not jeopardize the continued existence of federally threatened or endangered species
or destroy or adversely modify their critical habitat. EPA is developing a process to incorporate
ESA determinations into its new active ingredient registration process and to work towards more
routine considerations of ESA determinations for registration review decisions. EPA anticipates
integrating ESA considerations into its new active ingredient registrations and registration review
decisions at an increasing frequency over the next 5 years.
Programmatic or policy decisions this activity will inform: Decisions on whether any changes
are needed to the processes for incorporating ESA effects determinations into OSCPP's risk
assessments supporting registration and registration review activities.
Question(s) this activity will address:
• Do OCSPP's processes for developing ESA effects determinations warrant further revision?
• Should OCSPP develop a new suite of performance measures to measure current or new
processes, and if so, what are the options?
Data, tools, method/analytical approach: Critical data sets include EPA workflow tracking
systems and stand-alone reports on ESA-related risk assessment activity and label mitigation.
Tools and analytical methods listed above would not be needed for this exercise.
Anticipated challenges and proposed solutions: OCSPP does not anticipate any major
challenges in gathering performance data. Expert input will be brought to bear on any challenges
and possibility that solutions will be needed.
Dissemination of findings: OCSPP will make results publicly available via performance
reporting. Information and any findings also will be shared with appropriate EPA staff and
management.
Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance (OECA)
Title
Compliance Learning Agenda
Lead National Program
Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance
Strategic Goal,
Objective, and/or Cross-
Agency Strategy
Goal 3: Enforce Environmental Laws and Ensure Compliance
Objective 3.2: Detect Violations and Promote Compliance
Planned start date
To be determined Planned completion date To be determined
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Purpose and description: OECA is developing a compliance learning agenda in collaboration
with states, Tribes, and academics to improve the effectiveness of enforcement and compliance
programs, approaches, and tools. With cross-agency participation, OECA will support a venue for
EPA, states, Tribes, and territories to collaborate on prioritizing the most pressing programmatic
questions; planning evidence-based studies to address these questions; and identifying effective
and innovative approaches for improving compliance. OECA anticipates finalizing the compliance
learning agenda by the end of FY 2022, with projects beginning and/or continuing through FY
2023.
Programmatic or policy decisions this activity will inform: Projects produced from the
compliance learning agenda will inform compliance program improvements and innovative
enforcement remedies.
Question(s) this activity will address:
[NOTE: This list is expected to be refined by OECA in conjunction with state, Tribe and territory
co-regulators, as well as academic experts and other stakeholders.]:
• Do formal enforcement approaches achieve similar levels of compliance?
• What are the effects of different data sharing/transparency models on compliance rates for
regulated facilities (federated vs. non-federated)?
• What is the relative value of onsite vs. offsite compliance monitoring activities?
• What are the circumstances under which provision of compliance assistance is effective in
producing improved compliance?
Data, tools, method/analytical approach: EPA will leverage and/or create critical data sets use
Agency systems along with obtaining relevant and germane data and information from outside
parties. Identify any tools (e.g., statistical software, models, sensors) that will be used, the method
(e.g., survey instrument, literature review, data mining), and any analytical approach that will be
used (e.g., A/B analysis, benefit-cost analysis, statical regression, trend analysis). Additional data,
tools, and methods to be determined, working with stakeholders.
Anticipated challenges and proposed solutions: Anticipated challenges include the availability
of relevant and reliable data, as well as the ability of key partners such as EPA regions, EPA, states,
Tribes, and territories to undertake activities that generate new data. To help overcome this
challenge, OECA has partnered with the E-Enterprise Leadership Council (EELC) and have
invited the Environmental Council of States (ECOS), and the National Tribal Council (NTC) to
participate in the workgroup to draft the learning agenda.
Dissemination of findings: OECA anticipates making project(s) findings public including with
states and Tribes through the EELC and other partnerships. Information and any findings also will
be shared with appropriate EPA staff and management.
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Office of Land and Emergency Management
Title
OLEM Population Analysis
Lead National Program
Office of Land and Emergency Management
Strategic Goal,
Objective, and/or
Cross-Agency Strategy
Goal 6: Safeguard and Revitalize Communities
Objective 6.1: Cleanup Up and Restore Land for Productive Uses
and Healthy Communities
Planned start date
January 2023 Planned completion date May 2023
Purpose and description: This is a descriptive study. The purpose is to conduct a bi-annual
analysis to support evidence-based descriptions of who benefits from EPA's cleanup and
prevention work, by collecting data on the population living within three and one mile(s) of a
Superfund site, Brownfields site, Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) Corrective
Action (CA) site, Leaking Underground Storage Tank (LUST) site, and Underground Storage
Tank (UST) facility that exist in thousands of communities across the United States ranging from
remote to large urban settings. This analysis also supports EPA's America's Children and the
Environment Report, by estimating the number of children and their socioeconomic/demographic
characteristics who live within one mile of a RCRA CA or Superfund site that may not have had
all human health protective measures in place at the time of the analysis.
Programmatic or policy decisions this activity will inform: Populations that are more minority,
low income, linguistically isolated, or less likely to have a high school education than the U.S.
population as a whole, may have fewer resources with which to address concerns about their health
and environment. EPA includes these factors in population analyses to understand the potential for
these vulnerabilities in relation to cleanup sites at the national level. Results are included in EPA's
annual budget reviews with OMB, and in budget justifications for Congress. Results also are used
in general communications with press, other government agencies, and the public.
Question(s) this activity will address: What are the estimates for the population living within
three and one mile(s) of a Superfund site, Brownfield site, RCRA CA site, LUST site and UST
facility by Race, Ethnicity, Minority, Income, Education; Age; Linguistic isolation?3
Data, tools, method/analytical approach: OLEM will use site location and status data from the
Assessment, Cleanup and Redevelopment Exchange System (ACRES), Superfund Enterprise
Management System (SEMS) and RCRA Info for Brownfields, Superfund and RCRA CA,
respectively. Site location and status data for LUST sites and UST facilities from ORD's state
LUST/UST database. Population data from the most recent American Community Survey 5-Year
Estimates. Latitude and longitude coordinates are used to map site locations. Then 1- and 3- mile
buffers are drawn from the site location. Depending on data availability, the site location is either
a point, a modeled circular site boundary based on site acreage around a point or the actual site
boundaries. Using census block group centroids and the 1- and 3- mile buffers, the population and
3 Race - people who self-identify as white, black, Asian, Native American, Hawaiian/pacific islander, or other; Ethnicity - people
of all races who self-identify as hispanic or non-hispanic; Minority - all race and ethnicity combinations except "non-hispanic
whites"; Income - below poverty level, and incomes twice or more above poverty level; Education - less than high school
education; Age- Under 5, Under 18, over 64; Linguistic isolation: households where all members do not speak English as a first
language or "very well."
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characteristics are estimated. If the census block centroid falls within the buffer, then the
population of that census block is included in the estimation of the near site population. OLEM
compares the near site populations to the overall U.S. population to identify differences in the
characteristics listed above. OLEM follows the methods used in the America's Children and the
Environment Report Indicators E10 and Ell. For more details on the methods, see the Summary
of Methods. This spatial analysis is done using ArcGlS and R software suites.
Anticipated challenges and proposed solutions: Geospatial data available to map site boundaries
is limited. EPA continues to work to improve geospatial data on Superfund and RCRA Corrective
Action site boundaries. The LUST/UST data used was obtained from the USTFinder. The
USTFinder is a new web map application containing a comprehensive, state-sourced national map
of underground storage tank (UST) and leaking UST (LUST) data. USTFinder was made possible
by a large ORD data collection effort. Ability to update estimates for LUST/UST in the future
depends on whether ORD updates data in the USTFinder.
Dissemination of findings: EPA will share the results of these analyses on EPA's website and
include the information in Agency documents that are available to the public. Information and any
findings also will be shared with appropriate EPA staff and management.
Title
Redevelopment Economics at Remedial Sites (non-federal facility)
Lead National Program
Office of Land and Emergency Management
Strategic Goal,
Objective, and/or
Cross-Agency Strategy
Goal 6: Safeguard and Revitalize Communities
Objective 6.1: Cleanup Up and Restore Land for Productive Uses
and Healthy Communities
Planned start date
October 2022 Planned completion date January 2023
Purpose and description: Cleaning up contaminated sites can serve as a catalyst for economic
growth and community revitalization. The Superfund Remedial Program facilitates the
redevelopment of sites across the country while protecting human health and the environment.
Collaborative efforts among state, local, and tribal partners, redevelopers and other federal agency
programs encourage restoration of sites. Since Superfund sites often encompass buildings, roads,
and other infrastructure, their effective and efficient cleanup and reuse can play a pivotal role in a
community's economic growth. EPA has initiated efforts to collect economic data at a subset of
Superfund sites.
Programmatic or policy decisions this activity will inform: Economic data are included in
budget justifications to Congress and are used in general communication with key stakeholders
and the public.
Question(s) this activity will address: The analysis will provide current, reliable business-related
information for a subset of Superfund sites in reuse and continued use. Some innovative business
owners and organizations reuse Superfund sites for a variety of purposes. These uses can help
economically revitalize communities near Superfund sites.
Data, tools, method/analytical approach: The study estimates economic activity at Superfund
sites in reuse from reputable sources based on methodology developed by EPA's Superfund
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Redevelopment Initiative and outlined on the public webpaee. Information on the number of
employees and sales volume for on-site businesses typically comes from Hoovers/Dun &
Bradstreet, the ReferenceUSA and Manta databases.
Anticipated challenges and proposed solutions: There are no anticipated challenges.
Dissemination of findings: The summary of the results will be shared on EPA's website.
Information and any findings also will be shared with appropriate EPA staff and management.
Title
Redevelopment Economics at Federal Facilities
Lead National Program
Office of Land and Emergency Management
Strategic Goal,
Objective, and/or
Cross-Agency Strategy
Goal 6: Safeguard and Revitalize Communities
Objective 6.1: Cleanup Up and Restore Land for Productive Uses
and Healthy Communities
Planned start date
October 2022 Planned completion date January 2023
Purpose and description: 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 encourage 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. EPA has
initiated efforts to collect economic data at a subset of federal facility Superfund sites that is
outlined on the public webpage Redevelopment Economic? eral Facilities.
Programmatic or policy decisions this activity will inform: Economic data are included in
budget justifications to Congress and are used in general communication with other Federal
agencies and the public.
Question(s) this activity will address: The analysis will provide current, reliable business-related
information for a subset of federal facility Superfund sites in reuse and continued use. Some
innovative business owners and organizations reuse Superfund sites for a variety of purposes.
These uses can help economically revitalize communities near Superfund sites.
Data, tools, method/analytical approach: The study estimates economic activity at federal
facilities Superfund sites in reuse from reputable sources based on methodology developed by
EPA's Superfund Redevelopment Initiative, which is outlined in more detail at Redevelopment
Economics at Fede ilities. Information on the number of employees and sales volume for
on-site businesses typically comes from Hoovers/Dun & Bradstreet, the ReferenceUSA and
Manta databases.
Anticipated challenges and proposed solutions: There are no anticipated challenges.
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Dissemination of findings: The summary of the results will be shared on EPA's website.
Information and any findings also will be shared with appropriate EPA staff and management.
Office of Mission Support
Title
Diversity, Equity, Inclusivity, Accessibility Plan Implementation
Lead National Program
Office of Mission Support
Strategic Goal,
Objective, and/or Cross-
Agency Strategy
Cross-Agency Strategy 3: Advance EPA's Organizational
Excellence
and Workforce Equity
Planned start date
October 2021 Planned completion date September 2026
Purpose and description: In line with President Biden's Executive Order on Diversity, Equity,
Inclusion, and Accessibility in the Federal Workforce, EPA will implement the actions identified
in the draft Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility (DEIA) Plan.
Programmatic or policy decisions this activity will inform: EPA will take an evidence-based
and data-driven approach to determine whether and to what extent agency practices result in
inequitable employment outcomes, and whether agency actions may help to overcome systemic
societal and organizational barriers. For areas where evidence is lacking, the Agency will propose
opportunities advance diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility, addressing those gaps.
Question(s) this activity will address:
• Are Agency recruitment, hiring, promotion, retention, professional development,
performance evaluations, pay and compensation policies, reasonable accommodations
access, and training policies and practices equitable?
• What is the status and effects of existing diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility
initiatives or programs?
• What are the number and nature of institutional resources available to support human
resources activities?
Data, tools, method/analytical approach: Tools will include the various HR dashboards and
systems that contain demographics data that can be used to assess diversity within the Agency.
Methods and approaches will be determined following finalization of the DEIA plan.
Anticipated challenges and proposed solutions: There are no anticipated challenges.
Dissemination of findings: Results of findings will be shared with the Agency as new workforce
policies, procedures, trainings that will be used to foster a diverse, equitable, inclusive, and
accessible workforce. Information and any findings also will be shared with appropriate EPA staff
and management.
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Title
Facility Climate Resiliency Assessments
Lead National Program
Office of Mission Support
Strategic Goal,
Objective, and/or Cross-
Agency Strategy
Goal 1: Tackle the Climate Crisis
Objective 1.2: Accelerate Resilience and Adaptation to Climate
Change Impacts
Planned start date
October 2021 Planned completion date September 2024
Purpose and description: Climate resiliency has been an integral component of EPA's site
planning and facility support for more than a decade. In preparation for severe weather effects on
its buildings, infrastructure, operations, and mission-critical activities, EPA's Office of Mission
Support (OMS) has conducted climate resiliency assessments at several key facilities in coastal,
plains, and mountain regions to identify vulnerabilities and opportunities for climate readiness and
adaptation. EPA may conduct additional facility climate resiliency assessments to identify new
vulnerabilities and determine best practices for withstanding severe weather events, enhancing IT
security, ensuring resilient power supplies, and continuing EPA's mission-related work in the
event its buildings or operations are compromised by climate change.
Programmatic or policy decisions this activity will inform: Following completion of a climate
assessment at a facility, EPA will prioritize the identified projects based on several factors,
including impact on overall facility resiliency, cost, ability to execute, and initiate the highest
priority projects.
Question(s) this activity will address: The results of the climate assessments will provide EPA
with data on actions/projects the Agency can take to improve the physical and operational
resiliency of its facilities against the impacts of climate change.
Data, tools, method/analytical approach: Climate assessments will examine physical and
operational vulnerabilities of facilities, assessments may address the following areas: Water
Quality and Supply; Severe Weather and/or Flooding Damage; Field Worker Safety; Physical
Security; and Security Operations and Emergency Communications. To meet the directives in
Executive Order 14008 - Tackling the Climate Crisis at Home and Abroad, EPA is currently
developing a Climate Adaptation Plan; final plans and approaches for facility climate assessments
will be included.
Anticipated challenges and proposed solutions: The primary challenge associated with this
activity is financial as the costs associated with pursuing climate resiliency enhancements to EPA-
owned facilities may exceed annual appropriations in the Buildings & Facilities account. EPA will
prioritize the facility projects to ensure that the highest priority projects with the greatest impacts
on resiliency are initiated within available resources.
Dissemination of findings: EPA will not make generally available the results of every facility
climate assessment; however, EPA publishes a list of the major Buildings & Facilities projects it
intends to pursue with the annual Congressional Justification budget narrative and these projects
may include major climate resiliency projects. Information and any findings also will be shared
with appropriate EPA staff and management.
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Title
Implementing Multifactor Authentication and Encryption
Lead National Program
Office of Mission Support
Strategic Goal,
Objective, and/or Cross-
Agency Strategy
Cross-Agency Strategy 3: Advance EPA's Organizational
Excellence
and Workforce Equity
Planned start date
October 2021 Planned completion date September 2026
Purpose and description: Executive Order 14028 - Improving the Nation's Cybersecurity
mandates that Agencies implement a Zero Trust Architecture in accordance with the National
Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) standards and guidance and implement Multifactor
Authentication (MFA) and encryption for Data at Rest and Data in Transit for Federal Information
Systems Modernization Act (FISMA) Systems. EPA currently has 127 systems, of which 40% are
believed to meet the NIST requirements for multifactor authentication. The Agency has identified
the implementation of MFA as a Long-Term Performance Goal for the FY 2022-2026 EPA
Strategic Plan. This effort will require collecting information regarding MFA for all 127 FISMA
into the Agency's Governance Risk and Compliance (GRC) Information Security management
system, XACTA, in a standardized manner.
Programmatic or policy decisions this activity will inform: This data will identify the FISMA
systems across the Agency that will require implementation of MFA and enable the Office of
Mission Support to target compliance to those offices within the FISMA system boundaries.
Question(s) this activity will address:
• What FISMA systems currently have implemented MFA?
• What FISMA systems that do not currently have MFA, require MFA to be implemented?
Data, tools, method/analytical approach: FISMA System owners will update this data, in a
standardized format to allow the Office of Mission Support to track compliance with MFA
implementation requirements. Agency tools (e.g., Beyond Trust, CyberArk, hosting utilities,
others) can potentially be configured to monitor the use of Multifactor Authentication to access
the FISMA Systems and the adoption of Encryption for DAR and DIT. (OISP can work with
System Owners and OITO tool managers to configure tools and generate reports). Annual
Assessments performed by third party auditors shall address the multifactor authentication and
encryption security controls and will reflect updates in the final report. (Report provided by third-
party assessor to system owners). Updated Quarterly FISMA reporting shall address the
modifications to the "System Boundaries" to address the enforcement. (System, owners will report
status to ISSS, and OISP for an official response).
Anticipated challenges and proposed solutions: No anticipated challenges foreseen at this time.
Dissemination of findings: This is privileged information pertaining to EPA system security and
will not be made available to the public. Information and any findings also will be shared with
appropriate EPA staff and management.
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Office of Research and Development
Title
Climate Change Research
Lead National Program
Office of Research and Development
Strategic Goal,
Objective, and/or Cross-
Agency Strategy
Goal 1: Tackle the Climate Crisis
Objective 1.2: Accelerate Resilience and Adaptation to Climate
Change Impacts
Planned start date
October 2023 Planned completion date September 2026
Purpose and description: Climate change is impacting public health, air and water quality today
and will exacerbate environmental challenges in the future. Potential effects from climate change
include increases in scale and frequency of hurricanes, wildland fires, flooding and drought, and
changes in transportation and energy usage. EPA/ORD is coordinating research across the six
National Research Programs (NRP) to: research causes and mitigating factors for climate change;
developing knowledge to support science-based decision making; and supporting emergency
response, disaster preparation and recovery, as well as supporting communities and ecosystems
against severe weather within a sustainable management framework.
Programmatic or policy decisions this activity will inform: In support of climate change
research and Environmental Justice (EJ), ORD research efforts will strengthen science as a
foundation for addressing environmental and human health challenges within underserved or at-
risk communities.
Question(s) this activity will address: EPA and stakeholders require tools and data that
accurately forecast how air quality, water quality, ecosystems, and human health will be affected
as a consequence of a changing climate and the potential mitigation strategies that are adopted.
ORD research will inform decisions and efforts to decrease the disproportionate impacts of climate
change.
Some climate induced disasters will cause EPA, states, and tribal governments to provide support
activities including public drinking water supply, drinking and wastewater infrastructure recovery,
debris management, and environmental contamination cleanup (oil spill, pesticide, hazardous
waste, mold, etc.). Likewise, many of these response activities benefit from capabilities developed
from Homeland Security research supporting chemical, biological, and radiological incident
response.
Data, tools, method/analytical approach: This research area will produce a large amount of data,
methods, and tools to advance the government and stakeholders' understanding of adverse and
multi-faceted effects associated with a changing climate. Similarly, the research will produce
methods and tools to improve community preparation, response, and recovery for climate induced
disasters, as well as to improve the long-term resilience of communities to climatic change with
respect to human health and the environment.
Anticipated challenges and proposed solutions: This research area will produce a large volume
of scientific deliverables which will require complex research planning, facilitation, review
coordination, task prioritization, and regular interactions with programmatic partners (e.g., OAR,
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OW, OLEM, Regional Offices) to ensure deliverables/products address stakeholder requirements.
To support these efforts, EPA/ORD will continue development of more efficient methods of
project implementation and tracking.
Dissemination of findings: EPA will make research findings publicly available through several
forms such as technical reports, journal publications, open-access web-based tools and models,
data sets, webinars, and technical fact sheets. Information and any findings also will be shared with
appropriate EPA staff and management.
Title
Environmental Justice and Vulnerable Populations
Lead National Program
Office of Research and Development
Strategic Goal,
Objective, and/or Cross-
Agency Strategy
Goal 2 Take Decisive Action to Advance Environmental Justice and
Civil Rights
Objective 2.1: Promote Environmental Justice Efforts at the
Federal, Tribal, State, and Local Levels
Planned start date
September 2023 Planned completion date September 2026
Purpose and description: EJ is an integral part of EPA's mission to protect human health and the
environment. EJ is achieved when all people are fully protected from environmental and health
hazards and have equitable access to decision-making processes to maintain a healthy environment
in which to live, learn, play, and work. Low-income, disadvantaged communities and indigenous
peoples are often disproportionately vulnerable to environmental health challenges due to greater
risk of exposure to many sources of pollutants or contaminants (chemical stressors). EJ
communities are often disadvantaged due to long term environmental policies that resulted in
wealth and/or health inequities or disparities, and they are increasingly at-risk to the effects of
climate change and extreme weather. Similarly, health impacts from these chemical and
nonchemical stressors vary with lifestages, as well as inherent sensitivities. Children, older
persons, and people with disabilities or pre-existing health conditions are particularly vulnerable
to the effects of climate changes and associated environmental stressors. In coordination with the
six National Research Programs (NRP), EPA will lead research on identifying how health
disparities can arise from unequal environmental conditions, including impacts from climate
change and exposures to pollution, and inequitable social and economic conditions.
Programmatic or policy decisions this activity will inform: In support of climate change
research and EJ, ORD research efforts will strengthen science as a foundation for addressing
environmental and human health challenges within underserved or at-risk communities.
Question(s) this activity will address: ORD's research will:
• Expand scientific understanding of environmental health disparities and the shortening of
human lifespan related to exposure to chemical and nonchemical stressors in vulnerable
populations and life stages
• Investigate the intertwined social and environmental variables effecting community
resilience and vulnerability to environmental hazards
• Characterize and assess exposures, risks, and impacts associated with air pollution and
climate change, while identifying and incorporating evidence-based solutions to reduce
these adverse effects in EJ communities
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Data, tools, method/analytical approach: A large amount of data, methods, and tools will be
developed to support decision-making and empower disadvantaged communities to improve
resilience and sustainability. Similarly, this research will enhance human health by supporting the
development of new technologies, data, models, and tools as well as resources and trainings for
risk communication and risk management, outreach, and community engagement.
Anticipated challenges and proposed solutions: This research area will produce a large volume
of scientific deliverables which will require complex research planning, facilitation, review
coordination, task prioritization, and regular interactions with programmatic partners (e.g., OAR,
OW, OLEM, Regional Offices) to ensure deliverables/products address stakeholder requirements.
To support these efforts, EPA/ORD will continue development of more efficient methods of
project implementation and tracking.
Dissemination of findings: EPA will make research findings publicly available through several
forms, such as technical reports, journal publications, open-access web-based tools and models,
data sets, webinars, and technical fact sheets. Information and any findings also will be shared with
appropriate EPA staff and management.
Office of Water
Title
Clean Water Infrastructure Revolving Fund State Reviews
Lead National Program
Office of Water
Strategic Goal,
Objective, and/or Cross-
Agency Strategy
Goal 5: Ensure Clean and Safe Water for All Communities.
Objective 5.1: Ensure Safe Drinking Water and Reliable Water
Infrastructure.
Planned start date
October 2022
Planned completion date
September 2023
Purpose and description: EPA completes annual reviews of each State Clean Water Revolving
Fund Program (CWSRF).
Programmatic or policy decisions this activity will inform: These reviews will help assess if
states are effectively implementing the Clean Water Revolving Fund Categorical Grant Program
by increasing the amount of non-federal dollars leveraged. The reviews also will be used to
encourage states to direct funding to projects that address climate resiliency and equity.
Question(s) this activity will address:
• Are states effectively implementing the Clean Water Revolving Fund Categorical Grant
Program by leveraging non-federal funds?
• Are the states complying with the EPA's State and Tribal Assistance Grant Program
requirements?
• What steps are the states taking to promote climate resiliency and equity through CWSRF
funding?
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Data, tools, method/analytical approach: Data are provided from each state CWSRF Program
review that are conducted by EPA Headquarters and the Regions.
Anticipated challenges and proposed solutions: There are no anticipated challenges.
Dissemination of findings: The findings from the annual state reviews are documented in
Program Evaluation Reports, which are provided to EPA Headquarters by the regional offices.
EPA Headquarters periodically updates guidance based on these findings. Revised guidance is
made available to states and stakeholders through EPA's website. Information and any findings
also will be shared with appropriate EPA staff and management.
Title
Safe Drinking Water Information System (SDWIS) National
Community Water System Non-Compliance Review
Lead National Program
Office of Water
Strategic Goal,
Objective, and/or Cross-
Agency Strategy
Goal 5: Ensure Clean and Safe Water for All Communities.
Objective 5.1: Ensure Safe Drinking Water and Reliable Water
Infrastructure.
Planned start date
October 2022
Planned completion date
September 2023
Purpose and description: EPA conducts a review quarterly of the Safe Drinking Water
Information System (SDWIS) National Community Water System (CWS) health-based non-
compliance data.
Programmatic or policy decisions this activity will inform: This review assesses the trends and
causes of non-compliance to information technical, managerial, and financial state and public
water system capacity building training or future drinking water regulation needs, in support of
regulatory drinking water compliance.
Question(s) this activity will address:
What are the barriers and challenges of CWS systems maintaining compliance with health-based
drinking water standards?
Data, tools, method/analytical approach: Data are provided from EPA's SDWIS database.
There is a non-compliance review of CWS systems with health-based violations by regulation
type, geographical distribution and system source type.
Anticipated challenges and proposed solutions: There are no anticipated challenges.
Dissemination of findings: The findings from the Program reviews will be publicly shared.
Quarterly data reports are shared publicly via the SDWIS FED Data Warehouse. Information and
any findings also will be shared with appropriate EPA staff and management.
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Title
Public Water System Supervision (PWSS) Program Reviews &
Drinking Water Infrastructure Revolving Fund State Reviews
Lead National Program
Office of Water
Strategic Goal,
Objective, and/or Cross-
Agency Strategy
Goal 5: Ensure Clean and Safe Water for All Communities.
Objective 5.1: Ensure Safe Drinking Water and Reliable Water
Infrastructure.
Planned start date
October 2022
Planned completion date
September 2023
Purpose and description: EPA annually conducts reviews of agencies with Public Water System
Supervision (PWSS) primacy (55 reviews) and reviews of each State Drinking Water Revolving
Fund Program.
Programmatic or policy decisions this activity will inform: These reviews assess if primacy
entities are effectively implementing the PWSS Program to oversee community water system
compliance with the Safe Drinking Water Act and assess if states are effectively implementing the
Drinking Water Revolving Fund Categorical Grant Program to facilitate community water system
compliance with the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA).
Question(s) this activity will address:
• Are primacy entities effectively implementing the range of activities in the PWSS Program to
oversee community water system compliance with the Safe Drinking Water Act?
• Are states effectively implementing the Drinking Water Revolving Fund Categorical Grant
Program to facilitate community water system compliance with the Safe Drinking Water Act
and complying with the EPA's State and Tribal Assistance Grant Program requirements?
Data, tools, method/analytical approach: Data is provided via program review reports by
agencies with primacy for the PWSS Program. The reports include elements such as state use of
the funds and the associated effects, compliance, and implementation of SDWA regulations,
alignment of program with national enforcement and compliance priorities, and public
communication efforts. For DWSRF data is provided from each state DWSRF program review
conducted by EPA Headquarters and the Regions.
Anticipated challenges and proposed solutions: There are no anticipated challenges.
Dissemination of findings: EPA's regional offices engage and share results with primacy
agencies under their purview. EPA shares PWSS information on water system compliance rates
across and within states. EPA makes publicly available an annual report on the status of the
national DWSRF Program. EPA also shares project and financial data at the national and state
level. Please see the most recent annual report, ^ t
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