United States
Environmental Protection Agency
Fiscal Year 2025
Justification of Appropriation
Estimates for the
Committee on Appropriations
Tab 04: Science and Technology
EPA-190R24002 March 2024
www.epa.gov/cj
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Environmental Protection Agency
FY 2025 Annual Performance Plan and Congressional Justification
Table of Contents - Science and Technology
Resource Summary Table 3
Program Projects in S&T 3
Clean Air 6
Clean Air Allowance Trading Programs 7
Climate Protection 11
Federal Support for Air Quality Management 14
Federal Vehicle and Fuels Standards and Certification 18
Enforcement 27
Forensics Support 28
Homeland Security 31
Homeland Security: Critical Infrastructure Protection 32
Homeland Security: Preparedness, Response, and Recovery 39
Homeland Security: Protection of EPA Personnel and Infrastructure 44
Indoor Air and Radiation 46
Indoor Air: Radon Program 47
Radiation: Protection 49
Radiation: Response Preparedness 51
Reduce Risks from Indoor Air 53
IT / Data Management 55
Operations and Administration 58
Facilities Infrastructure and Operations 59
Pesticides Licensing 62
Pesticides: Protect Human Health from Pesticide Risk 63
Pesticides: Protect the Environment from Pesticide Risk 68
Pesticides: Realize the Value of Pesticide Availability 72
Research: Air and Energy 75
Research: Air, Climate and Energy 76
Research: Chemical Safety and Sustainability 82
Research: Chemical Safety for Sustainability 83
Health and Environmental Risk Assessment 90
1
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Research: Safe and Sustainable Water Resources 96
Research: Safe and Sustainable Water Resources 97
Research: Sustainable Communities 103
Research: Sustainable and Healthy Communities 104
Ensure Safe Water 110
Drinking Water Programs Ill
Congressional Priorities 114
Congressional Priorities 115
2
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Environmental Protection Agency
FY 2025 Annual Performance Plan and Congressional Justification
APPROPRIATION: Science & Technology
Resource Summary Table
(Dollars in Thousands)
FY 2025
FY 2023
FY 2024
FY 2025
President's Budget
v.
Final
Annualized
President's
FY 2024
Actuals
CR
Budget
Annualized CR
Science & Technology
Budget Authority
$835,028
$802,276
$1,009,960
$207,684
Total Workyears
1,992.1
2,022.0
2,292.9
270.9
*For ease of comparison, Superfund transfer resources for the audit and research functions are shown in the Superfund
account.
Bill Language: Science and Technology
For science and technology, including research and development activities, which shall include
research and development activities under the Comprehensive Environmental Response,
Compensation, and Liability Act of1980; necessary expenses for personnel and related costs, and
travel expenses; procurement of laboratory equipment and supplies; hire, maintenance, and
operation of aircraft; and other operating expenses in support of research and development,
$1,009,960,000, to remain available until September 30, 2026.
Program Projects in S&T
[Dollars in Thousands)
Program Project
FY 2023
Final Actuals
FY 2024
Annualized
CR
FY 2025
President's
Budget
FY 2025 President's
Budget v.
FY 2024 Annualized
CR
Clean Air and Climate
Clean Air Allowance Trading Programs
$6,578
$7,117
$19,987
$12,870
Climate Protection
$9,968
$8,750
$10,800
$2,050
Federal Support for Air Quality Management
$8,950
$11,343
$10,754
-$589
Federal Vehicle and Fuels Standards and
Certification
$122,243
$117,341
$185,873
$68,532
Subtotal, Clean Air and Climate
$147,738
$144,551
$227,414
$82,863
Clean and Safe Water Technical Assistance Grants
Congressional Priorities
$23,283
$30,751
$0
-$30,751
Enforcement
Forensics Support
$14,152
$15,532
$19,337
$3,805
3
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Program Pro ject
FY 2023
Final Actuals
FY 2024
Annualized
CR
FY 2025
President's
Budget
FY 2025 President's
Budget v.
FY 2024 Annualized
CR
Ensure Safe Water
Drinking Water Programs
$5,474
$5,098
$7,043
$1,945
Homeland Security
Homeland Security: Critical Infrastructure
Protection
$12,249
$10,852
$34,351
$23,499
Homeland Security: Preparedness, Response, and
Recovery
$26,376
$25,347
$40,802
$15,455
Homeland Security: Protection of EPA Personnel
and Infrastructure
$625
$625
$501
-$124
Subtotal, Homeland Security
$39,250
$36,824
$75,654
$38,830
Indoor Air and Radiation
Indoor Air: Radon Program
$70
$199
$173
-$26
Radiation: Protection
$2,321
$1,683
$2,416
$733
Radiation: Response Preparedness
$3,200
$3,596
$4,802
$1,206
Reduce Risks from Indoor Air
$27
$278
$185
-$93
Subtotal, Indoor Air and Radiation
$5,618
$5,756
$7,576
$1,820
IT / Data Management / Security
IT / Data Management
$3,489
$3,197
$3,346
$149
Operations and Administration
Facilities Infrastructure and Operations
$65,328
$67,500
$72,906
$5,406
Pesticides Licensing
Pesticides: Protect the Environment from
Pesticide Risk
$2,468
$2,334
$4,239
$1,905
Pesticides: Protect Human Health from Pesticide
Risk
$3,034
$2,894
$5,902
$3,008
Pesticides: Realize the Value of Pesticide
Availability
$963
$925
$1,040
$115
Subtotal, Pesticides Licensing
$6,466
$6,153
$11,181
$5,028
Research: Chemical Safety for Sustainability
Health and Environmental Risk Assessment
$40,119
$39,918
$45,746
$5,828
Research: Chemical Safety for Sustainability
Endocrine Disruptors
$17,222
$16,353
$18,017
$1,664
Computational Toxicology
$23,500
$21,606
$23,646
$2,040
Research: Chemical Safety for
Sustainability (other activities)
$56,107
$54,591
$64,554
$9,963
Subtotal, Research: Chemical Safety for
Sustainability
$96,828
$92,550
$106,217
$13,667
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Program Pro ject
FY 2023
Final Actuals
FY 2024
Annualized
CR
FY 2025
President's
Budget
FY 2025 President's
Budget v.
FY 2024 Annualized
CR
Subtotal, Research: Chemical Safety for
Sustainability
$136,947
$132,468
$151,963
$19,495
Research: Safe and Sustainable Water Resources
Research: Safe and Sustainable Water Resources
$125,346
$116,141
$143,745
$27,604
Research: Sustainable Communities
Research: Sustainable and Healthy Communities
$147,279
$137,857
$149,498
$11,641
Research: Air, Climate and Energy
Research: Air, Climate and Energy
$114,659
$100,448
$140,297
$39,849
TOTAL S&T
$835,028
$802,276
$1,009,960
$207,684
*For ease of comparison, Superfund transfer resources for the audit and research functions are shown in the Superfund
account.
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Clean Air
6
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Clean Air Allowance Trading Programs
Program Area: Clean Air and Climate
Goal: Ensure Clean and Healthy Air for All Communities
Objective(s): Improve Air Quality and Reduce Localized Pollution and Health Impacts
(Dollars in Thousands)
FY 2023
Final Actuals
FY 2024
Annualized
CR
FY 2025
President's
Budget
FY 2025 President's
Budget v.
FY 2024 Annualized
CR
Environmental Programs & Management
SI 7.268
SI 6.554
S30.743
SI 4.189
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Total Budget Authority
$23,846
$23,671
$50,730
$27,059
Total Workyears
63.8
66.7
86.1
19.4
Program Project Description:
This Program is responsible for managing the Clean Air Status and Trends Network (CASTNET),
an ambient monitoring network that has been continuously collecting data for more than 30 years.
CASTNET serves as the Nation's primary source for assessing long-term trends in rural air quality
and atmospheric pollutant inputs to ecosystems. CASTNET sites are uniquely situated in remote
and high elevation areas within 42 states and eight tribal boundaries. Rural CASTNET sites are
intentionally located away from stationary emission sources and are often located in or near
economically disadvantaged communities, tribal communities, or communities of color. The
network provides valuable data to support the ozone National Ambient Air Quality Standards
(NAAQS) in many areas not monitored by state, local, and tribal monitoring agencies.
Additionally, CASTNET ozone data are used for exceptional event assessments of international
transport, background concentrations, wildfire events, and stratospheric ozone intrusions often
leading to ozone exceedances. The sites also fill critical data gaps needed to understand precursor
emissions contributions leading to air quality issues affecting downwind population centers, such
as agricultural activity, oil and gas production, wildfire smoke, and wood smoke in mountain
valleys. The CASTNET monitoring network continues to be critical for assessing impacts of
regional emission reduction programs and is used in evaluating how climate stressors may impact
future improvements to air quality.
The Agency's CASTNET Program also supports 69 ambient ammonia monitoring sites and 30
wet deposition sites through its contribution to the National Atmospheric Deposition Program
(NADP) to assess atmospheric concentrations of particulate matter (PM) precursors (e.g.,
ammonia), nitrogen impacts on air and water quality (e.g., eutrophication, algal blooms), and
ecosystem effects (e.g., reduction in biodiversity). The Agency utilizes CASTNET data to support
the development, evaluation, and validation of air quality models used to assess results under
potential future emission and climate scenarios. Used in conjunction with other ambient air quality
networks, CASTNET's data products also are used to determine the effectiveness of national and
regional emission control programs, validate satellite measurements, and provide near-real time
data to support AirNow and Air Quality Index (AQI) reporting tools.
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EPA works closely with tribal governments to build tribal air monitoring capacity through
partnerships with the CASTNET Program. Since 2002, CASTNET has added eight sites on tribal
lands. By expanding tribal partnerships, CASTNET can fill important spatial gaps in air quality
and atmospheric deposition monitoring while providing tribes with the equipment and technical
training to collect and report local air quality data. Tribes benefit from dedicated monitoring sites
that build technical skills, provide near-real time air quality data to the community, and provide
environmental data that help tribes assess the impacts of air pollution on cultural or natural
resources on tribal lands. Tribal partners utilize the CASTNET data to review permit applications,
assess impacts from upwind emissions sources, and provide hands-on educational training.
CASTNET hosts quarterly calls with EPA Regions and tribal partners which provides a forum for
sharing technical information, establishing training modules, and engaging directly with the user
community.
To support modernization efforts, CASTNET will use the existing network infrastructure to fill in
gaps in continuous measurements necessary to evaluate changes in atmospheric chemistry and
global climate impacts on air quality and deposition. The Program is well-situated as a platform to
measure background or regional levels of air toxics (e.g., ethylene oxide) and persistent chemicals
of concern (e.g., Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) compounds). Measuring speciated
reactive nitrogen will provide valuable data that states can use to determine which precursors are
driving PM formation and make more informed decisions on emission control strategies.
Furthermore, continuing to expand capacity while modernizing the CASTNET infrastructure
ensures data can be made available in near-real time to address short-term changes in air quality
resulting from meteorological conditions, such as temperature inversions, or natural disasters, such
as wildfires.
This program also is responsible for managing EPA's Long-Term Monitoring (LTM) program,
established in 1983 to assess changes in the health of lakes and streams in the Eastern U.S. in
response to emission reductions and subsequent decreases in atmospheric pollution loading. There
have been significant decreases in power sector sulfur dioxide (SO2) and nitrogen oxide (NOx)
emissions (by 93 percent and 87 percent, respectively, since 1995) resulting in very low levels of
acid rain deposition and recovery from acid rain in lakes and streams in the Eastern U.S. With no
expected increases of deposition in the future, EPA plans to sunset the Program at the end of FY
2024 but will continue to make the long-term data record available for researchers, students, and
the public through the LTM website.
This program also supports the Clean Air Allowance Trading Programs, which are nationwide and
multi-state programs that address air pollutants that are transported across state, regional, and
international boundaries. Programs designed to control SO2 and NOx include Title IV (the Acid
Rain Program) of the Clean Air Act (CAA), the Cross-State Air Pollution Rule (CSAPR), the
CSAPR Update, the Revised CSAPR Update, and the Good Neighbor Plan (GNP). The
infrastructure for the Clean Air Allowance Trading Programs also supports implementation of
other state and federal programs to control SO2, hazardous air pollutants, and greenhouse gases.
The suite of CSAPR programs, including the most recent GNP, require states to limit their
emissions of SO2 and/or NOx in order to reduce or eliminate the states' contributions to fine
particulate matter and/or ground-level ozone pollution in other states. These programs set
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emissions limitations that are defined in terms of maximum statewide "budgets" for emissions of
annual SO2, annual NOx, and/or ozone-season NOx from each state's large electric generating
units. EPA is supporting state efforts with respect to best available retrofit technology, reasonable
progress, and interstate visibility transport, as those obligations relate to SO2 emissions from
electricity generating units.1 The air quality and other environmental information gathered through
this program support these Clean Air Allowance Trading Program-related rulemakings and other
rulemakings associated with Regional Haze.
FY 2025 Activities and Performance Plan:
Work in this program directly supports Goal 4/Objective 4.1, Improve Air Quality and Reduce
Localized Pollution and Health Impacts in the FY 2022 - 2026 EPA Strategic Plan.
In FY 2025, EPA will:
Continue to support air quality and environmental monitoring sites (e.g., CASTNET
NADP National Trends Network (NTN), and NADP Ammonia Monitoring Network
(AMoN) sites. Monitoring data from these programs are used to analyze and assess rural
air quality, climate impacts on air pollution and atmospheric deposition and other indicators
of air quality and ecosystem health.
Provide support for independent audits and required performance evaluations to assure
high-quality data to support the NAAQS and environmental assessments. The audit
contract was awarded to a small, women-owned, minority-owned, disadvantaged business.
Continue making progress toward increasing monitoring capacity by working to identify
new tribal partners and other underserved communities that would benefit from joining a
national air monitoring program.
Invest in technology and small businesses by replacing aging equipment, repairing
monitoring shelters more than 30 years old that have deteriorated due to extreme weather
and deploying new equipment and monitoring sites in rural, often low-income/minority
areas. The CASTNET contractor allocates 55 percent of their subcontract dollars to small
businesses responsible for performing calibrations, managing site operators, and data
analyses.
Upgrade aging CASTNET equipment. To improve overall data quality, EPA will replace
continuous ozone analyzers, and procure new PM and gas analyzers (e.g., carbon monoxide
(CO), volatile organic compounds (VOCs), speciated nitrogen) that will support NAAQS
assessments, emission control strategies, regulatory actions, and climate impacts on air
quality and ecosystems in the future. Analyzers will be integrated into the existing
automated calibration systems to improve network resiliency.
Utilize existing infrastructure to expand network capacity by adding measurement systems
for background and regional concentrations of air toxics and emerging pollutants of
concern. Data will complement urban measurements and provide valuable information on
atmospheric pathways and chemical transformations that will impact health risks.
1 Clean Air Act § 110 and § 169A; refer to 40 CFR 52.2312.
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Continue to modernize the data reporting tools and visualizations to improve user
experiences and data access, particularly during emergencies (e.g., wildfires).
Strengthening front-end and back-end data management platforms will improve system
reliability and allows state and local agencies to quickly make critical decisions. Providing
real-time air quality data during such events is valuable for informing vulnerable
populations about health risks.
Assure the continuation of ongoing SO2 and NOx emission reductions from power plants
in the U.S. by implementing the suite of CSAPR programs and the Acid Rain Program.2
Ensure accurate and consistent results for the Clean Air Allowance Trading Programs.
Continue work on performance specifications and investigating monitoring alternatives
and methods to improve the efficiency of monitor certification and emissions data
reporting.
Work with states to implement emission reduction programs to comply with CAA Section
110(a)(2)(D)(i)(I) requirements, including conducting environmental justice analyses to
consider the distributional impacts of emissions on overburdened communities.3
Performance Measure Targets:
(PM NOX) Tons of ozone season NOx emissions from electric power generation sources.
FY
2018
FY
2019
FY
2020
FY
2021
FY
2022
FY
2023
FY
2024
FY
2025
Units
Target
355,000
344,000
332,000
332,000
Tons
Actual
443,764
389,170
341,082
359,124
324,285
293,519
FY 2025 Change from FY 2024 Annualized CR (Dollars in Thousands):
(+$12,870.0 / +1.7 FTE) This program change is an increase to modernize and maintain
the Clean Air Status and Trends Network, to provide additional monitoring sites and
deployable monitors, including on tribal lands, and to expand site functionality (i.e., to
include measuring additional air pollutants). This investment includes $306.0 thousand in
payroll and additional changes to fixed support costs.
Statutory Authority:
Clean Air Act.
2 Clean Air Act § § 110(a)(2)(D) and 401.
3 For more information on program performance, please see: https://www.epa.gov/airmarkets/progress.
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Climate Protection
Program Area: Clean Air and Climate
Goal: Tackle the Climate Crisis
Objective(s): Reduce Emissions that Cause Climate Change
(Dollars in Thousands)
FY 2023
Final Actuals
FY 2024
Annualized
CR
FY 2025
President's
Budget
FY 2025 President's
Budget v.
FY 2024 Annualized
CR
Environmental Programs & Management
$99,292
si oi.ooo
$176,485
$75,485
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SV.VOS
S.S. ~50
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S 2.050
Total Budget Authority
$109,260
$109,750
$187,285
$77,535
Total Workyears
195.9
216.1
256.7
40.6
Program Project Description:
The Climate Protection Program supports implementation and compliance with greenhouse gas
(GHG) emission standards for light-duty and heavy-duty vehicles developed under EPA's Federal
Vehicle and Fuels Standards and Certification Program. Resources under this program also support
compliance activities for implementing the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's
(NHTSA) Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards. Under authorities contained in
the Clean Air Act (CAA) and the Energy Policy Act, EPA is responsible for issuing certificates
and ensuring compliance with both the GHG and CAFE standards.
FY 2025 Activities and Performance Plan:
Work in this program directly supports Goal 1/Objective 1.1, Reduce Emissions that Cause
Climate Change in the FY 2022 - 2026 EPA Strategic Plan.
Resources will support the following activities:
Certification and Compliance
Implementation of the GHG emission standards for light-duty and heavy-duty vehicles and engines
has significantly increased EPA's certification and compliance responsibilities. These
responsibilities play a critical role in ensuring that the programs achieve their climate goals. Over
time, in an effort to provide greater compliance flexibility for manufacturers, EPA has introduced
numerous innovative features into the vehicle certification process. These features include new
and more comprehensive trading programs, credits for off-cycle emission reductions, and new
federal test procedures. In FY 2025, EPA will begin implementing Light-Duty and Heavy-Duty
GHG programs based on the final rulemaking for new multi-pollutant emissions standards,
including for greenhouse gas emissions, for light- and medium-duty vehicles beginning with model
year (MY) 2027 and the final rulemaking establishing new GHG emissions standards for heavy-duty
engines and vehicles beginning with MY 2027. This implementation requires significant expansion
of EPA's information technology systems, which provide an efficient means for manufacturers to
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apply for and receive certificates of conformity, and for EPA to audit and oversee manufacturer
compliance.
Vehicle and Engine Testing Services
EPA's National Vehicle & Fuel Emissions Laboratory (NVFEL) has invested significant resources
to maintain its critical vehicle and engine testing capabilities, and to upgrade them as needed to
implement standards for fuel, vehicle, and engine emissions. These investments have included
updates to its heavy-duty engine dynamometers and temperature-controlled vehicle test sites,
together with new emissions analyzers and data collection systems needed to perform regulation
development and certification testing of light-duty, medium-duty, and heavy-duty engines and
vehicles, including battery electric and hybrid electric technologies. This modernized test
environment has led to new developments, such as test methods that fairly and repeatably account
for "real-world" use in fuel economy label testing of electrified vehicles and updated procedures
for GHG compliance testing of heavy-duty engines.
In FY 2025, NVFEL will continue to direct resources toward updating its electric vehicle test
capabilities and battery testing infrastructure to support future compliance requirements for light-
duty and heavy-duty vehicles. NVFEL's ongoing facility updates have been essential to the
implementation of certification and compliance testing programs for EPA's light- and heavy-duty
GHG regulations and have expanded production of scientific data on new and emerging vehicle
and engine technologies in support of EPA's rulemaking activities. Continued equipment
modernization is critical to NVFEL in keeping pace with technology advancements in the
transportation sector, and in maintaining the lab's role as a trusted testing standard for regulated
industry and as a credible deterrent against non-compliance.
In addition to investing in emerging needs, NVFEL will continue to repair and replace aging
laboratory equipment needed to sustain its core compliance testing activities. In FY 2025, NVFEL
will update its hot-temperature vehicle test site used for light- and medium-duty compliance
testing. This is a part of ongoing capital equipment updates needed for sustaining the lab's ability
to implement new light-duty and heavy-duty multi-pollutant regulations, which have increased
NVFEL's operation and maintenance costs by an estimated $2.1 million per year.
Performance Measure Targets:
EPA's FY 2025 Annual Performance Plan does not include annual performance goals specific to
this program.
FY 2025 Change from FY 2024 Annualized CR (Dollars in Thousands):
(+$2,050.0 / +2.3 FTE) This program change is an increase in support of the National
Vehicle and Fuel Emissions Laboratory compliance/certification work and mobile source
vehicle emissions analysis. Additional resources at the lab support restoring capacity to test
and certify engines, fuels, and vehicles to ensure compliance with regulatory standards,
and to generate emissions data to support regulatory development work essential to
tackling the climate change crisis. This investment includes $416.0 thousand in payroll and
additional changes to fixed support costs.
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Statutory Authority:
Clean Air Act; Pollution Prevention Act (PPA), §§ 6602-6605; National Environmental Policy Act
(NEPA), § 102; Clean Water Act, § 104; Solid Waste Disposal Act, as amended by the Resource
Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA), § 8001; Energy Policy Act of 2005, § 756.
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Federal Support for Air Quality Management
Program Area: Clean Air and Climate
Goal: Ensure Clean and Healthy Air for All Communities
Objective(s): Improve Air Quality and Reduce Localized Pollution and Health Impacts
(Dollars in Thousands)
FY 2023
Final Actuals
FY 2024
Annualized
CR
FY 2025
President's
Budget
FY 2025 President's
Budget v.
FY 2024 Annualized
CR
Environmental Programs & Management
S 134.931
SI 47.704
$258,663
$1 10.959
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SS.V.W
SIIJ-IJ
S10."-/
-s.i.s'y
Total Budget Authority
$143,881
$159,047
$269,417
$110,370
Total Workyears
824.3
879.3
1,079.7
200.4
Program Project Description:
Federal support for the criteria pollutant and air toxics programs includes a variety of tools to
characterize ambient air quality and the level of risk to the public from air pollutants and to measure
national progress toward improving air quality and reducing associated risks. The Federal Support
for Air Quality Management Program supports development of State Implementation Plans (SIPs)
through modeling and other tools, and assists states in implementing, attaining, maintaining, and
enforcing the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) for criteria pollutants. The
Program also supports development and provision of information, training, and tools to assist state,
tribal, and local agencies, as well as communities, to reduce air toxics emissions and risks specific
to their local areas. In addition, the Program supports activities related to the Clean Air Act (CAA)
stationary source residual risk and technology review program. EPA is required to assess the level
of risk remaining after promulgation of National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants
(NESHAP) that are based on Maximum Available Control Technology (MACT) within eight years
of that promulgation. In addition, the Agency is required to review all NESHAP at least every eight
years to determine if revisions are needed to reflect developments in practices, processes, and
control technologies.
FY 2025 Activities and Performance Plan:
Work in this program directly supports Goal 4/Objective 4.1, Improve Air Quality and Reduce
Localized Pollution and Health Impacts in the FY 2022 - 2026 EPA Strategic Plan.
During FY 2025, as part of implementing key activities in support of attainment of the NAAQS,
EPA will provide states, tribes, and local air agencies with scientifically and technically sound
assistance in developing SIPs/ Tribal Implementation Plans (TIPs) that meet requirements to attain
and maintain the NAAQS. This assistance includes providing models, modeling inputs and tools,
technical data and guidance, and identifying emission control options. EPA facilitates national
consistency in how air quality modeling is conducted as part of regulatory decision-making,
including federal and state permitting programs, SIP/TIP-related actions, as well as how
conformity determinations are made across the U.S. The Agency will work with states, tribes, and
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local air agencies to ensure that particulate matter (PM) hot-spot analyses are conducted in a
manner consistent with the transportation conformity regulation and guidance.
One of EPA's priorities is to fulfill its statutory and court-ordered obligations, and EPA will
continue to emphasize incorporating environmental justice (EJ) considerations in the decision-
making processes involved in meeting these obligations. In FY 2025, EPA will continue to conduct
the periodically required "technology reviews" of NESHAP and conduct required risk assessments
for MACT-based NESHAP. EPA also has made specific commitments to the Office of Inspector
General (OIG) to develop and implement a strategy to meet statutory deadlines for these air toxics
rule reviews.4 EPA expects to propose or promulgate more than 41 air toxics rules in FY 2025. If
EPA receives the resources requested to meet its commitment to the OIG concerning the air toxics
program, EPA also will expect to propose or finalize an additional 48 air toxics rules in FY 2025
- a total of 89 air toxics actions.
EPA also will enhance risk assessment capabilities to better identify and determine impacts on
communities. The Agency will share air toxics data faster and more regularly to the public,
allowing for increased transparency and the ability to see trends and exposure risks over time. In
2025, EPA will continue reporting the most current air toxics data each year in the annual Air
Trends Report and in an online interactive tool (AirToxScreen) instead of the previous three to
four-year cycle for reporting air toxics data and provide that data at increased spatial resolution.
EPA will continue providing information annually for communities on health risks from exposures
to air toxics through the AirToxScreen, so that the public can more easily identify existing and
emerging air toxics exposure issues.
EPA will continue to provide information and assistance to states, tribes, and communities through
documents, websites, webinars, and training sessions on tools to help them on EJ assessments that
can inform risk reduction strategies for air toxics. EPA will continue to communicate and
collaborate effectively with communities with EJ concerns and vulnerable populations to address
air toxics issues. EPA will enhance its multi-pollutant air quality management support to state and
local areas, factoring EJ into prioritization efforts, including providing tools to enable state, tribal,
and local governments planning and strategy development. EPA will continue to look at multiple
pollutants in an industrial sector and identify ways to encourage adoption of policies which
optimize co-benefits of pollution control, including for greenhouse gases. The focus of these efforts
is to address an individual sector's emissions comprehensively and to prioritize regulatory efforts
to address the sources and pollutants of greatest concern to overburdened communities. In
developing sector and multi-pollutant approaches, EPA will publicly release its NEXUS tool and
other multi-pollutant data and analysis tools that address the differing and cumulative nature of
the multiple pollutants and associated industrial sectors.
In FY 2025, EPA will continue to work with internal and external stakeholders to improve ambient
air quality monitoring networks and measurement techniques to fill data gaps and to provide better
input to estimation of population exposure to criteria and toxic air pollutants. To ensure data
quality, EPA will continue to implement and manage independent quality assurance programs for
4 The EPA Needs to Develop a Strategy to Complete Overdue Residual Risk and Technology Reviews and to Meet the Statutory
Deadlines for Upcoming Reviews. March 30, 2022. https://www.epa.gov/system/fLles/documents/2022-03/_epaoig_20220330-
22-e-0026.pdf.
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national monitoring networks as well as for federal and commercial laboratories that produce
ambient air monitoring data.
In FY 2025, EPA will continue to work with partners to improve emissions factors and inventories,
including the National Emissions Inventory (NEI). This effort includes gathering improved activity
data from emissions monitoring and using geographic information systems and satellite remote
sensing systems, where possible, for key point, area, mobile, and fugitive sources, and global
emission events. Based on any final version of a revised Air Emissions Reporting Requirements
(AERR) rule, EPA will provide guidance and training in anticipation of any new reporting
requirements that affect the 2025 inventory year.
EPA, using resources from the Inflation Reduction Act, will begin a multi-year project to develop
a new information technology infrastructure. The new information technology infrastructure will
allow access to air quality, emissions, and regulatory information for communities, environmental
agencies, and other stakeholders. Access to this information will enable the development and
implementation of strategies to improve air quality and reduce emissions of climate pollutants.
During the requirements analysis and gathering phase of the project, the development team will
look to incorporate the business processes so that one or more of the following legacy systems and
applications can be retired once the infrastructure is operational: Air Quality System (AQS),
AirNow, Emissions Inventory System (EIS), Electronic Reporting Tool (ERT), Compliance and
Emissions Data Reporting Interface (CEDRI), Combined Air Emission Reporting System
(CAERS), Web Factor Information Retrieval System (WebFIRE), State Planning Electronic
Collaboration System (SPeCS), Exceptional Events Submission and Tracking System (EETS), and
Petitions to Object to Title V Permits (POTVP). Additionally, during the requirements analysis
and gather phase of the proj ect, EPA will investigate the feasibility of incorporating other business
processes supported by other existing tools/applications. Funding of operations and maintenance
for legacy systems will be required as the new infrastructure is developed. EPA's intent is that
once the new infrastructure is operational, funding from legacy systems will be shifted to support
the new infrastructure.
In FY 2025, EPA will develop the new information technology infrastructure and continue to
operate and maintain baseline operations of the AQS. EPA also will continue to support the AQS
Data Mart, which provides that same ambient air quality data to the scientific community and the
general public. The Agency's national real-time ambient air quality data system, AirNow, will
maintain baseline operations. The public increasingly relies on AirNow for ambient air quality
information during wildfires. In FY 2025, EPA will continue integrating the Fire and Smoke map
by engaging tribal, state, and local agencies for input to provide information that millions of people
rely on during periods of smoke from wildfires.
EPA will continue to operate and maintain the EIS, which quality assures and stores current and
historical emissions inventory data and supports the development of the NEI. EPA, states, and
others use the NEI to aid in state and local air agency SIP development, serve as a vital input to
air quality modeling, help analyze public health risks from air toxics, develop strategies to manage
those risks, and support multi-pollutant analysis for air emissions. As necessary, the Agency will
enhance EIS to support the revised AERR rule and other user-focused needs.
16
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In FY 2025, as EPA develops the new information technology infrastructure, the Agency will
continue to streamline emissions data reporting for multiple agency programs through the CAERS.
This system is a central hub that takes a single submission of data in a single format and sends it
to the appropriate EPA program system. When fully developed, CAERS is expected to reduce the
cost to industry by only reporting emissions data for multiple agency programs to one system and
to the government by better managing emissions data and making that data available in a timely
fashion. EPA will enhance CAERS to support the revised AERR rule and continue to onboard
state, local, and tribal air agencies.
Performance Measure Targets:
Work under this program supports performance results in the Federal Support for Air Quality
Management Program under the EPM appropriation.
FY 2025 Change from FY 2024 Annualized CR (Dollars in Thousands):
(+$436.0) This change to fixed and other costs is an increase due to the recalculation of
base workforce costs for existing FTE due to annual payroll increases, adjustments to
provide essential workforce support, and changes to benefits costs.
(-$1,025.0 / +6.0 FTE) This net program change reflects a shift to fund additional FTE for
the development of science, technology and methodologies to better implement the Clean
Air Act, including: enhancing risk assessment capabilities to better identify and determine
impacts on communities; communicating and collaborating with environmental justice
communities to address air toxics concerns; and improving ambient air monitoring
networks and measurement techniques to fill data gaps and better estimate the population's
exposure to criteria and toxic air pollutants. This includes an investment of $1.3 million for
payroll.
Statutory Authority:
Clean Air Act.
17
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Federal Vehicle and Fuels Standards and Certification
Program Area: Clean Air and Climate
Goal: Tackle the Climate Crisis
Objective(s): Reduce Emissions that Cause Climate Change
(Dollars in Thousands)
FY 2023
Final Actuals
FY 2024
Annualized
CR
FY 2025
President's
Budget
FY 2025 President's
Budget v.
FY 2024 Annualized
CR
Sciciuv ^ icclnwhixy
.S 122.2-13
sirj-ii
SISi.S'3
SfiX.532
Total Budget Authority
$122,243
$117,341
$185,873
$68,532
Total Workyears
308.3
323.5
370.3
46.8
Program Project Description:
Under the Federal Vehicle and Fuels Standards and Certification Program, EPA develops,
implements, and ensures compliance with national emission standards to reduce mobile source
related air pollution from: light-duty cars and trucks; heavy-duty trucks and buses; nonroad engines
and equipment; and from the fuels that power these engines. The Program also evaluates new
emission control technology and provides state, tribal, and local air quality managers and
transportation planners with guidance, tools, and other information to develop additional strategies
and place-based transportation programs to reduce mobile source pollution.
As part of ensuring compliance with national emission standards, the Program tests vehicles,
engines, and fuels, and establishes test procedures for federal emissions and fuel economy
standards. The Program operates test cells that simultaneously measure criteria pollutants and
greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, reviews certification applications for light-duty vehicles and
heavy-duty engines to approve applications for criteria pollutant and GHG emission standards and
examines for potential violations.
National Vehicle and Fuel Emissions Laboratory (NVFEL)
The NVFEL ensures air quality benefits and fair competition in the marketplace by conducting
testing operations on motor vehicles, heavy-duty engines, nonroad engines, and fuels to certify
that all vehicles, engines, and fuels that enter the U.S. market comply with all federal clean air,
GHG, and fuel economy standards. The NVFEL conducts vehicle and engine emission tests as
part of pre-production tests, certification audits, in-use assessments, and recall programs to ensure
compliance with mobile source programs. The NVFEL also produces critical test data on new and
emerging vehicle and engine technologies to support the development of future greenhouse gas
and criteria pollutant regulations. Through cooperative partnerships and committee involvement,
the lab leads the development and implementation of test methods and procedures for vehicles,
engines, and fuels to ensure consistent data quality among manufacturers' labs, measure fuel
efficiency, and verify compliance of electrified and conventional vehicles with EPA standards.
18
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Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS)
The RFS Program was created under the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (EPAct), which amended the
Clean Air Act (CAA), and was expanded under the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007
(EISA). Congress created the RFS Program to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and expand the
nation's renewable fuels sector while reducing reliance on imported oil. The RFS Program requires
a certain volume of renewable fuel to replace or reduce the quantity of petroleum-based
transportation fuel, heating oil, or jet fuel. Producers of renewable fuel generate renewable fuel
credits known as Renewable Identification Numbers (RINs) which are ultimately used by
petroleum companies to demonstrate compliance with the Program's renewable fuel volume
requirements. EPA implements the Program in consultation with the Department of Agriculture
and the Department of Energy.
Supporting Tribal State and Local Governments
EPA works with tribal, state, and local governments to ensure the technical integrity of the mobile
source control emission benefits, including in State Implementation Plans (SIPs) and
transportation conformity determinations. EPA develops and provides information and tools to
assist tribal, state, and local agencies, as well as communities, to reduce criteria pollutant and air
toxics emissions and risks specific to their local areas. Reductions in emissions of mobile source
air pollution, such as components of diesel exhaust, are achieved through: guidance and technical
assistance for state and local CAA mobile source programs in nonattainment and maintenance areas
for the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS); establishing national emissions standards
for vehicles, equipment, and fuels, research of public health impacts, and mitigation options; methods
for quantifying multi-pollutant emission reductions for place-based strategies; and partnership
approaches working with tribal, state, and local governments, as well as a variety of non-
governmental stakeholder groups.
FY 2025 Activities and Performance Plan:
Work in this program directly supports Goal 1/Objective 1.1, Reduce Emissions that Cause
Climate Change in the FY 2022 - 2026 EPA Strategic Plan.
To support both climate change and air quality work activities relating to EPA's mobile sources
program, EPA is requesting additional resources in FY 2025. This includes funding for the
development of analytical methods, regulations, and analyses for controlling greenhouse gas,
criteria pollutant, and air toxics emissions from light-duty, medium-duty, and heavy-duty vehicles.
Specifically, this includes funding for implementing the multi-pollutant emissions standards,
including for greenhouse gas emissions, for light- and medium-duty vehicles and implementing a
final rule to establish new GHG emissions standards for heavy-duty engines and vehicles. This
also includes resources to address new technical challenges to support these two sets of long-term
rulemakings, which will include added light-duty vehicle and heavy-duty vehicle testing and
modeling capabilities at NVFEL. Key to this technical work is to understand the cost, feasibility,
and infrastructure impacts of electrifying the broad range of products in the light-duty vehicle and
heavy-duty vehicle sectors. This will include vehicle demonstration projects focused on zero-
emission technologies, that are rapidly growing in the light- and heavy-duty sectors and will be
strategically important in meeting future multi-pollutant emissions standards.
19
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Federal Vehicle and Fuels Standards and Certification Program
In FY 2025, the Federal Vehicle and Fuels Standards and Certification Program will continue to
focus its efforts on certification responsibilities. The Agency will continue to perform its
compliance oversight functions on priority matters, conducting compliance oversight tests where
evidence suggests noncompliance. EPA will continue to conduct pre-certification confirmatory
testing activities for emissions and fuel economy for passenger cars and will increase on-road
measurements of in-use vehicle emissions. EPA anticipates reviewing and approving about 4,900
vehicle and engine emissions certification requests from vehicle and engine manufacturers,
including light-duty vehicles (LDVs), heavy-duty diesel engines, nonroad engines, marine
engines, locomotives, and others. EPA's certification services have sustained high demand, due to
the number of industries the Agency regulates as well as increasing complexities with each
subsequent change in stringency and rulemaking action. Accordingly, if the Agency receives the
additional funding requested, NVFEL will increase the audit rate of its compliance testing (i.e.,
the number of tests conducted) in each of those areas in FY 2025 aligned with our ongoing risk
assessments. In FY 2023, EPA spent approximately $3 million to conduct this compliance testing
achieving approximately a 10 percent audit rate for light-duty vehicles and a less than 3 percent
audit rate in most other sectors.
EPA utilizes in-use emissions data provided by light-duty vehicle manufacturers to measure
compliance and determine if any follow-up evaluation or testing is necessary. Since calendar year
(CY) 2000, light-duty vehicle manufacturers have been required to test several newer and older
in-use vehicles and provide the data to EPA. The Agency receives over 6,000 emissions tests
results from more than 2,000 vehicles annually. EPA reviews the data and determines if there are
any specific vehicles, models, or manufacturers that are failing in-use emissions standards. The
Agency will use this information submitted by light-duty manufacturers, together with emissions
data collected at NVFEL, to determine if there are vehicle models which should be recalled and
repaired to address excess in-use emissions and that should be identified for testing for the
upcoming model year prior to granting the manufacturer a certificate of conformity, which allows
the manufacturer to sell vehicles in the U.S.
Emission Standards for New Motor Vehicles
In FY 2024, EPA will finalize actions to reduce air pollution and GHG emissions on the
transportation sector's largest contributors to criteria pollutant and GHG emissions: LDVs and
heavy-duty vehicles (HDVs). This work supports EPA's long-term performance goal to promulgate
final rules that will reduce GHG emissions, including from light duty, medium-duty, and heavy-
duty vehicles. In FY 2025, EPA will work with stakeholders, including vehicle manufactures, the
power generation sector, refueling infrastructure stakeholders, and others to collect data and
measure the progress industry is making regarding the successful implementation of the highway
vehicle standards established in FY 2024. EPA also will develop and publish progress report(s) on
this work, including as early as FY 2025.
EPA will invest significant resources to address a myriad of new implementation issues to support
these two sets of long-term rulemakings, which will include added LDV and HDV testing and
modeling capabilities at NVFEL. Key to this technical work is to understand the cost, feasibility,
and infrastructure impacts of electrifying the broad range of products in the LDV and HDV sectors.
This will include vehicle demonstration projects focused on zero-emission technologies, which are
20
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rapidly growing in the light- and heavy-duty sectors and will be strategically important in meeting
future multi-pollutant emissions standards.
Fuel Economy Labeling Requirements
In FY 2025, EPA also will oversee compliance with vehicle fuel economy labeling requirements. In
past years, EPA conducted in-use audits of manufacturer "coast-down" data used for laboratory fuel
economy tests, revealing issues in manufacturer data submitted to EPA and, as a result, found
inaccurate fuel economy labels on more than a million vehicles from several manufacturers. In FY
2025, EPA will continue the coast-down testing program for electric vehicles started in FY 2024,
in response to rising consumer demand associated with an increase in electric vehicle offerings.
Multi-Pollutant Emissions Standards Implementation
In FY 2025, EPA will continue implementing the multi-pollutant emissions standards, including
for greenhouse gas emissions, for light- and medium-duty vehicles beginning with MY 2027 and
extending through and including MY 2032. As a result, the Agency will continue to update and
maintain essential laboratory software and test equipment to ensure compliance with these new
emissions standards once they take effect.
Heavv-Dutv GHG and Criteria Emissions Standards Implementation
In FY 2025, EPA will continue implementing the Heavy-Duty Phase 3 GHG emissions standards
for heavy-duty engines and vehicles beginning with MY 2027 and will continue implementing the
Heavy-Duty 2027 criteria emissions standards for engines and vehicles. Accordingly, the Agency
will update and maintain its critical laboratory equipment as needed to ensure that heavy-duty
engines and vehicles sold in the U.S. comply with these new emissions standards. In addition, EPA
will be collecting comprehensive information as part of its certification and compliance programs
and will be monitoring compliance by manufacturers as well as the major elements of
infrastructure for zero-emission heavy-duty vehicles. As it has for some previous heavy-duty
programs, EPA will issue periodic public reports that reflect this information.
Marine and Aircraft Emission Reduction Measures
EPA will continue working with the International Maritime Organization (IMO) and the
International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) on programs to control pollutant emissions from
marine and aircraft engines, respectively. EPA is supporting the State Department and Coast Guard
on technical issues related to establishing measures to achieve GHG targets established at IMO. At
ICAO, EPA will actively participate in the development of new carbon dioxide (CO2) standards
for decision in February 2025 as well as technical work that could lead to future, more stringent
nitrogen oxides (NOx) and particulate matter (PM) emission standards.
In addition to the international efforts for aviation, EPA is continuing its work to address lead in
aviation gasoline. In FY 2024, EPA will announce its final determination that emissions of lead
from aircraft that operate on leaded fuel cause or contribute to air pollution which may reasonably
be anticipated to endanger public health and welfare under the Clean Air Act. With this finding
and subject to its statutory obligations, EPA in coordination with the Federal Aviation
Administration (FAA) will continue efforts in FY 2025 to address through regulatory actions lead
emissions from certain aircraft engines as well as potential mitigation measures.
21
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Locomotive and Land-based Nonroad Engines. Equipment and Vehicles
In alignment with EPA's Strategic Goal 1: (Tackle the Climate Crisis, Objective 1: Reduce
Emissions that Cause Climate Change in the Agency's FY 2022-2026 Strategic Plan) and
Executive Order 14008: (Tackling the Climate Crisis at Home and Abroad (January 27, 2021))
EPA is devoting resources to the locomotive, nonroad, and marine sectors which are important
sources of GHG emissions, as well as local and regional air pollution, and have a disproportionate
impact on the health of disadvantaged communities. EPA last revised emission standards for these
important sectors more than ten years ago (e.g., 2008 for locomotives, 2004 for land-based nonroad
diesel engines), yet these mobile source sectors continue to contribute significantly to air pollution
at the global, regional, and local level. In addition, technologies which can significantly reduce air
pollution from these sources have evolved significantly in the past 10 to 15 years.
In FY 2025, EPA will accelerate and support the development of new regulations to address the
significant climate change, criteria pollutants, and EJ impacts from these sectors. Addressing these
emissions is critical to accomplishing the Agency's Strategic Goal 2: Take Decisive Action to
Advance Environmental Justice and Civil Rights, Objective 2.2: Embed Environmental Justice
and Civil Rights into EPA's Programs, Policies, and Activities. EPA is engaging with EJ
stakeholders and conducting analyses that identify disproportionate impacts.
In FY 2025, EPA will conduct the necessary technology assessments, emissions and air quality
analysis, EJ assessment, cost analysis, and economic assessments, and ensure that the regulatory
requirements in the CAA are met for new locomotives, nonroad, and marine transportation
sources, in order to improve air quality, including near communities with EJ concerns.
Furthermore, the California Air Resources Board (CARB) and the San Joaquin Valley Air
Pollution Control District both submitted petitions requesting that EPA undertake rulemaking to
adopt more stringent national emission standards under the CAA regulating NOx and PM
emissions from locomotives. As described in EPA's November 9, 2022, response to these
petitions, the Agency committed to pursue appropriate actions to address air pollutant emissions
from the locomotive sector.
Emissions Modeling
The Motor Vehicle Emission Simulator (MOVES) is the Agency's emission modeling system that
estimates emissions for on-road and nonroad mobile sources at the national, county, and project
levels for criteria air pollutants, GHGs, and air toxics. In FY 2025, EPA will continue to maintain
the official version of EPA's model that will be used to estimate impacts of the Agency's emission
control programs and will be used by states and metropolitan planning organizations (MPOs) in their
work to meet the NAAQS, including the development of SIPs and transportation conformity
analyses. The Agency also will support users on any new model releases that incorporate the best
available data and science and account for the latest emission standards.
National Vehicle and Fuel Emissions Laboratory Facility Infrastructure
NVFEL provides all laboratory testing and support functions necessary for the Agency to certify
that all vehicles, engines, and fuels sold in the United States are in compliance with U.S. emission
standards, representing approximately 4,900 certificates issued to vehicle and engine
manufacturers on an annual basis.
22
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In January 2023, the Agency awarded a new Energy Savings Performance Contract (ESPC) to
pursue an infrastructure upgrade project for the NVFEL facility with projected capital equipment
costs more than $59 million over the lifetime of the contract. The ESPC replaces the mechanical,
electrical, control and building management systems for the Heating, Ventilation and Air-
Conditioning (HVAC) equipment that was at or beyond the end of its useful life. ESPCs,
private/public partnership contract vehicles coordinated through the Department of Energy, use
facilities' energy and operational savings to offset many of the contract costs.
In FY 2025, EPA is requesting an additional $10 million to reduce the debt interest payment and
the lifetime cost of the ESPC. These resources are critical to support the ability of NVFEL to carry-
out its mission-critical work of certifying vehicle compliance by reducing the annual costs of the
contract. Ensuring industry's compliance is a priority for EPA and an essential safeguard of fair
market competition for manufacturers of vehicles and engines introduced into commerce in the
United States. The ESPC supports the Agency with achieving Executive Order 14057: Catalyzing
Clean Energy Industries and Jobs Through Federal Sustainability. The energy savings to be
realized when the ESPC is fully implemented in FY 2025 is estimated to be 34,473 MBtu annually
(39 percent energy reduction) with water conservation of 1.6 million gallons annually (16 percent
reduction) and annual greenhouse gas reduction of 3,158 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent.
Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS)
EPA activity in the fuel sector will focus on the implementation and oversight of the RFS Program.
Congress established renewable fuel volume targets through CY 2022, leaving the Agency to
establish the volumes for CY 2023 and beyond. During FY 2023, EPA issued a final rule ("RFS
Set Rule") to establish such volumes for CY 2023-2025. During FY 2025, EPA will be working
to finalize rulemaking(s) necessary to establish renewable fuel volume targets for the calendar
years beyond 2025.
In FY 2025, EPA will continue implementing the RFS Set Rule provisions and overseeing program
compliance. This work will involve: 1) registering new renewable fuel facilities to enable them to
generate RINs; 2) building critical new capability in EPA's Moderated Transaction System
(EMTS) (EMTS, which is developed, implemented, operated and maintained by EPA, is
fundamental to the tracking of more than 20,000 RIN transactions per day, and the generation of
more than 1.4 billion RINs per month); 3) evaluating and implementing, if appropriate,
enhancements to improve program operations, oversight and enforceability; 4) evaluating and
implementing other IT systems modifications and enhancements that provide the greatest returns
on investment through continuous improvement; 5) ensuring the integrity of the RFS program
through enforcement actions against those using the Program for fraudulent gain; and 6) supporting
the Department of Justice in defending the Agency's implementation of the RFS Program in
numerous challenges in court.
In FY 2025, EPA will continue its work related to assessing lifecycle GHG emissions associated
with renewable fuels, as required to implement GHG threshold requirements under the CAA.
Producers of new and advanced biofuels regularly seek to qualify their fuels under RFS, and EPA
will continue to evaluate such feedstocks and fuels to determine eligibility for the Program. The
Agency also will look at ways to update the science and data analysis that supports EPA's
evaluation methodology, including potential new modeling methodologies.
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EPA also will continue to implement gasoline and diesel fuel quality standards and obligations
under the CAA. This includes many of the same compliance and enforcement oversight activities
mentioned above for the RFS. In late 2020, EPA finalized a fuel regulation streamlining rule that
included updated registration, recordkeeping, and reporting requirements. EPA will continue
efforts in FY 2025 to implement these requirements through continuous improvement of IT
registration and reporting systems to deliver the full impact and benefit of the investment made in
the streamlined regulations. These include automation and reduced registration, administration,
and reporting burdens for both the regulated community and EPA. Finally, in FY 2025 EPA will
continue its ongoing research into new opportunities to improve and/or protect fuel quality in ways
that can reduce air pollution and improve public health and welfare.
In FY 2025, EPA will continue to work with stakeholders to implement a new electronic reporting
portal for its Fuel and Fuel Additive (FFA) program. EPA implemented an electronic registration
system for the FFA Program in FY 2020; companies once registered may then introduce FFA
products into commerce. Companies still submit related quarterly and annual FFA reports to the
Agency in formats that require EPA to manually transcribe the information into its fuels database.
EPA plans to incorporate FFA reports into the eReporting system in FY 2025 after implementing
higher priority implementation needs in FY 2024.
Supporting Tribal State and Local Governments
In FY 2025, EPA will continue to respond to significant requests from tribal, state, and local
governments for assistance in air quality planning, including SIPs, CAA-required mobile source
programs, and transportation conformity determinations, especially for nonattainment areas
working to attain the ozone and PM2.5 NAAQS. EPA will continue to work with tribal, state, and
local governments to ensure the technical integrity of the mobile source emission estimates in their
SIPs and any Tribal Implementation Plans (TIPs). In addition, EPA will assist states in developing
CAA-required programssuch as new and existing motor vehicle inspection and maintenance
(I/M), fuels, and vehicle miles travelled (VMT) offset programsas well as identifying place-
based control options and provide policy, technical, and modeling guidance for ozone
nonattainment areas for the 2008 and 2015 ozone NAAQS of higher CAA classifications. In FY
2025, I/M programs will be required in approximately 30 states, summertime fuel programs will
be required in over 20 states, with other CAA mobile source programs required in the most polluted
areas in the country. In addition, in partnership with the Department of Transportation, EPA will
ensure national consistency in how transportation conformity determinations are conducted across
the U.S. and in the development of motor vehicle emissions budgets in SIPs, EPA's adequacy
findings on these budgets, and emission reduction strategies to ensure new transportation
investments to support state air quality goals.
EPA will continue to provide regulations, guidance, state-of-the-science models (such as
MOVES), and assistance to state and local agencies working on CAA-required PM2.5 and PM10
hot-spot analyses. This will help protect public health in local communities, including
communities of color and low-income communities with EJ concerns, near new or expanded
highway and freight terminal projects with significant increases in diesel truck traffic. In addition,
EPA will continue to provide regulations, guidance, and support to states with respect to existing
I/M programs that focus on in-use vehicles and engines. Basic and/or Enhanced I/M testing is
currently being conducted in almost 30 states with EPA technical and programmatic guidance.
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EPA also will continue to provide regulatory actions and technical assistance to certain states
considering changes or removal of low Reid Vapor Pressure (RVP) fuel programs. Finally, EPA
will continue to develop methods for tribal, state and local agencies to quantify multi-pollutant
emission reductions to address the NAAQS and climate change from available and newly emerging
emission reduction strategies.
Prioritizing Environmental Justice
In FY 2025, EPA will continue to work with a broad range of stakeholders - including communities
with EJ concerns - to develop targeted, sector-based, and place-based incentives for diesel fleets
(including school buses, ports, and other goods movement facilities) to limit emissions from older
diesel engines not subject to stringent emissions standards. Millions of people in the U.S. currently
live and work near ports and can be exposed to air pollution associated with emissions from diesel
engines at ports, including particulate matter, nitrogen oxides, ozone, and air toxics.5 The near-
port communities that bear the brunt of air pollution from these diesel engines are often comprised
of low-income populations and people of color. EPA will focus its efforts on reducing mobile
source emissions in and around ports through EPA's Ports Initiative6 . EPA will assist tribal, state,
and local governments to reduce emissions in or near communities with EJ challenges to meet
CAA SIP, transportation conformity, and other air quality planning requirements. EPA also is
working with industry to bring about field testing and emissions testing protocols for a variety of
innovative energy-efficient, emissions reducing technologies for the legacy fleet. In December
2022, EPA also finalized a rulemaking to reduce NOx emissions from MY 2027 and later heavy-
duty engines and vehicles, which is a high priority for many communities with EJ concerns.
Performance Measure Targets:
(PM CRT) Number of certificates of conformity issued that demonstrate that the respective engine, vehicle,
equipment, component, or system conforms to all applicable emission requirements and may be entered into
commerce.
FY
2018
FY
2019
FY
2020
FY
2021
FY
2022
FY
2023
FY
2024
FY
2025
Units
Target
5,200
5,000
5,000
4,700
4,700
4,900
4,900
4,900
Certificates
Actual
4,869
4,711
4,843
5,351
5,196
4,844
(PM RUL) Number of final rules issued that will reduce GHG emissions from light duty, medium-duty, and
heavy-duty vehicles; electric utility generating units; and the oil and gas industry.
FY
2018
FY
2019
FY
2020
FY
2021
FY 2022
FY 2023
FY 2024
FY 2025
Units
Target
No Target
Established
No Target
Established
No Target
Established
No Target
Established
Rules
Actual
1
1
5 For more information, please see the DERA Fifth Report to Congress, August 2022whichmay be found at:
https://nepis.epa.gov/Exe/ZyPDF.cgi?Dockey=Pl 01.5S8Q.pdf.
6 For more information, please visit https://www.epa.gov/ports-initiative.
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FY 2025 Change from FY 2024 Annualized CR (Dollars in Thousands):
(+$8,512.0) This change to fixed and other costs is an increase due to the recalculation of
base workforce costs for existing FTE due to annual payroll increases, adjustments to
provide essential workforce support, and changes to benefits costs. This includes $1,102
million to support critical agency wide infrastructure for Executive Order 14028
cybersecurity requirements, electronic discovery for FOIA and litigation support, and
implementation of Trusted Vetting 2.0.
(+$1,397.0) This change to fixed and other costs is an increase due to the recalculation of
lab utilities.
(+$175.0 / + 1.0 FTE) This change increases FTE to support agencywide implementation of
EPA's Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility Strategic Plan and Evidence Act data
stewardship and governance requirements.
(+$48,448.0 / +45.8 FTE) This program change is an increase that supports activities to
address the climate crisis. This includes funding for implementing the multi-pollutant
emissions standards, including for greenhouse gas emissions, for light- and medium-duty
vehicles and implementing a final rule to establish new GHG emissions standards for
heavy-duty engines and vehicles. This also includes resources to address new technical
challenges to support these two sets of long-term rulemakings, which will include added
light-duty vehicle and heavy-duty vehicle testing and modeling capabilities at NVFEL.
Key to this technical work is to understand the cost, feasibility, and infrastructure impacts
of electrifying the broad range of products in the light-duty vehicle and heavy-duty vehicle
sectors. This will include vehicle demonstration projects focused on zero-emission
technologies, that are rapidly growing in the light- and heavy-duty sectors and will be
strategically important in meeting future multi-pollutant emissions standards. This program
change also invests in the maintenance, repair, and replacement of aging test equipment at
NVFEL. This investment includes $9.4 million for payroll costs and essential workforce
support costs.
(+$10,000.0) This program change is an increase for the Ann Arbor Facility Energy Saving
Performance Contract (ESPC), which supports the ability of NVFEL to carry-out its
mission-critical work of certifying vehicle compliance.
Statutory Authority:
Title II of the Clean Air Act; Motor Vehicle Information Cost Savings Act; Alternative Motor
Fuels Act of 1988; National Highway System Designation Act; Energy Policy Act of 1992; Safe,
Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU);
Energy Policy Act of 2005; Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007.
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Enforcement
27
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Forensics Support
Program Area: Enforcement
Goal: Enforce Environmental Laws and Ensure Compliance
Objective(s): Detect Violations and Promote Compliance
(Dollars in Thousands)
FY 2023
Final Actuals
FY 2024
Annualized
CR
FY 2025
President's
Budget
FY 2025 President's
Budget v.
FY 2024 Annualized
CR
Science ^ t echnology
S 1-1.152
S 15.532
S IVJ.i-
S3.MI5
Hazardous Substance Superfund
$1,597
$1,240
$1,720
$480
Total Budget Authority
$15,749
$16,772
$21,057
$4,285
Total Workyears
70.3
70.3
78.7
8.4
Program Project Description:
The Forensics Support Program provides expert scientific and technical support for criminal and
civil environmental enforcement cases, as well as technical support for the Agency's compliance
efforts. EPA's National Enforcement Investigations Center (NEIC) is an environmental forensic
center accredited for both laboratory analysis 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.7 The NEIC maintains a
sophisticated chemistry and physical science laboratory and a corps of highly trained inspectors
and scientists with expertise across environmental media. The NEIC works closely with EPA's
Criminal Enforcement Program to provide technical support (e.g., sampling, analysis,
consultation, and testimony) to criminal investigations. The NEIC works closely with other EPA
programs to provide technical support, consultation, on-site inspection, investigation, and case
resolution services in support of the Agency's Civil Enforcement Program.
The Forensics Support Program will continue to provide expert scientific and technical support for
EPA's criminal and civil enforcement efforts, focus its work on collecting and analyzing materials
to characterize contamination, and attribute it to individual sources and/or facilities. The work
NEIC performs typically represents the most complex cases nationwide, requiring a level of
expertise and equipment not found elsewhere in EPA, as well as provides support to evaluate and
leverage emerging technologies for enforcement solutions.
FY 2025 Activities and Performance Plan:
Work in this program directly supports Goal 3/Objective 3.2, Detect Violations and Promote
Compliance in the FY 2022 - 2026 EPA Strategic Plan.
1 Strengthening Forensic Science in the United States: A Path Forward, National Academy of Sciences, 2009, available at:
http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php7record id= 12589.
28
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In FY 2025, the Agency requests an additional $3.2 million and 4.8 FTE to ensure EPA has the
capacity and technical expertise to investigate, analyze, sample, test, and transport
hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) to support enforcement work under the American Innovation and
Manufacturing (AIM) Act. EPA will support critical climate change initiatives, including forensics
laboratory support for climate change enforcement efforts both in civil and criminal enforcement.
This is vital to EPA's ability to enforce the HFC phase down regulations to reduce climate impacts.
The Agency will make significant investments to assist with HFC-related enforcement capabilities,
including inspector training, training on and utilizing advanced field sampling equipment, and
expansion of laboratory analytical capabilities to meet the urgent demand for highly complex HFC
and other analysis. The additional funding also will support further development of the Agency's
Geospatial Measurement of Air Pollution (GMAP) van, a mobile tool to help identify Clean Air
Act noncompliance throughout the United States.
The Program is requesting an additional $0.9 million and 3.2 FTE in Forensics Support to increase
the Agency's capacity to complete critical civil inspections of facilities that affect communities
with Environmental Justice (EJ) concerns. This investment will help the Agency complete more
complex inspections, as well as provide critical inspection training to agency, state, and local
inspectors. The additional resources will bolster the Agency' s impact by ensuring inspectors across
the Agency and the United States have the basic technical knowledge to hold polluters accountable,
especially in overburdened and vulnerable communities. The inspections and training provided by
the increased staff will make an impact on combating climate change, identifying noncompliant
facilities, and ensuring civil enforcement actions prevent further harm to the environment.
In FY 2025, NEIC will continue to utilize resources to actively investigate releases of per- and
polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) to the air, land, and water from processing facilities, waste
disposal facilities, and federal facilities where PFAS are suspected of contaminating various
environmental media. PFAS released into the environment can present an urgent public health and
environmental threat. NEIC provides nationally recognized inspectors, toxicologists, and chemists
to support EPA's PFAS enforcement cases by conducting field investigations, laboratory analysis
and workforce support.
Effective enforcement relies on the best available science. In FY 2025, NEIC will strengthen
efforts for clean air and water protections, aligned with the Administration's goals to hold polluters
accountable for their actions and provide relief to communities with EJ concerns. To achieve these
goals, the Agency will employ NEIC's environmental forensics expertise to investigate violations
of environmental statutes and prosecute environmental crimes in communities that are
disproportionally affected by pollution. NEIC supports EJ concerns by targeting critical industry
inspections in overburdened or vulnerable communities. The NEIC utilizes data to work with
regional offices to take an enforcement action that could ultimately improve air and water quality
around the United States and in communities with EJ concerns.
In FY 2025, NEIC will continue to streamline its forensics work and identify enhancements to the
Agency's field investigation techniques by investing in and using existing and emerging
technology. NEIC is continuing to expand and modernize field and laboratory capabilities to
support the civil and criminal enforcement programs' investigations in support of the National
Enforcement and Compliance Initiatives, including in support of the coal combustion residuals,
29
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climate change initiatives, and drinking water. The NEIC will continue to build on its previous
progress to maximize the efficiency and effectiveness of its operations, produce timely and high-
quality civil inspection reports, improve procurement processes, and identify and implement
further efficiencies in laboratory operations. NEIC will continue to enhance the work completed
in FY 2022 and FY 2023 to support criminal and civil program efforts while also growing its
support of EPA enforcement and compliance assurance programs. During FY 2022 and FY 2023,
the NEIC accepted over 320 requests from all ten EPA regions for technical enforcement support.
Performance Measure Targets:
EPA's FY 2025 Annual Performance Plan does not include annual performance goals specific to
this program.
FY 2025 Change from FY 2024 Annualized CR (Dollars in Thousands):
(-$291.0) This net change to fixed and other costs is a decrease due to the recalculation of
base workforce costs for existing FTE, adjustments to provide essential workforce support,
changes to benefits costs, and changes to lab utilities and security costs.
(+$3,150.0 / +4.8 FTE) This program investment will ensure EPA has the capacity and
technical expertise to investigate, analyze, sample, test, transport, and store HFCs. This
investment includes $888.0 thousand for payroll.
(+$946.0 / +3.2 FTE) This program increase will focus its enforcement efforts on the most
serious environmental violations through the NECIs that seek to improve air quality,
provide clean and safe water, and ensure chemical safety. The increase will support
continued efforts to rebuild EPA's civil enforcement inspector cadre for inspections,
increase analytical capabilities and capacity in support of enforcement efforts. This funding
will enhance EPA's civil enforcement programmatic capabilities to enhance efforts to
address pollution in overburdened and vulnerable communities. This investment includes
$592.0 thousand for payroll.
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); Act to Prevent Pollution from Ships (MARPOL
Annex VI); Asbestos Hazard Emergency Response Act; Clean Air Act; Clean Water Act;
Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act; Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and
Rodenticide Act; Marine Protection, Research, and Sanctuaries Act; Mercury-Containing and
Rechargeable Battery Management Act; Noise Control Act; Oil Pollution Act; Resource
Conservation and Recovery Act; Rivers and Harbors Act; Safe Drinking Water Act; Small
Business Regulatory Enforcement Fairness Act; Toxic Substances Control Act; American
Innovation and Manufacturing Act.
30
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Homeland Security
31
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Homeland Security: Critical Infrastructure Protection
Program Area: Homeland Security
Goal: Safeguard and Revitalize Communities
Objective(s): Prepare for and Respond to Environmental Emergencies
(Dollars in Thousands)
FY 2023
Final Actuals
FY 2024
Annualized
CR
FY 2025
President's
Budget
FY 2025 President's
Budget v.
FY 2024 Annualized
CR
Environmental Programs & Management
S249
$923
$1,025
$102
Science it- t echnology
si:. 2-/o
SI0.S52
Sj-IJtl
S2.\-I
-------
expertise to identify the types of eligible projects for water systems, promote awareness of the
availability of these funds as well as the application process, during the Agency's extensive
training and technical assistance efforts with the sector.
Natural Disasters. Climate Change, and General Preparedness
Drought, floods, hurricanes, and other natural disasters represent a high risk to the water sector
due to their frequency of occurrence, their enormous potential for destruction, and the exacerbating
effects of climate change. As evident from several recent natural disasters, the level of
preparedness within the water sector varies significantlywith many utilities lacking adequate
preparedness capabilities. In FY 2025, EPA will continue to improve the preparedness of the water
sector by providing nationwide exercises and technical support to address natural disasters and
general preparedness with the objective to train water and wastewater systems, state officials, and
emergency response partners. In FY 2023, more than 3,500 drinking water and wastewater systems
and water sector partners received training and technical assistance.
Climate change and associated extreme weather events directly threaten water systems' ability to
fulfill their public health and environmental missions as evident from the devastation borne by
events like Hurricanes Ian and Fiona and the decadal long drought and wildfires in the West. The
EPA's Creating Resilient Water Utilities (CRWU) initiative advances the long-term sustainability
of the water sector by enabling utility owners and operators to integrate climate change
considerations into their routine planning practices. CRWU provides innovative, but readily
accessible, electronic tools that enable water systems to adapt to climate change and enhance their
resiliency, including through infrastructure improvement plans.
In FY 2025, EPA will:
Provide in-person or virtual exercises, workshops, and direct technical assistance to the
water sector, including Incident Command System / National Incident Management
System exercises; drought response; flood response; state functional exercises (e.g.,
scenarios of hurricanes, floods, and earthquakes); resource typing and site access
workshops; and regional interstate emergency response exercises (e.g., hurricane).
Integrate new climate projection data into the flagship climate risk assessment tool, the
Climate Resilience Evaluation and Awareness Tool (CREAT), which incorporates the
latest projection data for precipitation, temperature, sea-level rise, storm surge components,
and hydrologic changes. EPA will continue to provide extensive nationwide training
sessions for drinking water and wastewater systems as well as a series of train-the-trainer
forums for technical assistance providers to reach smaller utilities, with a significant focus
on overburdened and underserved communities. EPA also will provide direct technical
assistance to large, medium, and small drinking water and wastewater utilities, across the
country, applying CREAT and other CRWU tools, including through developing
infrastructure improvement plans and shepherding systems (especially those in
disadvantaged and underserved communities) through the funding application process.
Support the water sector in preparing for and responding to supply chain disruptions that
have the potential to impact the availability of water treatment chemicals and other critical
materials needed for drinking water and wastewater system operation by: 1) reviewing and
33
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processing applications submitted under the authorities of the Safe Drinking Water Act
(SDWA) Section 1441 and the Defense Production Act; 2) providing general guidance and
direct technical assistance to water systems, state primacy agencies, and other water sector
stakeholders experiencing supply challenges; 3) assessing the supply chain for critical
water treatment chemicals in order to determine the risk of disruptions that could impact
the water sector; and 4) offering a platform for tracking and sharing information about
emerging and ongoing supply chain issues with the potential to impact water system
operations.
Conduct tabletop and functional exercises to improve the operation of intra-state and inter-
state mutual aid agreements among water utilities.
Implement lessons learned from the most recent hurricane seasons, as identified by reports
from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the Water Agency Response
Network, and EPA's Inspector General.
Address high priority security areas, as identified in the stakeholder generated Roadmap to
a Secure and Resilient Water and Wastewater Sector to be completed in early 2024,8 with
an emphasis on the following four priorities: 1) promoting the awareness of the critical
lifeline status of the drinking water and wastewater sector and translating that definition
into strong support for the sector's needs and capabilities; 2) improving detection of,
response to, and recovery from contamination incidents; 3) advancing preparedness and
improving capabilities of the drinking water and wastewater sector for area-wide loss of
water and power; and 4) advancing recognition of vulnerabilities and needed responses
related to cybersecurity risk management.
Conduct nationwide exercises with three critical, inter-dependent sectors: healthcare,
emergency services, and energy. Most incidents, particularly natural disasters, have
underscored the mutual reliance on the water sector with other lifeline sectors. Through
exercises and technical support with officials at the local, state, and federal levels from
these other sectors, EPA will seek to improve coordination among critical lifeline sectors.
Sustain operation of the Water Desk in both the Agency's Emergency Operations Center
and FEMA's National Response Coordination Center in the event of an emergency by
updating roles and responsibilities, training staff in the incident command structure,
ensuring adequate staffing during activation of the desk, and coordinating with EPA's
regional field personnel and response partners.
Develop annual assessments, as required under the National Infrastructure Protection Plan,
to describe existing water security efforts and progress in achieving the sector's key
metrics.
Water Security Initiative (WSI)
WSI addresses the risk of contamination of drinking water distribution systems. It has designed
and developed an effective system for timely detection and appropriate response to drinking water
contamination threats and incidents through a pilot program that has broad application to the
Nation's drinking water utilities in high-threat cities. In FY 2025, EPA will continue necessary
WSI Surveillance and Response System (SRS) activities including: 1) continue to refine technical
assistance products based on the five full-scale SRS pilots; 2) implement a monitoring and
response program for water utilities focused on source water chemical spills; and 3) provide direct
8For more information, please see:
https://www.waterisac.org/sites/default/files/public/2017_CIPAC Water_Sector_Roadmap FINAL_051217.pdf
34
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technical assistance, as requested by water utilities, that seeks to leverage EPA's expertise in
deploying their own warning system.
In FY 2025, EPA will:
Continue efforts to promote the water sector's adoption of Water Quality Surveillance and
Response Systems (WQ-SRS). EPA will facilitate user forums and promote the use of
available tools and materials to design and implement a WQ-SRS. These capabilities will
help water systems rapidly detect and respond to water quality problems, such as
contamination in the distribution system, to reduce public health and economic
consequences.
Build upon the Drinking Water Mapping Application to Protect Source Waters
(DWMAPS)9 and the chemical spill and storage notification requirements in the America's
Water Infrastructure Act of 2018 (AWIA). EPA will continue to collaborate with water
sector stakeholders, water utilities, and state environmental agencies, to identify specific
information (e.g., what chemicals are stored upstream from a surface water intake),
including Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act (EPCRA) Tier 2 data,
that is valuable to creating a comprehensive source water contamination threat inventory.
EPA will continue to promote awareness and provide training on its guidance including
state and federal information resources that can be used to identify potential sources of
contamination. This effort will help to ensure that drinking water utilities have access to
the basic information (e.g., what chemicals are stored upstream from a surface water
intake) necessary for understanding the risk of releases to their sources of drinking water,
as required under AWIA Section 2013, and take steps to mitigate those risks.
Provide technical support to EPA regions, state primacy agencies, and water systems
during response to contamination incidents. EPA's Water Program has been providing
technical assistance on contamination response for several years (e.g., following wildfires,
the jet fuel contamination incident in Honolulu, Hawaii) and anticipates that requests for
this type of support will continue.
Water Laboratory Alliance (WLA)
In a contamination event, the sheer volume or unconventional type of samples requiring analysis
could quickly overwhelm the capacity or capability of a single laboratory. To address this potential
deficiency, EPA has established the national WLA comprised of laboratories from the local (e.g.,
water utility) to the federal level (e.g., the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Laboratory
Response Network). In FY 2025, EPA will continue to promote, through exercises, expert
workshops, and association partnerships, the WLA Plan.10 The plan provides a protocol for
coordinated laboratory response to a surge of analytical needs. In FY 2025, under the WLA, EPA
plans to train approximately 50 laboratories to improve their ability to handle potential problems
associated with surge capacity and analytical method capabilities during an emergency.
9 For more information, please see: https://www.epa.gov/sourcewaterprotection/drinkiiig-water-mapping-applicatioii-protect-
source-waters-dwmaps.
10 For more information, please see: https://www.epa.gov/waterlabnetwork.
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In FY 2025, EPA will:
Continue to work with regional and state environmental laboratories to conduct exercises
and continue efforts to automate the exercises, enabling laboratories and other members of
the water sector to participate in exercises simultaneously and continue the innovative
practice of pursuing validation of methods through exercises.
Continue to expand the membership of the WLA with the intention of achieving nationwide
coverage. The WLA has 160 member laboratories that are geographically diverse and can
provide a wide range of chemical, biological, and radiological analyses.11 For the WLA to
become a robust network that can cover major population centers and address a diverse
array of high priority contaminants, membership must continue to increase. Therefore,
EPA will continue to promote membership at regional and national conventions of
laboratory and water utility associations as well as through a series of webinars.
Cvbersecuritv
Cybersecurity represents a substantial concern for the water sector, given that automated process
controls are used to operate most facets of a modern water utility and that many water utilities have
not implemented basic cybersecurity practices. Recent attacks by both inside and outside actors
and their clear potential to disrupt essential lifeline services, such as drinking water supplies, are
prompting a growing recognition that the federal government should adopt a more aggressive
posture towards cybersecurity. EPA will sustain our existing cybersecurity program, such as the
Cybersecurity Evaluation Program, where utilities voluntarily work with a cybersecurity
professional to complete an assessment and generate a risk mitigation plan. EPA also will continue
to provide tabletop exercises on cyber threats, common vulnerabilities, and best practices. EPA
will promote the use of the Water Cybersecurity Assessment Tool to help water systems self-assess
their cyber practices. EPA will continue to produce alerts for the water sector, for example as
occurred for the Russia state threat in 2021, for the China state threat in 2023 (Volt Typhoon), and
for the Iranian state threat in 2023 (CyberAv3ngers).
In FY 2025, EPA will continue to fulfill its obligations under Executive Order 13636: Improving
Critical Infrastructure Cybersecurity,12 which designated EPA as the lead federal agency
responsible for cybersecurity in the water sector. EPA will continue to conduct nationwide
exercises and provide technical support on cybersecurity threats and countermeasures for about
200 water and wastewater utilities.
In FY 2025, EPA is requesting resources and FTE to:
Issue guidance documents and conduct a national training program on evaluating
cybersecurity practices at public water systems to support utilities, states, and tribes with
the objective of developing implementation plans to mitigate cyber risks.
11 For more information, please see: https://www.epa.gov/dwkbcert/contact-information-certificatioii-programs-aiid-certified-
laboratories-drinking-water.
12 For more information, please see: https://www.dhs.gov/publication/executive-order-13636-improving-critical-infrastructure-
cybersecurity.
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Broaden and transition the Water Sector Cybersecurity Evaluation Program from an onsite
cybersecurity assessment effort targeting about 100 water systems each year to a virtual
assistance program providing direct technical support to thousands of water systems. Under
this initiative, EPA will assess cybersecurity practices at water systems as requested by the
system or the state. EPA will provide a report to the system that shows gaps in
cybersecurity.
Provide direct support and implement the Cybersecurity Technical Assistance Program for
the Water Sector. Under this program, states and public water systems can submit questions
or request to consult with a subject matter expert (SME) regarding cybersecurity, such as
identifying cybersecurity gaps and selecting appropriate risk mitigation actions. EPA will
strive to have an SME respond to the questioner within two business days. As with the
cybersecurity training work, the Water Sector Cybersecurity Evaluation Program and the
Cybersecurity Technical Assistance Program constitute a critical investment of resources
vital to achieving the policy outcome of reducing cybersecurity risk to the Nation's water
systems.
Conduct classroom exercises, at locations across the country, on water sector
cybersecurity. The exercises will address cybersecurity threats (including ransomware),
vulnerabilities, consequences, best practices, and incident response planning.
Update and/or develop new course materials to respond to the evolving nature of
cybersecurity threats. One example of such updates is the FY 2023 alerts and training
concerning the potential for China-state actors to infiltrate water system industrial control
processes and business enterprise functions.
EPA is requesting $25 million for a Cybersecurity grant, under the STAG appropriation,
to help water systems establish or update the necessary cybersecurity infrastructure to
address the rising threats from sophisticated state actors and criminal organizations. These
funds would enable water systems to adopt basic cybersecurity hygiene measures, the
inadequate adoption of which, across the sector, has rendered water systems and the
communities they sustain at high risk from disabling cyberattacks.
America's Water Infrastructure Act (AWIA)
In FY 2025, EPA will continue its efforts to fulfill the requirements of the Community Water
System Risk and Resilience Section 1433 of SDWA, as amended by AWIA. Specifically, EPA
will prepare community water systems, subject to the law, for the second round of certifications
which are due beginning in 2025. SDWA requires each community water system, serving more
than 3,300 persons, to review its risk and resilience assessment at least once every five years to
determine if it should be revised. Upon completion of such a review, the system must submit to
EPA a certification that it has reviewed its assessment and revised it, if applicable. Further, each
community water system, serving more than 3,300 persons, must review and, if necessary, revise
its emergency response plan at least once every five years after the system completes the required
review of its risk and resilience assessment. The emergency response plan must incorporate any
revisions to the risk and resilience assessment. Upon completion of this review, but not later than
six months after certifying the review of its risk and resilience assessment, the system must submit
a certification that it has reviewed its emergency response plan and revised it, if applicable. EPA
will apply lessons learned from the first round of certifications to refine guidance, tools (e.g.,
emergency response plan templates), training, and the online certification portal. EPA also will
37
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provide individual technical assistance to water systems to help with the recertification
requirements of SDWA Section 1433.
Performance Measure Targets:
(PM DW-07) Number of drinking water and wastewater systems, tribal and state officials, and water sector
partners provided with security, emergency preparedness, and climate resilience training and technical
assistance.
FY
2018
FY
2019
FY
2020
FY
2021
FY
2022
FY
2023
FY
2024
FY
2025
Units
Target
2.H00
3,500
4,500
4,500
Systems
and
Partners
Actual
V>39
3,895
FY 2025 Change from FY 2024 Annualized CR (Dollars in Thousands):
(+$19,409.0 / +25.0 FTE) This program change is an increase of resources and FTE to
implement actions to mitigate the risks of cyberattacks in the water sector as well as
increase the Agency's ability to respond to cyber incidents that endanger safe drinking
water to communities. This investment includes $4,623 million for payroll and additional
changes to fixed support costs.
(+$4,090.0 / +6.0 FTE) This program change is an increase of resources and FTE to support
the Water Sector Cybersecurity Program to enhance cyber incident preparation, response,
recovery, information sharing, and intelligence for water utilities to protect infrastructure.
This investment includes $1,109 million for payroll.
Statutory Authority:
Safe Drinking Water Act, §§ 1431-1435; Clean Water Act; Public Health Security and
Bioterrorism Emergency and Response Act of 2002; Emergency Planning and Community Right-
to-Know Act, §§ 301-305.
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Homeland Security: Preparedness, Response, and Recovery
Program Area: Homeland Security
Goal: Safeguard and Revitalize Communities
Objective(s): Prepare for and Respond to Environmental Emergencies
(Dollars in Thousands)
FY 2023
Final Actuals
FY 2024
Annualized
CR
FY 2025
President's
Budget
FY 2025 President's
Budget v.
FY 2024 Annualized
CR
Sciciuv ^ icclnwhixy
S 20 J "71
S 25.3-1 ~
S-10. SO 2
S 15.-/5 5
Hazardous Substance Superfund
$36,249
$34,661
$57,358
$22,697
Total Budget Authority
$62,624
$60,008
$98,160
$38,152
Total Workyears
116.1
124.1
145.3
21.2
Program Project Description:
Exposure to hazardous chemical agents, microbial pathogens, and radiological materials
released into the environment can pose catastrophic consequences to the health of first responders
and American citizens. EPA has responsibility, under statutory law and Presidential Directives, to
remediate contaminated environments created by incidents such as terrorist attacks, industrial
accidents, or natural disasters.
EPA's disaster-related research topics, under the Homeland Security Research Program (HSRP),
are: 1) contaminant characterization and consequence assessment; 2) environmental cleanup and
infrastructure remediation; and 3) community engagement and systems-based tools supporting
resilience equity.
The research supports EPA in carrying out its primary mission essential function to help
communities prepare for, endure, and recover from disasters - safeguarding their health, economic,
environmental, and social well-being. Researchers collaborate with states, local communities,
tribes, private sector organizations, and federal agencies13 to deliver effective tools, methods,
information, and guidance that address both critical terrorism related issues and natural or
manmade disasters.
EPA also is responsible for operating and maintaining the network of near real-time radiation
monitors, known as RadNet, a key resource necessary for responding to certain incidents as noted
within the Nuclear/Radiological Incident Annex to the National Response Framework. This network
is critical in responding to large-scale incidents, such as the accident at the Fukushima nuclear
facility, potential incidents in Ukraine, and is an EPA Critical Infrastructure/Key Resource asset.
This monitoring network is supported by the IT system known as ARaDS, the Analytical Radiation
Data System.
13 Partners include: Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Department of Defense (DOD), Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention (CDC), Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), National Institute of Health (NIH), National Science Foundation
(NSF), Department of Energy (DOE), and Department of Agriculture (USDA).
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Recent Accomplishments of the Homeland Security Research Program include:
Securing Safe Water During Emergencies:
EPA's HSRP researchers partnered with a nonprofit organization to develop a modular, mobile
water treatment system known as Water on Wheels - Emergency Mobile Water Treatment System
(also known as the WOW Cart).15 This WOW cart has been serving communities who need clean
water in the aftermath of disasters such as hurricanes, tornadoes, levee break, flooding, etc.16 In
addition, the HSRP's Water Network Tool for Resilience (WNTR) has been used to help assess
how water distribution systems might behave during future disruptions and provided
recommendations to increase resilience of these systems.17 WNTR also was used to investigate
the performance and resilience of a drinking water system during increased demands due to various
1 8
emergencies.
Improving Preparedness for Radiological/Nuclear Incident Response:
Radiological incidents require advanced planning and rapid response to minimize health risks to
residents and mitigate long-term impacts to infrastructure and the environment. EPA's HSRP
developed a tool that can track and quantify radiological contamination in stormwater systems
following such an incident.19 HSRP also developed other tools to provide first responders,
emergency planners, residents, and others in the community with easily accessible and easy-to-use
methods for various response missions such as containment, decontamination, waste management,
etc., after radiological contamination.20'21
Continued Efforts to Enhance Bio Incident Response:
EPA HSRP continues to develop and evaluate characterization and decontamination methods and
enhance national preparedness to respond to biological incidents. HSRP researchers developed
methods for effectively sampling biological agents in the outdoor environment, such as water,
vegetation, soil, etc.22'23'24'25 HSRP research also provided responders with practical information
on decontamination techniques that have been found to be effective for inactivating biological
agents on various surfaces and materials.26'27'28'29 These resources better prepare communities for
responding to and ultimately recovering from biological incidents.
14 For a more complete view of accomplishments, please see: https://www.epa.gov/research/national-research-programs.
15 For a more complete view of accomplishments, please see: https://www.epa.gov/emergency-response-research/water-wheels-
mobile-wa ter- trea tment-sv s tem-wo w-cart.
16 For a more complete view of accomplishments, please see: https://www.epa.gov/emergency-response-research/wow-cart-
deplovments.
17 For a more complete view of accomplishments, please see: https://ascelibrarv.org/doi/abs/10.1061/%28ASCE%29WR.1943-
5452.0001.607.
18 For a more complete view of accomplishments, please see: https://ascelibrarv.org/doi/abs/10.1061/JWRMD5.WRENG-5631.
19 For more information, please see: https://cfpub.epa.gov/si/si public record Report.cfm?dirEntryId=355687&Lab=CESER.
20 For more information, please see: https://www.epa.gov/emergency-response-research/radiological-decontamination-query-tool
21 For more information, please see:
https://cfpub.epa.gov/si/si public file download.cfm?p_download id=546646&Lab=CESER.
22 For more information, please see: https://cfiTub.epa.gov/si/si_public_record Report.cfm?dirEntryId=355726&Lab=CESER
23 For more information, please see: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36104633/.
24 For more information, please see: https://cfpub.epa.gov/si/si public record Report.cfm?dirEntryId=355343&Lab=CESER.
25 For more information, please see: https://cfpub.epa.gov/si/si public record Report.cfm?dirEntryId=356092&Lab=CESER.
26 For more information, please see: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36822624/.
27 For more information, please see: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36056613/.
28 For more information, please see: https://cfpub.epa.gov/si/si_public_record_ Report.cfm?dirEntryId=356257&Lab=CESER.
29 For more information, please see: https://cfpub.epa.gov/si/si_public_record_Report.cfm?dirEntryId=355794&Lab=CESER.
40
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FY 2025 Activities and Performance Plan:
Work in this program directly supports Goal 6/Objective 6.3, Prepare for and Respond to
Environmental Emergencies in the FY 2022 - 2026 EPA Strategic Plan.
Research is planned and prioritized based on the needs of end-users of this science, including EPA
program and regional offices (e.g., Regional On-Scene Coordinators), water utility companies,
states, local communities, territories, and tribes.
In FY 2025, the Homeland Security Research Program will conduct research under the three disaster-
related research topics as follow below.
Contaminant Characterization and Consequence Assessment:
Continue advancing the ESAM Program30 for sampling procedures, processing, and
analysis for contamination incidents to inform and support risk mitigation,
decontamination, and clearance.
Improve tools to inform, support, and enhance the ESAM Program for the environmental
characterization process for contaminants.
Conduct research to evaluate groundwater modeling tools for contaminant fate and
transport and apply the tools in case studies.
Improve the existing Trade-off Tool for Sampling31 platform to enable functionality for
creating or importing three dimensional environments.
Environmental Cleanup and Infrastructure Remediation:
Evaluate the efficacy of a variety of decontaminants against spores, viruses, and bacterial
agents as a function of contamination level outside of the primary contamination zone,
including agricultural scenarios.
Conduct research to study the efficacy, operational concerns, and material compatibility
for decontamination of chemical contamination incidents.
Conduct research to identify a decontamination approach for premise plumbing impacted
by salt water for return to service and to assess sea or brackish water at flushing
contamination out of water infrastructure.
Improve HSRP waste tools to include data sharing capabilities across multiple tools and
support for future dashboard integration.
Community Engagement and Systems-Based Tools Supporting Resilience Equity.
Develop an improved methodology to collect data and produce transparent results to
inform response progress during contamination incidents.
Develop a reference guide for responders to make informed sampling or other response-
related decisions following a hazardous release, particularly within urban areas.
Conduct research to identify mechanisms to ensure disaster waste staging decisions achieve
social and environmental objectives while advancing environmental justice and equity
principles and practices.
30 For more information, please see: https://www.epa.gov/esam
31 For more information, please see: https://tots.epa.gov/
41
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Radiation Monitoring
The RadNet fixed monitoring network provides near real-time radiation monitoring coverage near
each of the 100 most populous U.S. cities, as well as expanded geographic coverage for a total of
140 monitoring sites. The RadNet air monitoring network provides the Agency, first responders,
and the public with greater access to data. Should there be a radiological emergency, RadNet
improves officials' ability to make decisions about protecting public health and the environment
during and after the incident. Additionally, RadNet data is used by scientists to better characterize
the effect of a radiological incident.
In FY 2025, the Agency will continue to operate and maintain the RadNet air monitoring network,
continue to add exposure rate meter capability to the network, and provide essential maintenance
to the network. To best maximize resources, exposure rate meter capability will be added to
monitors when needed repairs are called for. This expansion will enhance the federal government's
ability to effectively communicate radiation measurement information to the public and to non-
technical decision makers after a radiological release. In addition to aiding in explaining data to
the public and decision makers, the addition of exposure rate meters aligns EPA's monitoring
system with that of the international community.
In FY 2025, EPA is requesting an increase of approximately $12.2 million and 9.5 FTE to update
the aging equipment that monitors the nation's air for radiation. As a part of this, EPA also will
modernize IT infrastructure for the ARaDS and support enhanced lab and field office facility
operations and maintenance.
Research Planning
EPA research is built around six integrated and transdisciplinary research programs. Each of the
six 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 planned with their active
involvement. Each research program has developed and published their fourth generation of the
StRAPs,32 which continue the practice of conducting innovative scientific research aimed at
solving the problems encountered by the Agency and its stakeholders.
EPA's Office of Research and Development (ORD) ensures the integrity and value of its research
through a variety of mechanisms that include:
EPA's Board of Scientific Counselors (BOSC)
o ORD meets regularly with this committee, which provides advice and
recommendations to ORD on technical and management issues of its research
programs.
State Engagement
o EPA's state engagement33 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.
32 The StRAPs are available here: https://www.epa.gov/research/strategic-research-action-plans-fiscal-years-2023-2026.
33 For more information, please see: https://www.epa.gov/research/epa-research-solutioiis-states.
42
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Tribal Partnerships
o Key Tribal partnerships are established through the Tribal Science Program which
provides a forum for the interaction between Tribal and Agency representatives.
These interactions identify research of mutual benefit and lead to collaborations on
important tribal environmental science issues.
Performance Measure Targets:
Work under this program supports performance results in the Research: Chemical Safety and
Sustainability Program under the S&T appropriation.
FY 2025 Change from FY 2024 Annualized CR (Dollars in Thousands):
(+$217.0) This net change to fixed and other costs is an increase due to the recalculation
of base workforce costs for existing FTE due to annual payroll increases, adjustments to
provide essential workforce support, and changes to benefits costs. This includes funds to
support critical agency wide infrastructure for Executive Order 14028 cybersecurity
requirements, electronic discovery for FOIA and litigation support, and implementation of
Trusted Vetting 2.0.
(-$102.0) This change to fixed and other costs is a decrease due to the recalculation of lab
fixed costs.
(+$3,159.0 / + 5.7 FTE) This program change is an increase to conduct research on agents
of concern and emerging threats. This increase will support the development of bio-
surveillance protocols for populations and surface waters as well as support EPA's Water
Emergencies Initiative. In addition, this increase will expand EPA's capabilities and
research at its biosafety level-3 facility in Fort Meade, MD. This investment includes $1.06
million in payroll.
(+$12,181.0 / + 9.5 FTE) This program change is an increase in resources and FTE to
update the aging equipment that monitors the nation's air for radiation. Should there be a
radiological emergency, RadNet improves officials' ability to make decisions about
protecting public health and the environment during and after an incident. This increase
also will modernize IT infrastructure for ARaDS and support enhanced lab and field office
facility operations and maintenance. This includes $1,788 million in payroll.
Statutory Authority:
Atomic Energy Act of 1954; Clean Air Act, §§ 102, 103; Safe Drinking Water Act, §§ 1431-1435,
1442; Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act; National Defense
Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 1997, §§1411-1412; Public Health Security and
Bioterrorism Preparedness and Response Act of 2002; Toxic Substances Control Act, § 10; Oil
Pollution Act; Pollution Prevention Act; Resource Conservation and Recovery Act; Emergency
Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act; Clean Water Act; Federal Insecticide, Fungicide,
and Rodenticide Act; Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act; Food Quality Protection Act;
Food Safety Modernization Act, §§ 203, 208.
43
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Homeland Security: Protection of EPA Personnel and Infrastructure
Program Area: Homeland Security
Goal: Safeguard and Revitalize Communities
Objective(s): Prepare for and Respond to Environmental Emergencies
(Dollars in Thousands)
FY 2023
Final Actuals
FY 2024
Annualized
CR
FY 2025
President's
Budget
FY 2025 President's
Budget v.
FY 2024 Annualized
CR
Environmental Programs & Management
$6,059
$5,188
$5,158
-$30
Science it- t echnology
S(,25
Sf>25
.s 5tn
-S124
Building and Facilities
$3,944
$6,676
$6,676
$0
Hazardous Substance Superfund
$1,167
$1,029
$1,530
$501
Total Budget Authority
$11,795
$13,518
$13,865
$347
Total Workyears
12.3
13.3
13.3
0.0
Total workyears in FY 2025 include 13.3 FTE to support Homeland Security Working Capital Fund (WCF) services.
Program Project Description:
This program supports activities to ensure that EPA's physical structures and assets are secure and
operational and that physical security measures are in place to help safeguard staff in the event
of an emergency. These efforts also protect EPA's vital laboratory infrastructure and testing
assets. Specifically, funds within this appropriation support security needs for the National
Vehicle and Fuel Emissions Laboratory (NVFEL).
FY 2025 Activities and Performance Plan:
Work in this program directly supports Goal 6/Objective 6.3, Prepare for and Respond to
Environmental Emergencies in the FY 2022 - 2026 EPA Strategic Plan.
In FY 2025, the Agency will continue to provide enhanced physical security for the NVFEL, its
employees, visitors, and test articles, which include prototype vehicles and engines. This funding
supports the cost of security enhancements required as part of an agency security assessment
review.
Performance Measure Targets:
EPA's FY 2025 Annual Performance Plan does not include annual performance goals specific to
this program.
FY 2025 Change from FY 2024 Annualized CR (Dollars in Thousands):
(-$124.0) This change to fixed and other costs is a decrease due to the recalculation of lab
fixed costs.
44
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Statutory Authority:
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).
45
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Indoor Air and Radiation
46
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Indoor Air: Radon Program
Program Area: Indoor Air and Radiation
Goal: Ensure Clean and Healthy Air for All Communities
Objective(s): Reduce Exposure to Radiation and Improve Indoor Air
(Dollars in Thousands)
FY 2023
Final Actuals
FY 2024
Annualized
CR
FY 2025
President's
Budget
FY 2025 President's
Budget v.
FY 2024 Annualized
CR
Environmental Programs & Management
S2.844
$3,364
$5,147
$1,783
Sciciuv it- icclnwhixy
S'O
.SIVV
sr.i
-S_V)
Total Budget Authority
$2,914
$3,563
$5,320
$1,757
Total Workyears
8.0
9.0
12.4
3.4
Program Project Description:
Title III of the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) authorizes EPA to take a variety of actions
to address the public health risks posed by exposures to indoor radon. Under the statute, EPA
studies the health effects of radon, assesses exposure levels, sets an action level, provides technical
assistance to states, industry, and the public, advises the public on steps they can take to reduce
exposure, and promotes the availability of reliable radon services and service providers to the
public.
Radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer in the United States - and the leading cause of
lung cancer mortality among non-smokers - accounting for about 21,000 deaths per year.34 EPA's
non-regulatory Indoor Air: Radon Program promotes actions to reduce the public's health risk
from indoor radon. EPA and the Surgeon General recommend that all homes be tested for radon
and if radon levels above EPA's guidelines are confirmed, elevated levels should be reduced by
home mitigation using proven, straightforward techniques. EPA also recommends that new homes
be built using radon-resistant features in areas where there is elevated radon. Nationally, risks from
radon have been reduced in millions of homes, but millions are still in need of mitigation.
Additionally, low-income families and tribal communities lack access to resources to address
radon. This voluntary program promotes partnerships between national organizations, the private
sector, and more than 50 state, local, tribal and territory governmental programs to reduce radon
risk.
These resources, combined with resources for the Indoor Air: Radon Program from the
Environmental Programs and Management (EPM) account, supports the Radon Reference and
Intercomparison Program (ERRIP) of the National Analytical Radiation Environmental
Laboratory (NAREL) in Montgomery, Alabama. The ERRIP is the only federal National Institute
of Standards and Technology (NIST) traceable primary radon reference and calibration program
34 For more information please visit: https://www.epa.gov/radon.
47
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accessible to the U.S. radon industry and is a critical element of the framework for promoting the
availability of reliable, quality radon services for the public.
FY 2025 Activities and Performance Plan:
Work in this program directly supports Goal 4/Objective 4.2, Reduce Exposure to Radiation and
Improve Indoor Air in the FY 2022 - 2026 EPA Strategic Plan.
EPA will provide radon reference intercomparison samples to secondary radon chambers (known
as ERRIP participants) operating in the United States to analyze. EPA then submits the radon
reference data to the Radon Accrediting Board(s) to evaluate and assess the performance of the
ERRIP participant. EPA will update and modernize program equipment and perform required
Quality Assurance/Quality Control on program analytical process and procedures.
Performance Measure Targets:
(PM LCD) Number of lung cancer deaths prevented through lower radon exposure.
FY
2018
FY
2019
FY
2020
FY
2021
FY
2022
FY
2023
FY
2024
FY
2025
Units
Target
1,881
1,981
2,083
2,162
Deaths
Prevented
Actual
1,482
1,578
1,684
1,795
1,894
1,970
FY 2025 Change from FY 2024 Annualized CR (Dollars in Thousands):
(+$3.0) This change to fixed and other costs is an increase due to the recalculation of base
workforce costs for existing FTE due to annual payroll increases, adjustments to provide
essential workforce support, and changes to benefits costs.
(-$29.0) This program change decreases resources for radon reference intercomparison
work.
Statutory Authority:
Title IV of the Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization Act (SARA); Title III Toxic
Substances Control Act; Clean Air Act.
48
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Radiation: Protection
Program Area: Indoor Air and Radiation
Goal: Ensure Clean and Healthy Air for All Communities
Objective(s): Reduce Exposure to Radiation and Improve Indoor Air
(Dollars in Thousands)
FY 2023
Final Actuals
FY 2024
Annualized
CR
FY 2025
President's
Budget
FY 2025 President's
Budget v.
FY 2024 Annualized
CR
Environmental Programs & Management
$8,390
S9.088
SI 1.748
$2,660
Science it- icclnwhixy
S 2J21
SJ.fxSJ
S 2.-110
.S".?.?
Hazardous Substance Superfund
$2,081
$2,472
$3,144
$672
Total Budget Authority
$12,792
$13,243
$17,308
$4,065
Total Workyears
57.3
54.8
67.2
12.4
Program Project Description:
EPA supports contaminated site characterization and cleanup by providing field and fixed
laboratory environmental, radiological, and radioanalytical data and technical support, providing
radioanalytical training to state and federal partners, and developing new and improved
radioanalytical methods. Many of the sites with radioactive contamination are surrounded by
economically disadvantaged communities including, for example, tribal lands in the southwestern
United States and former industrial sites located outside major urban areas.
In the event of a radiological accident or incident, the National Analytical Radiation
Environmental Laboratory (NAREL) in Montgomery, Alabama, and the National Center for
Radiation Field Operations (NCRFO) in Las Vegas, Nevada, provide analytical and field operation
support for radioanalytical testing, quality assurance, analysis of environmental samples, and field
measurement systems and equipment to support site assessment, cleanup, and response activities.
Together, these organizations provide technical support for conducting site-specific radiological
characterizations and cleanups.
FY 2025 Activities and Performance Plan:
Work in this program directly supports Goal 4/Objective 4.2, Reduce Exposure to Radiation and
Improve Indoor Air in the FY 2022 - 2026 EPA Strategic Plan.
In FY 2025, EPA, in cooperation with states, tribes, and other federal agencies, will provide
ongoing site characterization and analytical support for site assessment activities, remediation
technologies, and measurement and information systems. EPA also will provide essential training
and direct site assistance, including field surveys and monitoring, laboratory analyses, health and
safety, and risk assessment support at sites with radioactive contamination.
49
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Performance Measure Targets:
EPA's FY 2025 Annual Performance Plan does not include annual performance goals specific to
this program.
FY 2025 Change from FY 2024 Annualized CR (Dollars in Thousands):
(+$44.0) This change to fixed and other costs is an increase due to the recalculation of base
workforce costs for existing FTE due to annual payroll increases, adjustments to provide
essential workforce support, and changes to benefits costs.
(+$54.0) This change to fixed and other costs is an increase due to the recalculation of lab
utilities.
(+$635.0 / +2.2 FTE) This program change is an increase that supports addressing critical
gaps in EPA's radiological protection capacity including the ability to provide ongoing site
characterization and analytical support for site assessment activities, radioactive waste
storage and disposal approaches, remediation technologies, and measurement and
information systems. This investment includes $407.0 thousand for payroll.
Statutory Authority:
Atomic Energy Act of 1954; Clean Air Act; Energy Policy Act of 1992; Nuclear Waste Policy Act
of 1982; Public Health Service Act; Safe Drinking Water Act; Uranium Mill Tailings Radiation
Control Act (UMTRCA) of 1978; Waste Isolation Pilot Plant Land Withdrawal Act of 1992;
Marine Protection, Research, and Sanctuaries Act; Clean Water Act.
50
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Radiation: Response Preparedness
Program Area: Indoor Air and Radiation
Goal: Ensure Clean and Healthy Air for All Communities
Objective(s): Reduce Exposure to Radiation and Improve Indoor Air
(Dollars in Thousands)
FY 2023
Final Actuals
FY 2024
Annualized
CR
FY 2025
President's
Budget
FY 2025 President's
Budget v.
FY 2024 Annualized
CR
Environmental Programs & Management
S2.111
$2,650
$3,185
$535
Sciciuv it- icclnwhixy
S 3.200
SJtjVO
S-I.S02
SI.200
Total Budget Authority
$5,311
$6,246
$7,987
$1,741
Total Workyears
29.6
33.3
41.4
8.1
Program Project Description:
The National Analytical Radiation Environmental Laboratory (NAREL) in Montgomery, Alabama,
and the National Center for Radiation Field Operations (NCRFO) in Las Vegas, Nevada, provide
field sampling and laboratory analyses to respond to radiological and nuclear incidents. This work
includes measuring and monitoring radioactive materials and assessing radioactive contamination
in the environment. This program comprises direct scientific field and laboratory activities to
support preparedness, planning, training, and procedure development. In addition, program
personnel are members of EPA's Radiological Emergency Response Team (RERT), a component
of the Agency's emergency response program, and are trained to provide direct expert scientific
and technical assistance. EPA's RERT is part of the Nuclear Incident Response Team under the
Department of Homeland Security.
FY 2025 Activities and Performance Plan:
Work in this program directly supports Goal 4/Objective 4.2, Reduce Exposure to Radiation and
Improve Indoor Air in the FY 2022 - 2026 EPA Strategic Plan.
In FY 2025, EPA's RERT will provide critical support for federal radiological emergency response
and recovery operations under the National Response Framework and the National Oil and
Hazardous Substances Pollution Contingency Plan. When necessary, EPA's RERT will
complement routine operations (e.g., on-site technical support/consultation and laboratory
analyses) and provide for the rapid collection of field measurements/samples and accurate
radionuclide analyses of environmental samples.35
In FY 2025, NAREL and NCRFO will build capacity in core levels of readiness for radiological
emergency responses; participate in critical emergency exercises; and respond, as required, to
radiological incidents. NAREL and NCRFO will prioritize rapid deployment capabilities to ensure
that field teams and laboratory personnel are ready to provide scientific data, field measurement
35 For additional information, please visit: https://www.epa.gov/radiation/radiological-emergency-response.
51
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capabilities, analyses, and updated analytical techniques for radiation emergency response
programs across the Agency.
Performance Measure Targets:
(PM RAD2) Percentage of radiation emergency response program personnel and assets that meet functional
readiness requirements necessary to support federal radiological emergency response and recovery
operation.
FY
20IX
FY
201<)
FY
2020
FY
2021
FY
2022
FY
2023
FY
2024
FY
2025
Units
Target
JO
92
92
92
Percent
Actual
87.7
87.1
FY 2025 Change from FY 2024 Annualized CR (Dollars in Thousands):
(+$134.0) This change to fixed and other costs is an increase due to the recalculation of lab
utilities.
(+$1,072.0 / +5.0 FTE) This program change is an increase to support activities for
preparedness work, including basic laboratory analytic functions and field operations. This
investment includes $817.0 thousand for payroll and additional fixed support costs.
Statutory Authority:
Homeland Security Act of 2002; Atomic Energy Act of 1954; Clean Air Act; Post-Katrina
Emergency Management Reform Act of 2006 (PKEMRA); Public Health Service Act (PHSA);
Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act; Safe Drinking Water Act
(SDWA).
52
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Reduce Risks from Indoor Air
Program Area: Indoor Air and Radiation
Goal: Ensure Clean and Healthy Air for All Communities
Objective(s): Reduce Exposure to Radiation and Improve Indoor Air
(Dollars in Thousands)
FY 2023
Final Actuals
FY 2024
Annualized
CR
FY 2025
President's
Budget
FY 2025 President's
Budget v.
FY 2024 Annualized
CR
Environmental Programs & Management
SI 3.281
SI 3.593
S47.570
S33.977
Science it- icclnwhixy
S2~
S2~X
sy.s'i
-sy.i
Total Budget Authority
$13,309
$13,871
$47,755
$33,884
Total Workyears
35.3
39.2
71.4
32.2
Program Project Description:
Title IV of the Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization Act of 1986 (SARA) authorizes EPA
to conduct and coordinate research on indoor air quality, develop and disseminate information,
and coordinate risk reduction efforts at the federal, state, tribal and local levels. Poor indoor air
quality represents one of the most significant public health risks within EPA's responsibility.36
EPA uses a range of strategies to reduce health risks from poor indoor air quality in homes, schools,
and other buildings through partnerships with non-governmental, professional, federal, state, and
local organizations. Through these partnerships EPA provides information, guidance, and
technical assistance to equip industry, the health care community, the residential, school, and
commercial building sectors, and the general public to take action. As technical experts working
at the intersection of the built environment and health, EPA is focused on policy and guidance to
improve building conditions, including for disproportionately impacted communities, to reduce
indoor air risk and achieve improvements in environmental and health outcomes.
Tribes have identified indoor air quality as a high priority and often bear disproportionately high
impacts from poor indoor air quality. For example, Native Americans and Alaska Natives
disproportionately suffer from asthma, in part due to poor housing conditions and the associated
increase in exposure to indoor air pollutants.
FY 2025 Activities and Performance Plan:
Work in this program directly supports Goal 4/Objective 4.2, Reduce Exposure to Radiation and
Improve Indoor Air in the FY 2022 - 2026 EPA Strategic Plan.
In FY 2025, EPA will respond to regional requests for field measurements, assessments, and
technical support.
36 For more information please visit: https://www.epa.gov/iaq.
53
-------
Performance Measure Targets:
EPA's FY 2025 Annual Performance Plan does not include annual performance goals specific to
this program.
FY 2025 Change from FY 2024 Annualized CR (Dollars in Thousands):
(-$12.0) This net change to fixed and other costs is a decrease due to the recalculation of
base workforce costs for existing FTE due to annual payroll increases, adjustments to
provide essential workforce support, and changes to benefits costs.
(-$81.0) This reduction of resources diminishes the capacity to conduct field
measurements, assessments, and provide technical support for indoor air quality
remediation. This disinvestment will result in the elimination of in-person Tribal training
courses on indoor air quality intervention and remediation approaches as well as limited
ability to respond to regional requests for field measurements, assessments, and technical
support.
Statutory Authority:
Title IV SARA; Title III Toxic Substances Control Act; Clean Air Act.
54
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IT / Data Management
Program Area: IT / Data Management / Security
Cross-Agency Mission and Science Support
(Dollars in Thousands)
FY 2023
Final Actuals
FY 2024
Annualized
CR
FY 2025
President's
Budget
FY 2025 President's
Budget v.
FY 2024 Annualized
CR
Environmental Programs & Management
$95,631
$91,821
$108,601
$16,780
Science it- t echnology
S3.-/
-------
EPA's Quality Program provides implementation support to all EPA organizations that have
environmental information operations described in an approved Quality Management Plan (QMP).
In FY 2025, the Quality Program will:
Assess organizations that have an approved QMP and identify findings requiring corrective
action, areas needing improvement, and leveraging best practices.
Focus on promoting sound science and ensure scientific integrity by promoting better planning
to produce improved environmental information. Evaluate environmental information through
use of the QA Annual Report and Work Plan and annual certification by Assistant and Regional
Administrators.
Manage and provide oversight for the IQGs to ensure that information disseminated by or
for EPA conforms with the Guidelines for Ensuring and Maximizing the Quality,
Objectivity, Utility and Integrity of Information Disseminated by the Environmental
Protection Agency criteria.38 The Quality Program will facilitate the development of the
Agency's responses to public requests for correction and reconsideration of information
disseminated by EPA and report this information to the Office of Management and Budget
(OMB). The Quality Program also will continue to focus on implementing
recommendations from the Office of Inspector General (OIG) Audit Report, EPA Needs to
Address Internal Control Deficiencies in the Agencywide Quality System 39 The Program
will give priority to implementation of revised Quality Directives for QMPs and Quality
Assurance Project Plans, and the IQGs.
Engage as a resource with EPA's state and tribal partners and environmental justice
communities and support the Climate Change Program to ensure QA processes and
procedures are in place to protect human health and the environment.
The Agency's S&T resources for IT/DM also will help provide library services through the EPA
National Library Network to all EPA employees and environmental information access to the
public, as well as support the hosting of EPA's websites and web pages. One EPA Web will
continue to manage content and support internal and external users with information on EPA
business, support employees with internal information, and provide a clearinghouse for the Agency
to communicate initiatives and successes.
In FY 2025, EPA will work to transform the Agency's libraries to meet the needs of the 21st
Century. This involves operating in an increasingly online and mobile environment; providing
services and resources at the customer's point of need; prioritizing the thorough assessment of
print materials to support strategic space usage; utilizing detailed data to ensure print collections
are highly relevant to the Agency' s needs and centralizing core services; and relying on technology
and a team of professional librarians to disseminate information and connect people to resources
they need to support the demands of both internal and external requests.
38 For more information, please see: https://www.epa.gov/qualitv/CTidelines-ensmng-and-maximizing-quality-obiectivitv-utilitv-
and-integrity-information.
39 For more information, please see: https://www.epa.gov/ofFice-inspector-general/report-epa-needs-address-intemal-control-
deRciencies-agencywide-quatitv.
56
-------
Performance Measure Targets:
EPA's FY 2025 Annual Performance Plan does not include annual performance goals specific to
this program.
FY 2025 Change from FY 2024 Annualized CR (Dollars in Thousands):
(+$149.0) This net change to fixed and other costs is an increase due to the recalculation
of base workforce costs for existing FTE due to annual payroll increases, adjustments to
provide essential workforce support, and changes to benefits 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); 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); Rehabilitation Act of 1973 § 508; and the National Technology Transfer and
Advancement Act (NTTA), (PL 104-113).
57
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Operations and Administration
58
-------
Facilities Infrastructure and Operations
Program Area: Operations and Administration
Cross-Agency Mission and Science Support
(Dollars in Thousands)
FY 2023
Final Actuals
FY 2024
Annualized
CR
FY 2025
President's
Budget
FY 2025 President's
Budget v.
FY 2024 Annualized
CR
Environmental Programs & Management
$275,614
$283,330
$308,134
$24,804
Sciciuv ^ icclnwhixy
Vi-J00
S 5.-/Of,
Building and Facilities
$17,502
$42,076
$98,893
$56,817
Leaking Underground Storage Tanks
$803
$754
$729
-$25
Inland Oil Spill Programs
$692
$682
$643
-$39
Hazardous Substance Superfund
$74,115
$65,634
$72,349
$6,715
Total Budget Authority
$434,054
$459,976
$553,654
$93,678
Total Workyears
304.7
321.8
331.1
9.3
Total work years in FY 2025 include 6.1 FTE to support Facilities Infrastructure and Operations Working Capital
Fund (WCF) services.
Program Project Description:
Science and Technology (S&T) 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, mail, and
transportation services. Funding for such services is allocated among the major appropriations for
the Agency.
FY 2025 Activities and Performance Plan:
Work in this program provides Cross-Agency Mission and Science Support and is allocated across
strategic goals and objectives in the FY 2022 - 2026 EPA Strategic Plan.
In FY 2025, EPA requests an additional $5.4 million in the Facilities Infrastructure and Operations
Program to support agencywide climate sustainability and resiliency initiatives, and EPA facilities'
operating costs and projects. Investing in the reconfiguration of EPA's workspaces enables the
Agency to release office space and avoid long-term rent costs, consistent with the Federal Assets
Sale and Transfer Act.40 These resources are essential to help EPA reduce the number of occupied
leased facilities, consolidate and optimize space within owned facilities, and reduce square
footage. The Agency's space consolidation and energy efficiency efforts result in cost avoidances
due to projected rent and utility increases in out-years. For FY 2025, the Agency requests $29.25
40 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.
59
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million for rent, $18.31 million for utilities, and $11.99 million for security in the S&T
appropriation. EPA uses a standard methodology to ensure that rent charging appropriately reflects
planned and enacted resources at the appropriation level.
EPA will continue conducting climate resiliency assessments at EPA-owned facilities to identify
critical upgrades that are necessary to improve facility resiliency against the impacts of climate
change, such as roof stabilization or seawall construction projects. EPA also will continue
incorporating natural hazard and climate vulnerability assessments into their real property risk
management process. In FY 2025, EPA will conduct climate assessments at the Andrew W.
Breidenbach Environmental Research Center, and Center Hill Research Facility in Cincinnati, OH,
and the National Vehicle and Fuel Emissions Laboratory in Ann Arbor, MI. As a result of FY 2022
assessments, EPA initiated two high priority projects in FY 2023: a feasibility study to improve
the resilience of the causeway leading to the Gulf Ecosystem Measurement and Modeling Division
campus in Gulf Breeze, FL, and a solar array feasibility study at the research facility in
Narragansett, RI.
Space consolidation and reconfiguration enables EPA to reduce its footprint to create a more
efficient, collaborative, and technologically sophisticated workplace. In FY 2025, the Agency will
continue to reconfigure EPA's workplaces to ensure the space footprint can accommodate a
growing and hybrid workforce.41 EPA will consider all opportunities for supporting organizational
health, in line with OMB Memoranda M-23-15 - Measuring, Monitoring, and Improving
Organizational Health and Organizational Performance in the Context of Evolving Agency Work
Environments.42 Even if modifications are kept to a minimum, each move requires initial funding
to achieve long-term cost avoidance and sustainability goals. These investments support
sustainable federal infrastructure and the clean energy goal of net-zero emissions by 2050.
In FY 2025, EPA will implement energy, water, and building infrastructure requirements with
emphasis on environmental programs (e.g., Environmental Management Systems, Environmental
Compliance Programs, Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Certification, alternative
fuel use, fleet reductions, telematics, and sustainability assessments). This funding will support
investments in infrastructure (e.g., architectural and design) and mechanical systems (e.g.,
Optimized Building Managements Systems for heating and cooling with load demand driven
controls).. In line with federal sustainability goals, EPA will work to utilize 100 percent carbon
pollution-free electricity on a net annual basis by 2030.
EPA also will meet regulatory Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)
obligations determined through audits and assessments and will provide health and safety training
to field staff (e.g., inspections, monitoring, and on-scene coordinators). The Agency will continue
its partnership with GSA to utilize shared services solutions, USAccess, and Enterprise Physical
Access Control System (ePACS) programs. USAccess provides standardized HSPD-12 approved
41 Work in this program takes direction for climate change and sustainability related initiatives from the following: EO 14008:
Tackling the Climate Crisis at Home and Abroad (https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/presidential-
actions/2021/01/27/executive-order-on-tackling-the-climate-crisis-at-home-and-abroad/) and EO 14057: Catalyzing Clean
Energy Industries and Jobs Through Federal Sustainability (https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/presidential-
actions/2021/12/08/executive-order-on-catalyzing-clean-energy-industries-and-iobs-through-federal- sustainability/)
42 For additional information, please refer to: https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/M-23-15.pdf.
60
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Personal Identity Verification (PIV) card enrollment and issuance and ePACS provides centralized
access control of EPA facilities, including restricted and secure areas.
Performance Measure Targets:
Work under this program supports performance results in the Facilities Infrastructure and
Operations Program under the EPM appropriation.
FY 2025 Change from FY 2024 Annualized CR (Dollars in Thousands):
(+$446.0) This change to fixed and other costs is an increase due to adjustments for rent,
utilities, security, and transit subsidy needs.
(+$4,960.0) This program change supports implementation of EO 14057: Catalyzing Clean
Energy Industries and Jobs Through Federal Sustainability requirements that will require
EPA to increase facility resiliency against the impact of climate change and to advance
sustainability of EPA operations. This investment increases support for EPA facilities
projects to ensure EPA has optimal footprint to support the proposed FTE increase in the
FY 2025 Budget request, continue ongoing EPA laboratory consolidation projects, and
support agencywide climate sustainability and resiliency initiatives such as facility climate
assessments and Optimized Building Managements Systems.
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).
61
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Pesticides Licensing
62
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Pesticides: Protect Human Health from Pesticide Risk
Program Area: Pesticides Licensing
Goal: Ensure Safety of Chemicals for People and the Environment
Objective(s): Ensure Chemical and Pesticide Safety
(Dollars in Thousands)
FY 2023
Final Actuals
FY 2024
Annualized
CR
FY 2025
President's
Budget
FY 2025 President's
Budget v.
FY 2024 Annualized
CR
Environmental Programs & Management
$59,740
S62.125
$66,281
$4,156
Sciciuv it- icclnwhixy
S 3.H3-I
S2.SV-I
S ,\W2
sj./m
Total Budget Authority
$62,774
$65,019
$72,183
$7,164
Total Workyears
398.6
385.6
385.6
0.0
Program Project Description:
EPA's Pesticide Programs screen new pesticides before they reach the market and ensure that
pesticides already in commerce are safe. As directed by the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and
Rodenticide Act (F1FRA), the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FFDCA), as amended by
the Food Quality Protection Act of 1996 (FQPA), and the Pesticide Registration Improvement Act
of 2022 (PRIA 5),43 EPA is responsible for registering and re-evaluating pesticides to protect
consumers, pesticide users, workers who may be exposed to pesticides, children, and other
sensitive populations.
To make regulatory decisions and establish tolerances (e.g., maximum allowable pesticide residues
on food and feed) for food use pesticides and for residential or non-occupational use, EPA must
find the pesticide safe. This involves considering cumulative and aggregate risks and ensuring
extra protection for children as required by the FQPA. Aggregate assessments ensure that there is
reasonable certainty that no harm will result from aggregate exposure to the pesticide chemical
residue, including all anticipated dietary exposure and all other exposure for which there is reliable
information. For cumulative assessments, the Agency is required to consider available information
concerning the cumulative effects of such residues and other substances that have a common
mechanism of toxicity. The Agency must balance the risks and benefits of other uses. For
antimicrobial pesticides with public health claims, EPA requires that manufacturers perform tests
to ensure the efficacy (i.e., performance) of products per the labelling. In anticipation of future
public health emergencies, the Pesticide Program evaluates public health claims for antimicrobial
products, including the accelerated availability of disinfectants determined to be effective against
emerging pathogens and development of study designs to support the generation of innovative
products, including those that can reduce airborne transmission of these pathogens. This program
operates two laboratories, the Microbiology Laboratory44 and the Analytical Chemistry
Laboratory.45
43 On December 29,2022, the Pesticide Registration Improvement Extension Act of 2022 (PRIA 5), which reauthorizes PRIA for
5 years through fiscal year 2027 and updates the fee collection provisions of the FIFRA, was signed into law.
44 For additional information, please visit: https://www.epa.gov/aboutepa/about-microbiologv-laboratory.
45 For additional information, please visit: https://www.epa.gov/aboutepa/about-analytical-chemistry-laboratory-acl.
63
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FY 2025 Activities and Performance Plan:
Work in this program directly supports Goal 7/Objective 7.1, Ensure Chemical and Pesticide
Safety in the FY 2022 - 2026 EPA Strategic Plan.
This FY 2025 request includes an increase of $3.0 million to invest in several areas across the
Environmental Science Lab in Fort Meade, Maryland. This facility is comprised of a Microbiology
Lab Branch and an Analytical Chemistry Branch. The Analytical Chemistry Laboratory will
continue to develop and validate methods for multi-residue pesticide analyses, including furthering
test protocols, providing technical review of data and reports. The laboratory also will provide
technical analyses and support to states, EPA Regions and the Office of Enforcement and
Compliance Assurance (OECA) in enforcement cases related to the potential misuse of or illegal
pesticides. Additionally, this lab maintains EPA's National Pesticide Standard Repository and
distributes more than 5,000 standards yearly to States and Regions for use in validating test results,
calibrating instruments, and/or for identifying and quantifying pesticide residues. In addition, the
laboratory will continue to provide technical support to EPA's Office of Pesticide Programs to
develop and standardize test protocols relating to the performance of portable monitoring devices
measuring post-application levels. Finally, work will continue the development and release of
additional testing methods related to identifying and quantifying PFAS residues in High Density
Polyethylene (HDPE) containers. These efforts are critical to ensuring the safety of pesticide
products within channels of trade, including those available for use by the public.
These funds are needed to replace aging critical lab equipment, enhance operation specifications
for MLB's BSL-3 laboratories, and modernize the lab's capabilities to be responsive to homeland
security & other emerging issues (e.g., pandemics). The additional funding will support the
following critical lab purchases:
Update and/or purchase equipment to meet more current laboratory specifications for a
biosafety level 3 (BSL-3).
Replace autoclave in B207 (BSL-3 virus lab) with a new pass-through autoclave.
Replace current environmental monitoring system equipment shared by both Pesticide
Program laboratories with more current technology to enhance operation specifications
related to maintaining the BSL-3 laboratory.
Modernization of IT in BSL-3 laboratory (LAN, scanner, tablets/software for paperless
recordkeeping, etc.)
Pass-through port for both BSL-3 laboratories.46
Enlargement of BSL-3 anterooms to provide additional safety measures.
Dedicated shower-out capability in the lab wing.
The Microbiology Laboratory will continue to protect human health by ensuring the availability
of scientifically sound efficacy test methods for antimicrobial pesticides (e.g., hospital
disinfectants used to treat surfaces). By developing new methods for new uses and emerging
pathogens, the regulated community can register new products as well as new claims for existing
products. These efforts will benefit the public because of the critical support the Laboratory
46 For more information please visit: https://www.enviropass.com/products/medical-pass-throughs/specimen-pass-through/.
64
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provides to inform regulatory actions for public health pesticides, identify pathways for approval
of pathogen-specific claims, and allow for marketplace penetration of these products.
Specifically, in FY 2025, the Microbiology Laboratory will:
Continue to work on the development of new regulatory guidance and implementation
materials on a quantitative method for bactericidal claims to support adoption of the
method for regulatory purposes.
Continue to work on the data collection, analysis, and development of new regulatory
guidance and implementation materials on a quantitative method for fungicidal claims to
support adoption of the method for regulatory purposes.
Complete approval process for generation of a new ASTM standard method for Legionella
in recirculating water for cooling tower remediation.
Provide efficacy testing and technical support for workplans for the Antimicrobial Product
Evaluation Program (APEP) pursuant to EPA's response to the Office of the Inspector
General (Report No. 16-P-0316).47
Complete data collection for the revised residual self-sanitizer and disinfectant methods
and submit them for comment and/or through ASTM.
Complete a regulatory guidance document and implementation strategy for evaluating the
efficacy of antimicrobial towelettes.
Continue to develop laboratory capacity for conducting efficacy testing with Biosafety
Level 3 (BSL-3) microorganisms at the Environmental Science Center in Ft. Meade,
Maryland. EPA's Pesticide Program has the only EPA laboratory with physical
containment laboratories to manage BSL-3 microbes.
Continue collaboration with the Office of Research and Development's Homeland Security
and Materials Management Division (HSMMD) Senior Research Microbiologist whose
duty station is in the Microbiology Laboratory and who will lead ORD research efforts in
support of meeting OCSPP needs under ORD's Homeland Security Research Program.
Continue to expand viral testing and method development to respond to emerging viral
pathogens.
In FY 2025, the Analytical Chemistry Laboratory will continue to protect human health by
ensuring the availability of appropriate analytical methods for analyzing pesticide residues in food
and feed and ensuring their suitability for monitoring pesticide residues and enforcing tolerances.
In addition, the Laboratory will:
Develop improved analytical methods and protocols using state of the art instruments to
replace outdated ones, thus increasing laboratory efficiency and accuracy of the data.
Continue to develop new methods to support EPA's overall efforts on identifying PFAS
compounds and potential routes of exposure. Additional methods specific to types of
pesticide formulations will continue to progress, including methodology to quantify PFAS
residues in pesticide formulations of varying chemistries {i.e., those containing
47 See., Report No. 16-P-0316, "Report: EPA Needs a Risk-Based Strategy to Assure Continued Effectiveness of Hospital-Level
Disinfectants," found at: https://www.epa.gov/office-inspector-general/report-epa-needs-risk-based-strategy-assure-contiiiued-
effectiveness.
65
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surfactants). Collaborate with federal and non-federal laboratories to validate and
standardize these methods.
Continue testing of pesticide products, as requested, to ensure products are free of PFAS.
With part of the increase proposed in this request, EPA plans to purchase an analytical
instrument dedicated for method development and testing of PFAS in pesticide products,
to minimize PFAS cross contamination.
Provide analytical support to fill in data gaps for the Pesticide Programs' Section 18
emergency exemption applications, and to perform studies for use in risk assessments and
ultimately, risk mitigation decisions.
Provide analytical assistance and technical advice to the EPA Office of Enforcement and
Compliance Assurance (OECA) and to all regional offices in the enforcement of pesticide
product integrity, of domestic products and products imported to the US under the USMC
agreement (USMCA). This could disproportionately impact members of communities with
environmental justice (EJ) concerns who might not speak English, who may be targeted by
illegal imports, and who may not know how to look for approved products.
Verify that pesticides products are properly formulated.
Operate EPA's National Pesticide Standard Repository.48
Preventing Disease through Public Health Pesticides: Antimicrobial Testing
EPA's Antimicrobial Testing Program (ATP), starting in 1991, was charged with testing hospital
sterilants, disinfectants, and tuberculocides since 1991 to help ensure that products in the
marketplace meet stringent efficacy standards. EPA is in the process of developing a new risk-
based testing strategy in response to OIG recommendations.49 Consistent with the OIG
recommendations, EPA suspended the ATP in November 2017. EPA released a draft risk-based
strategy, renamed the Antimicrobial Performance Evaluation Program (APEP), in October 2019
for public comment and will continue to seek public input prior to implementation as early as FY
2025. Implementation of the APEP will benefit public health by ensuring approved antimicrobials
meet contemporary efficacy standards.
The Microbiology Laboratory will continue to develop efficacy methods to support EPA's
antimicrobial pesticide regulatory programs. The results of these efforts will help ensure products
are available to control various bacteria (e.g., Clostridioides difficile), viruses (e.g., Mpox
(formerly monkeypox) and other emerging pathogens) and biofilms and to inform EPA's method
development activities in FY 2024 and beyond.
Performance Measure Targets:
Work under this program supports performance results in the Pesticides: Protect Human Health
from Pesticide Risk Program under the EPM appropriation.
48 For additional information, please visit: https://www.epa.gov/pesticide-analvtical-methods/national-pesticide-standard-
repositorv.
49 For additional information, please visit: https://www.epa.gov/pesticide-registration/antimicrobial-performance-evaluation-
program-apep.
66
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FY 2025 Change from FY 2024 Annualized CR (Dollars in Thousands):
(-$29.0) This change to fixed and other costs is a decrease due to the recalculation of base
workforce costs due to annual payroll increases, adjustments to provide essential workforce
support, and changes to benefits costs.
(-$17.0) This change to fixed and other costs is a decrease due to recalculation of laboratory
fixed costs.
(+$3,054.0) This increase provides additional resources to invest in a Biosafety Level 3
Lab at Fort Meade, MD. These funds are needed to replace some aging critical lab
equipment and modernize the lab's capabilities to be responsive to homeland security &
other emerging issues such as pandemics and additional changes to fixed support costs.
Statutory Authority:
Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA); Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic
Act (FFDCA), §408.
67
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Pesticides: Protect the Environment from Pesticide Risk
Program Area: Pesticides Licensing
Goal: Ensure Safety of Chemicals for People and the Environment
Objective(s): Ensure Chemical and Pesticide Safety
(Dollars in Thousands)
FY 2023
Final Actuals
FY 2024
Annualized
CR
FY 2025
President's
Budget
FY 2025 President's
Budget v.
FY 2024 Annualized
CR
Environmental Programs & Management
$45,217
S48.704
$75,963
$27,259
Science it- t echnology
S 2J.1-I
S -I.2.W
S/.Wi
Total Budget Authority
$47,685
$51,038
$80,202
$29,164
Total Workyears
299.4
259.6
282.1
22.5
Program Project Description:
EPA's Pesticide Program screens new pesticides before they reach the market and ensures that
pesticides already in commerce are safe. As directed by the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and
Rodenticide Act (F1FRA), the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FFDCA), as amended by
the Food Quality Protection Act of 1996 (FQPA), and the Pesticide Registration Improvement Act
of 2022 (PRIA 5),50 EPA is responsible for registering and re-evaluating pesticides to protect
humans, plants, animals, and ecosystems that are not targets of the pesticide.
Under FIFRA, the Agency must balance the risks and benefits of other pesticide uses. For
antimicrobial pesticides with public health claims, EPA requires that manufacturers perform tests
to ensure the efficacy {i.e., performance) of products per the labelling.
In addition to FIFRA responsibilities, the Agency has responsibilities under the Endangered
Species Act (ESA).51 Under ESA, EPA must ensure that pesticide regulatory decisions will not
destroy or adversely modify designated critical habitat or result in jeopardy to the continued
existence of species listed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) or the National Marine
Fisheries Service (NMFS). Where risks are identified, EPA must work with FWS and NMFS in a
consultation process to ensure these pesticide registrations also will meet the ESA standard.
Under the Science and Technology appropriation, EPA's Pesticide Program operates two
laboratories, the Microbiology Laboratory52 and the Analytical Chemistry Laboratory,53 that
support the goal of protecting human health and the environment through diverse analytical testing
and analytical method development and validation efforts. These laboratories provide a variety of
50 On December 19, 2022, the Pesticide Registration Improvement Extension Act of 2022 (PRIA 5), which reauthorizes PRIA for
5 years through fiscal year 2027 and updates the fee collection provisions of the FIFRA was signed into law.
51 See_, ESA sections 7(a)(1) and 7(a)(2); Federal Agency Actions and Consultations (16 U.S.C. § 1536(a)), available at the U.S.
Fish and Wildlife Service ESA internet site: https://www.fws.gov/service/section-7-consultations.
52 For additional information, please visit: https://www.epa.gov/aboutepa/about-microbiology-laboratory.
53 For additional information, please visit: https://www.epa.gov/aboutepa/about-analytical-chemistry-laboratory-acl.
68
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technical services to EPA, other federal and state agencies, tribal nations, and other organizations
to ensure the protection of the environment from pesticide risk.
FY 2025 Activities and Performance Plan:
Work in this program directly supports Goal 7/Objective 7.1, Ensure Chemical and Pesticide
Safety in the FY 2022 - 2026 EPA Strategic Plan.
This FY 2025 request includes an increase of $1.99 million to invest in several areas across the
Environmental Science Lab in Fort Meade Maryland._EPA's Pesticide Program laboratories
provide a diverse range of environmental data that the Agency uses to make informed regulatory
decisions. The Analytical Chemistry Laboratory and the Microbiology Laboratory each provide
critical laboratory testing and support activities to assist the decision-making processes of the
Agency. The laboratories develop standard methods to evaluate the performance of antimicrobial
products such as disinfectants used in hospital settings, and validate analytical chemistry methods
to ensure that EPA, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the United States Department of
Agriculture (USDA), and the states have reliable methods to measure and monitor pesticide
residues in food and the environment.
These funds are needed to replace some aging critical lab equipment and modernize the lab's
capabilities to be responsive to homeland security & other emerging issues (e.g., pandemics). The
additional funding will support the following critical lab improvements:
Update and/or purchase equipment to meet more current laboratory specifications for a
biosafety level 3 (BSL-3) lab, the only such lab at EPA.
Replace autoclave in B207 (BSL-3 virus lab) with a new pass-through autoclave.
Replace current environmental monitoring system equipment and contract shared by both
Pesticide Program laboratories with more current technology since both laboratory
branches are currently covered under the existing environmental monitoring system
contract.
Modernization of IT in BSL-3 laboratory (LAN, scanner, tablets/software for paperless
recordkeeping, etc.)
Pass-through port for both BSL-3 laboratories.54
Enlargement of BSL-3 anterooms to provide additional safety measures.
Dedicated shower-out capability in the lab wing.
Laboratory activities in FY 2025 will include continuing to lead collaborative studies with other
laboratories to validate testing methods for antimicrobial products to determine their efficacy
against pathogens such as Legionella; working with the Antimicrobials Division on the
implementation of an appropriate performance standard for a revised method for measuring the
efficacy of disinfectants quantitatively; working with state laboratories to share method
development and analyze samples, as requested; and working with investigations to evaluate the
composition of potentially illegal pesticides.
54 For more information please visit: https://www.enviropass.com/products/medical-pass-throughs/specimen-pass-through/
69
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In FY 2025, the Microbiology Laboratory plans to continue to work with the U.S. Department of
Homeland Security and USDA to evaluate various environmentally relevant materials such as
porous materials (e.g., wood, concrete, fabric, tile, etc.) which simulate use sites in livestock,
poultry, and other food animal rearing operations. Outbreaks of avian influenza, African swine
fever, Newcastle Disease virus, and other pathogens can devastate American agriculture, and the
persistence of these viruses on surfaces is not well understood. Currently, due to the unavailability
of standardized quantitative test methods to simulate real-world conditions, the response to an
animal pathogen outbreak and submission of requests under FIFRA Section 18 to address these
outbreaks rely on published, often antiquated, data. Thus, the use of commonly available chemicals
for remediation (e.g., citric acid, sodium hypochlorite, chlorine dioxide, etc.) of contaminated sites
without extensive knowledge of their environmental impact from such widespread use is
problematic.
The goal of the Microbiology Laboratory is to develop a quantitative approach for assessing the
effectiveness of antimicrobial products against high consequence animal viruses and other
pathogens. Through this approach, EPA will provide a tool for the development of high-quality
efficacy data on relevant surface materials. The availability of the method to the regulated
community will support the development of new antimicrobial products following contemporary
regulatory requirements.
In FY 2025, the Analytical Chemistry Laboratory will continue to focus on analytical method
development and validations as well as special studies to address specific, short-term, rapid-
turnaround priority issues, including specifically, the development and release of new methods for
the analysis of PFAS in formulated pesticide products as well as a method for quantifying the
amounts of PFAS in container walls. These methods, once validated, will provide standardized,
critical tools for the analysis of pesticide residues for PFAS, supporting the first portion of EPA's
strategic plan to effectively identify these compounds and potential routes of exposure.
The Laboratory also will continue to provide technical and analytical assistance to EPA's
Enforcement and Compliance Assurance Program and regional offices to determine levels of
pesticide residues in soil, sediment, crops, and water from agricultural uses (for purpose of
tolerance enforcement and product usage enforcement) and/or from accidental spills around
pesticide treatment plants (for purpose of cleanup and remediation).
Section 18 of the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) authorizes EPA to
allow Emergency Exemptions (also called "Section 18s") for unregistered uses of pesticides to
address emergency conditions. Under such an exemption, EPA allows limited use of the pesticide
in defined geographic areas for a finite period of time once EPA confirms that the situation meets
that statutory definition of "emergency condition." The Analytical Chemistry Laboratory also will
continue to provide national technical analytical support for the development of data needed for
the Pesticides Program's risk assessments and for Section 18 emergency exemptions, and to
perform studies for use in risk mitigation.
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Performance Measure Targets:
Work under this program supports performance results in the Pesticides: Protect the Environment
from Pesticide Risk Program under the EPM appropriation.
FY 2025 Change from FY 2024 Annualized CR (Dollars in Thousands):
(-$86.0) This change to fixed and other costs is a decrease due to recalculation of laboratory
fixed costs and additional changes to fixed support costs.
(+$1,991.0) This increase provides additional resources to invest in a Biosafety Level 3
Lab at Fort Meade, MD. These funds are needed to replace aging critical lab equipment
and to modernize the lab's capabilities to increase the capacity and responsiveness for
homeland security incidents and other emerging issues of concern such as pandemics.
Statutory Authority:
Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA); Endangered Species Act (ESA).
71
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Pesticides: Realize the Value of Pesticide Availability
Program Area: Pesticides Licensing
Goal: Ensure Safety of Chemicals for People and the Environment
Objective(s): Ensure Chemical and Pesticide Safety
(Dollars in Thousands)
FY 2023
Final Actuals
FY 2024
Annualized
CR
FY 2025
President's
Budget
FY 2025 President's
Budget v.
FY 2024 Annualized
CR
Environmental Programs & Management
$5,774
S7.637
$8,316
$679
Science it- t echnology
VM.?
SV25
S 1,0-10
.S IIS
Total Budget Authority
$6,738
$8,562
$9,356
$794
Total Workyears
30.0
35.8
35.8
0.0
Program Project Description:
EPA's Pesticide Program laboratories provide significant contributions to help the Agency realize
the value of pesticides. They consist of the Microbiology Laboratory55 and the Analytical
Chemistry Laboratory,56 both of which support the goal of protecting human health and the
environment through diverse analytical testing, analytical method development, and validation
efforts. Laboratories provide a variety of technical services to EPA, other federal and state
agencies, tribal nations, and other organizations to ensure the value of pesticide availability is
realized.
The primary focus of the Microbiology Laboratory is standardization of existing test methods and
the development and validation of methods for new uses and emerging pathogens for antimicrobial
products with public health claims - products used to kill or suppress the growth of pathogenic
microorganisms on inanimate objects and surfaces. The Microbiology Laboratory is instrumental
in advancing the science of antimicrobial product testing and provides technical expertise to
standard-setting organizations and various agency stakeholder groups.
The Analytical Chemistry Laboratory provides scientific, laboratory, and technical support
through chemical analyses of pesticides and related chemicals to protect human health and the
environment. The Analytical Chemistry Laboratory's responsibilities include providing technical
support and chemical analyses of pesticides and related chemicals; developing new multi-residue
analytical methods; and operating EPA's National Pesticide Standard Repository,57 which collects
and maintains pesticide standards {i.e., samples of pure active ingredients or technical grade active
ingredients, regulated metabolites, degradants, and related compounds).
55 For additional information, please visit: https://www.epa.gov/atoutepa/atout-microbiology-laboratory.
56 For additional information, please visit: https://www.epa.gov/atoutepa/atout-analytical-chemistiy-latoratory-acl.
57 For additional information, please visit: https://www.epa.gov/pesticide-analytical-methods/national-pesticide-standard-
repositorv.
72
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FY 2025 Activities and Performance Plan:
Work in this program directly supports Goal 7/Objective 7.1, Ensure Chemical and Pesticide
Safety in the FY 2022 - 2026 EPA Strategic Plan.
In FY 2025, EPA will realize the benefits of pesticides by ensuring the continued operation of the
National Pesticide Standard Repository. The Microbiology Laboratory and the Analytical
Chemistry Laboratory will continue to conduct chemistry and efficacy evaluations for
antimicrobials. As the recognized source for expertise in pesticide analytical method development,
EPA's Pesticide Program laboratories will continue to provide quality assurance review, technical
support, and training to EPA's regional offices, state laboratories, and other federal agencies that
implement the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA).
The Analytical Chemistry Laboratory will continue to maintain the National Pesticide Standard
Repository (NPSR) and collect and maintain an inventory of analytical standards of registered
pesticides in the U.S. EPA provides these pesticide standards (approximately 4,000 to 5,000
annually) to qualified federal, state, territorial, and tribal laboratories for food and product testing,
environmental monitoring, and enforcement purposes. This lab has implemented several changes
in the operation of the NPSR to increase its efficiency and to better serve regulatory laboratories.
Changes included requiring requests to be grouped for pesticide standards, instituting an inventory
control system focusing on high demand standards, asking registrants to package pesticide
standards in ready-to-be-shipped quantities, and installing a chemist as the lead staff person to
ensure adherence to new protocols. These changes resulted in the improvement in the operations
of the lab including a decrease in the turnaround time for shipping repository samples from 15 to
10 days. These changes also helped federal agencies, states, and tribal laboratories expedite
enforcement efforts. Further process enhancements will continue in FY 2025 and beyond,
specifically in minimizing the number of non-usable expired standards that are shipped as chemical
waste.
In FY 2025, the Analytical Chemistry Laboratory also will continue its work in: developing and
validating multiresidue methods using state-of-the-art methodology and instrumentation;
providing chemical analysis for assessing risk to human health and to the environment from
agricultural use of pesticides; and providing technical support to EPA regional offices to ensure
that pesticide products are formulated according to approved labels.
In FY 2025, the Microbiology Laboratory will continue to evaluate FIFRA Section 18 emergency
exemptions and novel protocol requests for new uses and novel pathogens. The Laboratory also
will continue the development of data and methods to support Section 18 for high consequence
animal pathogens (e.g., African swine fever, Newcastle disease virus, etc.). In addition, the
continued work to develop new methods for emerging pathogens (e.g., Legionella, Candida auris,
etc.) and clinical porous materials provides a pathway for registrants to add new claims to existing
antimicrobial pesticides. In some cases, the methods will lead to the development of new products
when currently registered formulations are not effective against emerging pathogens. The
Laboratory anticipates supporting up to 25 requests for these activities in FY 2025.
73
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The Microbiology Laboratory also will continue to refine and develop methods to support EPA's
Section 3 and Section 18 regulatory programs, continuing to develop testing methods for
evaluating effectiveness of disinfectant products against airborne SARS-CoV-2 virus and other
emerging pathogens. In addition, the Laboratory will collaborate with EPA's Homeland Security
Research Program to develop guidance for registrants seeking to make long-term disinfectant
efficacy claims and explore novel control and application options for disinfectant products. The
Laboratory also will continue to develop a quantitative efficacy test method which may provide a
pathway for evaluating disinfectant claims for porous material (vinyl, room divider curtains, etc.).
Performance Measure Targets:
Work under this program supports performance results in the Pesticides: Protect the Environment
from Pesticide Risk Program under the EPM appropriation.
FY 2025 Change from FY 2024 Annualized CR (Dollars in Thousands):
(+$115.0) This program change is an increase to support laboratory Operations and
Maintenance costs and additional changes to fixed support costs.
Statutory Authority:
Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA); Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic
Act (FFDCA) § 408.
74
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Research: Air and Energy
75
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Research: Air, Climate and Energy
Program Area: Research: Air, Climate and Energy
Cross-Agency Mission and Science Support
(Dollars in Thousands)
FY 2023
Final Actuals
FY 2024
Annualized
CR
FY 2025
President's
Budget
FY 2025 President's
Budget v.
FY 2024 Annualized
CR
Sciciuv ^ icclnwhixy
SlU.foV
.S I00.44H
SI-/0.2V
Tolal Budget Authority
SI 14,659
$100,448
$140,297
$39,849
Total Workyears
263.3
264.0
300.7
36.7
Program Project Description:
Air pollution harms human health and the environment, yet millions of Americans still live in or
near geographic areas that do not meet national standards for air pollutants. Climate change is
impacting public health, air, and water quality today and will exacerbate additional existing
environmental challenges in the future. Many air pollution sources are in communities with
Environmental Justice concerns which can be further exacerbated by the impacts of climate
change.
To address these and other air pollution issues, including the growing threat of air pollution from
wildfires which have been intensified by climate change, EPA's Air, Climate, and Energy (ACE)
Research Program provides scientific information to EPA program and regional offices, tribes,
states, and other partners. ACE advances the science needed to attain the National Ambient Air
Quality Standards (NAAQS),58 reduce emissions of hazardous air pollutants (HAPs), address the
causes and consequences of climate change and environmental inequities, and develop more
resilient communities to protect human health and ecosystems. The ACE Research Program also
contributes to understanding the impacts of interventions that reduce air pollution exposures and
protect public health; strategies to prepare, adapt, and build resilience; and responses to the
transformation of our energy systems.
The ACE Research Program is centered around two interrelated research topic areas: 1)
understanding air pollution and climate change and their impacts on human health and ecosystems
and 2) responding to risks and impacts and preparing for the future. The ACE Research Program
relies on successful partnerships with a variety of organizations including academic and industry
researchers, tribes, states, local and private sector organizations, as well as key federal agencies.
58 Section 109 of the Clean Air Act identifies two types of national ambient air quality standards - primary standards provide
public health protection, including protecting the health of "sensitive" populations such as children, older adults, and persons
with pre-existing disease such as asthma or cardiovascular disease and secondary standards provide public welfare protection,
including protection against decreased visibility and damage to animals, wildlife, soils, water, crops, vegetation, and buildings.
Unless otherwise stated, in this document the term NAAQS will refer to both primary and secondary standards.
76
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Recent Accomplishments of the ACE Research Program include:59
Air Pollutant Emissions: In FY 2023, EPA researchers assessed emissions of Ethylene
Oxide (EtO) from a chemical facility in the midwestern U.S. that had installed EtO
emission controls. Using new approaches for mobile and stationary measurements,
researchers found that even with point-source controls, EtO can be emitted from different
areas of the facility, including railcar switchovers, batch reactor washouts, transfer pumps,
and wastewater tanks60. Additionally, in FY 2023, researchers used EPA's Community
Multiscale Air Quality model (CMAQ) to study how natural sources of dimethylsulfide
emissions, produced by oceans, wetlands, plants, and soil impact atmospheric sulfate in
the U.S. Sulfate is a pollutant and an important component of atmospheric processes
affecting climate change and air pollution. The study found dimethylsulfide emissions
increase sulfate over land and seawater, with the biggest impacts occurring in the
northwestern U.S. states and Florida during spring and fall.61 EPA researchers also
addressed the critical need for improved air-quality modeling in extreme cold weather
environments in Alaska. They participated in the multiagency 2022 Alaskan Layered
Pollution and Chemical Analysis (ALPACA) field study and developed a CMAQ
wintertime modeling platform for Fairbanks, Alaska. Analysis of data gathered in this
collaboration confirmed this is a useful tool that the State of Alaska will use to understand
its air pollution composition and develop control strategies to address the severe particulate
matter (PM) pollution problem in Fairbanks.62
Air Pollution, Climate Change, and Ecosystem Health: In FY 2023, EPA researchers
analyzed how nitrogen deposition affects carbon storage in U.S. forest ecosystems. They
found that while nitrogen deposition can increase overall carbon storage, there is wide
variability across species and regions, with both increases and decreases. Overall, the
impact of nitrogen deposition on carbon storage is diminishing, with implications for
climate change.63 Also in FY 2023, researchers used high-resolution modeling to evaluate
the impact cold-water refuges can have on the migration of salmon and trout during high-
temperature days. The study found that cold-water refuges can lower fish exposure to
physiologically stressful temperatures more likely under future climate scenarios. These
refuges can thus help salmon and trout fish maintain a diversity of migration patterns,
which influence their survival and reproductive potential.64
Energy and Transportation System Emissions: In FY 2023, EPA researchers evaluated
emissions of methane from oil and gas production, finding that the largest methane emitters
in this sector are pneumatic devices and leakage from storage tanks.65 Researchers released
a public version of the Global Change Analysis Model Long-term Interactive Multi-
Pollutant Scenario Evaluator (GLIMPSE), to assist in air quality, climate, and energy
planning. GLIMPSE is being used to support state planning for the Climate Pollution
Reduction Grants provisions of the Inflation Reduction Act.66
59 For more informatii
60 For more informatii
61 For more informatii
62 For more informatii
https: //meetingorgaiu
63 For more information, please see https
64 For more information, please see https
65 For more information, please see https
66 For more information, please see https
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77
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Wildfire Smoke and Water Quality Impacts: Climate change is contributing to the
increased size and intensity of wildfires, and states and communities are increasingly
concerned about exposure to wildfire smoke and other impacts on the environment. In FY
2023, EPA researchers developed new emissions factors for biomass burning based on
aerial sampling during prescribed burns67. The research resulted in a new test method for
using unmanned aircraft systems to measure emissions from fires68. Additionally, EPA
researchers reviewed the scientific literature to better understand wildfire impacts on water
quality. They found that after wildfires, water contaminants can be greatly increased, and
in some cases exceed regulatory levels in treated drinking water.69 Researchers also
analyzed air pollution on smoke-impacted days and found that after fires burned buildings
and vehicles, toxic metals were present in the particulate measured far downwind from the
fires.70 Finally, researchers found "do-it-yourself' (DIY) air cleaners can be very effective
in reducing fine-particle concentrations and delivering clean air during wildfire smoke
events, with the best performance using a box design with four air filters.71 Findings were
shared with partners in Missoula, MT and the Hoopa Valley Tribe. In addition, the team
has created infographics and frequently asked questions (FAQs) that are available on the
EPA website.72 This information on air cleaners also is included in the updated American
Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) guidance
on Planning Framework for Protecting Commercial Occupants from Smoke During
Wildfire Events 73
FY 2025 Activities and Performance Plan:
Work in this program provides Cross-Agency Mission and Science Support and is allocated across
strategic goals and objectives in the FY 2022-2026 EPA Strategic Plan.
The ACE Research Program prioritizes key activities to support the attainment of the NAAQS and
implementation of stationary and mobile source regulations, as well as foundational science to
inform decision-making with consideration of increasing climate change impacts. The ACE
Research Program includes work to develop, evaluate, and apply measurement methods and
models incorporating the latest physical science and understanding of behaviors that impact the
system. The planned research responds to identified needs in areas of emerging concern to the
Administration, EPA, tribes, and state policymakers, including climate change, Environmental
Justice (EJ) and equity, per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), ethylene oxide, and wildland
fires.
The FY 2025 Budget requests an increase of $39.9 million above the FY 2024 ACR level. This
investment will substantially advance research to assess the impacts of climate change on human
health and ecosystems including but not limited to the areas of emphasis below:
67 For more information, please see https://doi.Org/10.1016/i.atmosenv.2023.l 19769.
68 For more information, please see https://www.epa.gov/system/files/documents/2Q22-
08/Other%20Test%20Method%2048%20w%20Cover%20Letter.pdf.
69 For more information, please see https://doi.org/10.1029/2021WR03Q699.
70 For more information, please see https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.est.2c02099.
71 For more information, please see https://doi.Org/10.l 1.1.1/ina. 1.31.63.
72For more information, please see: https://www.epa.gov/air-research/researcli-diy-air-cleaiiers-reduce-wildfire-sniok.e-iiidoors.
73For more information, please visit: https://www.ashrae.org/File%2QLibrary/Technical%2QResources/CO' lanning-
Framework-for-Protecting-Commercial-Building-Occupants-from-Smoke-During-Wildfire-E'vents.pdf.
78
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Assess human and ecosystem exposures and effects associated with air pollutants on
individual, community, regional, national, and global scales, both today and in the future,
under a changing climate.74
Assess the consequences of climate change and the vulnerability of communities and
ecosystems to climate change impacts, including wildfires and other extreme events; and
identify and evaluate strategies to adapt and build resilience to these impacts.
Advance the Administration's science-based approach to improving wildfire readiness by
enhancing wildfire data and communications related to air quality and helping communities
become "smoke ready." Smoke-ready communities benefit community health by
coordinating community-level action related to monitoring outdoor air quality, creating
clean indoor air, and communicating actionable public health messaging.
Characterize disproportionate impacts of climate change and air pollution in vulnerable
communities and identify and evaluate strategies to reduce impacts in those communities.
Develop and evaluate innovative multi-pollutant and sector-based approaches to
preventing pollution, particularly in vulnerable communities.
Characterize the positive and negative environmental effects of energy efficiency and
renewable energy and evaluate strategies to expand the benefits of transformations in
transportation and energy systems, especially for vulnerable communities.
Develop and evaluate low-cost approaches to measure methane from fugitive and area
sources, including leaks from oil and gas production and emissions from municipal solid
waste landfills, as well as approaches for measuring methane and other greenhouse gases
(GHG) from reservoirs and other water bodies.
Provide human exposure and environmental modeling, monitoring, metrics, and
information needed to inform air quality and climate change decision-making at the federal,
tribal, state, and local levels.
Deliver state-of-the-art tools that tribes and states can use to identify effective emission
reduction strategies to meet the NAAQS and enhance air quality measurement and
modeling methods to ascertain current and future compliance with the NAAQS, including
potential impacts from the changing climate.
Develop and apply approaches to evaluate the positive and negative environmental impacts
of the transition to a low-carbon energy system.
Provide support to regional offices, state, tribal, and community partners to address
increased needs for scientific information and tools to inform effective climate change
adaptation and mitigation actions at the local scale.
In addition, the ACE Research Program will implement the EPA Climate Adaptation Action
Plan,75 support the increased resilience of EPA's programs, and strengthen the capacity of states,
tribes, territories, and communities.
74 Beyond effects associated with ambient air exposures, consideration of potential human and ecosystem exposures, and effects
associated with deposition of air pollutants to water and land also are evaluated.
75 The ORD Climate Adaptation Plan is located here: https://www.epa.gov/system/files/documents/2022-10/bh508-
ORI)%2 Olnipl enieiita tioii%20Ptaii%2027%2 0 Sep%202022. pdf.
79
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Research Planning:
EPA research is built around six integrated and transdisciplinary research programs. Each of the
six programs is guided by a Strategic Research Action Plan (StRAP) that is developed with and
reflects the research needs of agency programs and regional offices, states, and tribes. Each
research program has developed and published its fourth generation of the StRAPs,76 which
continue the practice of conducting innovative scientific research aimed at solving the problems
encountered by the Agency and its stakeholders.
The Office of Research and Development (ORD) works with various external groups, including
communities, to ensure the integrity and value of its research through a variety of mechanisms
that include:
EPA's Board of Scientific Counselors (BOSC)
o ORD meets regularly with this committee, which provides advice and
recommendations to ORD on technical and management issues of its research
programs.
State Engagement
o EPA's state engagement77 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.
Tribal Partnerships
o Key tribal partnerships are established through the Tribal Science Program, which
provides a forum for the interaction between tribal and agency representatives.
These interactions identify research of mutual benefit and lead to collaborations on
important tribal environmental science issues.
Performance Measure Targets:
(PM RD2) Number of ORD activities related to environmental justice that involve or are designed to be
applicable to tribes, states, territories, local governments, and communities.
FY
2018
FY
2019
FY
2020
FY
2021
FY
2022
FY
2023
FY
2024
FY
2025
Units
Target
No Target
Established
113
113
113
Activities
Actual
N/A
117
(PM RD3) Percentage of ORD climate-related research products meeting partner needs.
FY
2018
FY
2019
FY
2020
FY
2021
FY
2022
FY
2023
FY
2024
FY
2025
Units
Target
93
94
94
94
Percent
Actual
100
100
Numerator
1
25
Products
Denominator
1
25
76 The StRAPs are available and located here: https://www.epa.gov/research/strategic-research-action-plans-fiscal-years-2023-
2026.
77 For more information, please see: https://www.epa.gov/research/epa-research-solutions-states.
80
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(PM RD4) Percentage of OR I) environmental
justice-related research products meeting partner needs
FY
FY
FY
FY
FY
FY
FY
FY
Units
2018
2019
2020
2021
2022
2023
2024
2025
Target
93
94
94
94
Percent
Actual
100
100
Numerator
1
3
Products
Denominator
1
3
FY 2025 Change from FY 2024 Annualized CR (Dollars in Thousands):
(+$186.0) This net change to fixed and other costs is an increase due to the recalculation
of base workforce costs for existing FTE due to annual payroll increases, adjustments to
provide essential workforce support, and changes to benefits costs.
(+$107.0) This change to fixed and other costs is an increase due to the recalculation of
laboratory fixed costs.
(+$36,783.0 / +33.7 FTE) This program change reflects an increase to the Air, Climate,
and Energy Research Program. This increase is targeted to EPA's commitment to enhance
its efforts to combat this global issue of Climate Change. This will substantially increase
its research to assess the impacts of climate change on human health and ecosystems. This
investment includes $6,437 million in payroll costs.
(+$382.0 / +2.0 FTE) This program change reflects an increase to address skill gaps
identified in EPA's workforce and establishes a real-time research capability to respond to
emergencies. This investment includes $382.0 thousand in payroll.
(+$1,191.0 /+1.0 FTE) This change will be used to implement the EPA Climate Adaptation
Action Plan, support increased resilience of EPA's programs, and strengthen the capacity
of states, tribes, territories, and communities. This investment includes $191.0 thousand in
payroll costs.
(+1,200.0) This program change reflects an increase to support the climate-macro
interagency technical workgroup, advancing linked physical climate risk and economic
modeling efforts. Specifically, these funds will support the Integrated Climate Science
Program and the assessment of Federal Financial Climate Risk.
Statutory Authority:
Clean Air Act; Title II of Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007; Environmental
Research, Development, and Demonstration Authorization Act (ERDDAA); National
Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) § 102; Pollution Prevention Act (PPA); Global Change
Research Act of 1990.
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Research: Chemical Safety and Sustainability
82
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Research: Chemical Safety for Sustainabilitv
Program Area: Research: Chemical Safety for Sustainability
Cross-Agency Mission and Science Support
(Dollars in Thousands)
FY 2023
Final Actuals
FY 2024
Annualized
CR
FY 2025
President's
Budget
FY 2025 President's
Budget v.
FY 2024 Annualized
CR
Environmental Programs & Management
$153
$0
$0
$0
Sciciuv ^ icclnwhixy
SV0.S2S
SV2.550
.S 100.21"
SI3.06 ~
Hazardous Substance Superfund
$5,476
$8,060
$8,060
$0
Total Budget Authority
$102,457
$100,610
$114,277
$13,667
Total Workyears
268.8
276.7
315.4
38.7
Program Project Description:
EPA's Chemical Safety for Sustainability (CSS) Research Program provides scientific and
technical approaches, information, tools, and methods to support the Agency and others in making
better-informed and more timely decisions about chemicals and their potential risks to human
health and the environment.78 Products under the CSS Program strengthen the Agency's ability to
use the best available science to evaluate and predict human health and ecological impacts from
the use, reuse, recycling, and disposal of manufactured and naturally occurring chemicals and their
by-products.79
The CSS Research Program informs agency decisions about chemicals, accelerates the pace of
chemical assessment and decision-making, and helps replace, reduce, and refine the use of
mammals in evaluating chemical risks to ecological systems and human health. CSS products
inform various agency programs established to implement environmental regulations and govern
agency actions - which include evaluating existing and new chemicals (Toxic Substances Control
Act [TSCA]); developing and using alternative testing protocols (TSCA, Federal Insecticide
Fungicide and Rodenticide Act [FIFRA]); protecting the Nation's food supply (Food Quality
Protection Act [FQPA]); addressing product safety (Federal Food Drug Cosmetics Act [FFDCA]);
supporting chemical prioritization (TSCA, Safe Drinking Water Act [SDWA]); supporting the
development of safer and more sustainable chemicals and alternatives (Pollution Prevention [P2]
Act [PPA]); evaluating pesticide registrations (FIFRA, Endangered Species Act); and mitigating
Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) and Comprehensive Environmental Response,
Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) Superfund remediation sites.
Research activities under CSS are coordinated with the activities of other national research
programs and the results produced inform several cross-cutting, high-priority research topics. For
example, planned research will address per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), climate
change, and risks in communities with Environmental Justice (EJ) concerns. Coordination with
78 For the current CSS StRAP, please see: Strategic Research Action Plans Fiscal Years 2023-2026 1 US EPA
79 For more information, please see: https://www.epa.gov/cheiiiical-research.
83
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the Health and Environmental Risk Assessment (HERA) Research Program ensures that the
approaches, tools, and information produced under CSS can be used to improve chemical hazard
identification and dose-response assessments, reduce uncertainties associated with those
assessments, and increase the speed of delivering chemical information to the Agency.
The CSS Research Program is organized into eight integrated research areas that include research
on toxicity, exposure, human health, ecological health, chemical modeling and prediction, and
chemical integration and informatics. These research areas fulfill requirements for chemical
evaluation under TSCA (as amended by the Frank R. Lautenberg Chemical Safety for the 21st
Century Act); as part of SDWA; pesticide evaluation under FIFRA; chemical testing for endocrine
system impacts under FQPA; agency implementation of TSCA Section 5 (New Chemicals) and
Section 6 (Existing Chemicals); the development of safer and more sustainable chemicals and
alternatives under PPA and TSCA, and identification of contaminants of emerging concern. The
CSS Research Program provides ongoing support to the Agency's Chemical Safety and Pollution
Prevention Program for the successful implementation of these TSCA activities, as well as their
evaluation of pesticides under FIFRA.80
Recent Accomplishments of the CSS Research Program include:
Advancement of New Approach Methods (NAMs): CSS research informed the development
of a guidance document, published in June 2023,81 on the use of developmental neurotoxicity
NAMs data in Integrated Approaches to Testing and Assessment (IATA) case studies. This
work was done in collaboration with the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and
Development (OECD) and other international regulatory partners. The CSS Program also has
developed a comprehensive public training program for NAMs, first launched in 2021.82
Continued Release, Evolution, and Updating of Multiple Digital Information Products to
Inform Decision Making: Research and development for the following systems continue to
meet the information needs of decision-makers:
o The CompTox Chemicals Dashboard183 is the Agency's 'first-stop-shop' for information
on chemical properties, characteristics, structure, toxicity, exposure, and persistence. The
Dashboard allows for flexible searches including chemical and functional use and has
batch search functionality. As of the December 2023 release, the Dashboard contains
curated data on over 1.2 million chemicals,
o The ECOTOXKnowledgebase84 serves as the comprehensive, publicly available source of
environmental toxicity data on aquatic life, terrestrial plants, and wildlife. The December
2023 release of the ECOTOX Knowledgebase contains over 1.1 million records and
provides information on over 12,000 chemicals and over 13,000 species from over 54,000
references.
80 For more information, please see https://www.epa.gov/chemical-research/chemical-research-iiifonii-decisioii-making.
81 For more information on the OECD guidance document, see: https://www.oecd.org/env/ehs/testing/developmental-
neurotoxicity.htm.
82 To view the NAMs Training, visit: https://www.epa.gov/chemical-research/new-approach-methods-nams-training.
83 For more information, please see: https://comptox.epa.gov/dashboard.
84 For more information, please see: https://cfpub.epa.gov/ecotox/.
84
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o The Chemical Transformation Simulator85 continues to develop as a web-based tool for
predicting environmental and biological transformation pathways for organic chemicals.
Recently, the Simulator was expanded to include environmental transformation
information for PFAS chemicals,
o SeqAPASS86 is a tool that enables the extrapolation of toxicity information across species.
Version 7.0, released in August 2023, provides users the opportunity to add another line of
evidence for extrapolating knowledge across species by incorporating protein structural
evaluations.
o Cheminformatics analysis modules87 provide information on chemicals including high-
quality chemical structures, experimental and predicted physicochemical properties,
environmental fate and transport information, and linked toxicity data. The data allow users
to search and compare a variety of chemical and hazard information to evaluate the
potential health effects of chemicals. The newly released beta version of ChemExpo88 is a
free, publicly available search and visualization tool for exploring chemical use data
relevant to exposure assessment that has been curated from public documents. The
interactive web application focuses on data collected by EPA about how chemicals are
used in commerce and how they occur in consumer and industrial products.
FY 2025 Activities and Performance Plan:
Work in this program provides Cross-Agency Mission and Science Support and is allocated across
strategic goals and objectives in the FY 2022-2026 EPA Strategic Plan.
The objective of research activities under the CSS program is to inform risk-based decisions made
by EPA programs, states, tribes, and others. Of particular importance are 'chemicals of immediate
and emerging concern', such as PFAS and 6PPD-quinone, which heighten the need for rapid
scientific approaches to evaluate potential chemical safety. In FY 2025, research activities will
continue to support the implementation of the PFAS Strategic Roadmap,89 With additional FY
2025 investment in TSCA, CSS will support a collaborative research program called the New
Chemicals Collaborative Research Program (NCCRP). This effort with the Chemical Safety and
Pollution Prevention Program is focused on modernizing the process and incorporating scientific
advances in new chemical evaluations under TSCA.90
In FY 2025, research efforts also will focus on replacing, reducing, and refining the use of
mammals in toxicology testing, while accelerating the pace of chemical assessment and decision-
making. Agency research products will continue to use innovative in vitro and in silico (computer
modeling) approaches to provide more timely and comprehensive information about chemical
hazards and exposure while still providing information of equal or greater biological predictivity
than current in vivo animal models.
85 For more information, please see: https://qed.epa.gov/cts/.
86 For more information, please see: https://www.epa.gov/chemical-research/sequence-alignment-predict-across-species-
susceptibility.
87 For more information, please see: https://www.epa.gov/chemical-research/cheminformatics.
88 For more information, please see: https://comptox.epa.gov/chemexpo.
89 See EPA's PFAS Strategic Roadmap at: https://www.epa.gov/systeiii/files/documents/2021-10/pfas-roadinap_fiiial-508.pdf.
90 For more information on this effort, please see: https://www.epa.gov/reviewing-new-chemicals-under-toxic-substances-
control-act-tsca/new-chemicals-collaborative.
85
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Selected research areas are highlighted below for work in FY 2025.
New Approach Methods (NAMs): EPA objectives and research activities under CSS strongly
support the development of NAMs, which improve the Agency's understanding of chemical
toxicity. Additionally, research under CSS is a key component of the December 2021 NAMs
Workplan.91 NAMs focus on using faster, less expensive approaches that reduce the use of
mammals for toxicity testing. CSS developed a method to integrate publicly available
information for more than 33,000 chemical substances, including NAM data, that allows for
discriminating between chemicals that have the potential to present hazard or exposure
concerns and those that do not. This method is documented in a report from May 2021.92 In
FY 2025, CSS will continue to collaborate closely with the Chemical Safety and Pollution
Prevention Program to implement the June 2018 TSCA Strategic Plan93 that emphasizes the
development and implementation of alternative test methods. Researchers will continue to
explore approaches and models for species extrapolation in the ecotoxicology domain, and
development of high-throughput exposure and toxicokinetic models.
High-Throughput Toxicity (HTT) Testing: This research is focused on developing, testing,
and applying NAMs to evaluate chemical hazards, with an emphasis on developmental
neurotoxicology, inhalation toxicology, thyroid disruption, and methodologically challenging
chemicals. These will enable EPA to make better, more timely decisions about chemicals by
increasing available toxicological information for more chemicals. In addition, work under
tiered toxicity testing is forming the foundation for increasing the Agency's portfolio of
chemical assessment products, through the development of the EPA Transcriptomic
Assessment Product (ETAP).94
Rapid Exposure and Dosimetry (RED) and Ecotoxicological Assessment and Modeling
(ETAM): This research parallels work in the HTT research area to inform agency chemical
risk assessment activities. Chemical exposure research also includes the continued
development of advanced analytical and computational tools, such as non-targeted analysis, to
detect and identify unknown chemicals in complex environmental media, biological media,
and consumer products. Non-targeted analysis has been critical for the identification of
previously unknown PFAS chemicals in the environment. Ecotoxicological Assessment and
Modeling efforts support the Agency's work considering the impacts on pollinators.
Specifically, the research includes assessing the impacts of pesticides on honeybees and pollen
bees to support pesticide assessments. In FY 2025, work under ETAM also will address the
emerging contaminant 6PPD-quinone.
PFAS Research:95 PFAS are a class of substances of concern and EPA is committed to helping
states, tribes, and local communities understand and manage risks associated with these
chemicals.96 For more information on agency PFAS research, please see the CSS Research
Program narrative for the Superfund appropriation.
91 For more information, please see: https
92 For more information, please see: https
93 For more information, please see: https
18 clean final.pdf.
94 For more information, please see: https
95 For more information, please see: https
96 For more information, please see: https
//www, epa.gov/cheiiiicahresearch/iiew-approach-iiiethods-work.-plaii.
//cfpub.epa.gov/si/si public praview.cfm?dirEntryID=349776&Lab=CCT
//www.epa.gov/sites/productioii/files/2018-06/documents/epa alt strat plan 6-20-
//www. epa.gov/bosc/etap-july-1.1- 1.2-2023-irieetiiig.
//www, epa.gov/cheiiiical-research/research-aiid-polvfluoroalk.vl-substaiices-pfas.
//www.epa.gov/pfas/pfas-community-engagement.
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Improved Understanding of Biological Impacts: This research helps decision-makers
understand the significance of chemical impacts on biological systems. This is especially
important as EPA seeks to understand chemical impacts on developmental and reproductive
biology. This program will employ data generated from its chemical evaluation research to
develop interpretive frameworks and models to place complex information into biological,
chemical, and toxicological contexts. In FY 2025, data developed in the HTT and Virtual and
Complex Tissue Modeling research areas will contribute to the study of adverse outcome
pathways (AOPs), which link molecular initiating events at the cellular level to apical
outcomes expressed at the whole animal level.
Delivery and Translation of Chemical Information: The Chemical Characterization and
Informatics and Integration, Translation, and Knowledge Delivery research areas will continue
to provide computational, predictive tools to estimate physicochemical, toxicological, and
exposure information for data-poor chemicals. In FY 2025, CSS will continue to support the
collaborative efforts underway in the Agency to build program-specific applications such as
RapidTox that facilitate access and use of relevant information to support different decision
contexts. These applications will give risk assessors and decision-makers confidence that the
new approaches, data, and tools developed under the CSS Program are both scientifically
robust and relevant to environmental decision-making.
Research Planning:
EPA research is built around six integrated and transdisciplinary research programs. Each of the
six programs is guided by a Strategic Research Action Plan (StRAP) that reflects the research
needs of agency programs and regional offices, states, and tribes and is planned with their active
involvement. Each research program has developed and published the fourth generation of the
StRAPs,97 which will continue the practice of conducting innovative scientific research aimed at
comprehensively assessing and solving the problems encountered by the Agency and its
stakeholders.
EPA works with various groups, including communities, to ensure the integrity and value of its
research and research planning efforts through a variety of mechanisms that include:
EPA's Board of Scientific Counselors (BOSC)
o The Office of Research and Development (ORD) meets regularly with this
committee, which provides advice and recommendations to ORD on technical and
management issues of its research programs.
State Engagement
o EPA's state engagement98 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.
97 The StRAPs are available and located here: https://www.epa.gov/research/strategic-research-action-plans-fiscal-years-2023-
2026.
98 For more information, please see: https://www.epa.gov/research/epa-research-solutions-states.
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Tribal Partnerships
o Key tribal partnerships are established through the Tribal Science Program" which
provides a forum for the interaction between tribal and agency representatives.
These interactions identify research of mutual benefit and lead to collaborations on
important tribal environmental science issues.
Performance Measure Targets:
(PM RDl) Percentage of ORD research products meeting partner needs.
FY
2018
FY
2019
FY
2020
FY
2021
FY
2022
FY
2023
FY
2024
FY
2025
Units
Target
No Target
Established
77
80
81
93
94
94
94
Percent
Actual
77
79
80
94
94
96
Numerator
171
154
120
60
77
278
Products
Denominator
222
196
150
64
82
290
(PM RD5) Number of actions implemented for EPA scientific integrity ob jectives.
FY
FY
FY
FY
FY
FY
FY
FY
Units
2018
2019
2020
2021
2022
2023
2024
2025
Target
No Target
Established
21
22
44
Actions
Actual
N/A
24
FY 2025 Change from FY 2024 Annualized CR (Dollars in Thousands):
(+$2,833.0) This change to fixed and other costs is an increase due to the recalculation of
base workforce costs for existing FTE due to annual payroll increases, adjustments to
provide essential workforce support, and changes to benefits costs.
(+$39.0) This change to fixed and other costs is an increase due to the recalculation of
laboratory fixed costs.
(+$2,475.0 / +6.5 FTE) This investment supports a collaborative research program for new
chemicals with OCSPP that is focused on modernizing the process and incorporating
scientific advances in new chemical evaluations under TSCA. This increase in funding will
lead to the development and translation of science to inform regulatory and policy decisions
effectively and efficiently by the Agency and external partners to increase access to clean
and safe air, land, and water for all communities across the Nation. This investment
includes $1,234 million in payroll.
(+$1,518.0 / +8.0 FTE) This program change reflects an increase to support the
development and implementation of a research strategy for contaminants of emerging
concern and the development of data to inform regulatory risk assessment on novel
engineered microbes. This increase also will be used to apply formulations of biopesticides
99 For more information, please see: https:/Avww.epa.gov/liealtliresearch/tribal-scieiice-couiicil.
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and anti-microbial resistance to be used by EPA Program Offices. This investment includes
$1,518 million in payroll.
(+$6,802.0 / +22.0 FTE) This net program change reflects an increase to the Chemical
Safety for Sustainability Research Program. These FTE will assist in providing scientific
and technical approaches, information tools, and methods to better inform decision-
making. This investment includes $4,176 million in payroll.
Statutory Authority:
Clean Air Act §§ 103, 104; Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability
Act (CERCLA); Children's Health Act; 21st Century Nanotechnology Research and Development
Act; Clean Water Act; Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FFDCA); Federal Insecticide,
Fungicide and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA); Pollution Prevention Act (PPA); Resource Conservation
and Recovery Act (RCRA); Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA); Toxic Substances Control Act
(TSCA).
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Health and Environmental Risk Assessment
Program Area: Research: Chemical Safety for Sustainability
Cross-Agency Mission and Science Support
(Dollars in Thousands)
FY 2023
Final Actuals
FY 2024
Annualized
CR
FY 2025
President's
Budget
FY 2025 President's
Budget v.
FY 2024 Annualized
CR
Sciciuv ^ icclnwhixy
S -10.110
SJV.VIS
SV.\ '-!(>
Hazardous Substance SupeiTund
$9,225
$4,901
$5,040
$139
Total Budget Authority
$49,345
$44,819
$50,786
$5,967
Total Workyears
156.6
155.9
179.9
24.0
Program Project Description:
EPA's Health and Environmental Risk Assessment (HERA) Research Program is focused on
generating 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 the: Clean Air Act (CAA), Clean Water Act (CWA), Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA),
Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA), and Comprehensive Environmental Response,
Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA). The HERA Research Program is multidisciplinary
and aimed at leveraging scientific innovations to advance the analytic approaches and applications
needed to address wide-ranging risk assessment requirements in support of these various statutes.
The current portfolio of products under HERA encompasses these two topic areas:
Science Assessments and Translation: The HERA Research Program produces a portfolio
of assessment products that both optimizes the application of the best available science and
technology and remains responsive to agency priorities and timelines. The current portfolio of
'fit-for-purpose' assessment includes both traditional assessment lines - Integrated Risk
Information System (IRIS), Integrated Science Assessment (ISAs), and Provisional Peer-
Reviewed Toxicity Values (PPRTVs) - as well as a wide range of other innovative assessment
products. Additionally, significant emphasis is placed on providing scientific and technical
support to decision-makers throughout the lifecycle of decisions, from the development to the
translation and application of assessment products.
Advancing the Science and Practice of Risk Assessment: Research on this topic is targeted
to enhance hazard characterization, expand the repertoire of dose-response methods and
models, and characterize the utility of emerging data and new computational tools as applied
to risk assessment. It also enhances and maintains critical assessment infrastructure such as
databases, models, and software to ensure transparency and facilitate understanding and
translation by agency and external partners as well as other users. Refinements to current
approaches are expected to improve the accuracy, efficiency, flexibility, and utility of
applications across a large landscape of assessment activities.
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Recent Accomplishments of the HERA Program include:
The HERA Research Program has developed assessment products that inform science-based
decision-making, enhanced timely responses, improved screening capabilities, and augmented
toxicity value derivations for use in risk assessments.
Portfolio of Assessment Products: Agency researchers under HERA continue to deliver on
EPA's commitment to addressing per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in the
environment and released the final IRIS Assessment for Perfluorobutanoic Acid and Related
Salts100 in December 2022, the final IRIS Assessment for Perfluorohexanoic Acid and Related
Salts101 in April 2023, and the draft IRIS Assessment for Perfluorodecanoic Acid (PFDA) and
Related Salts102 and draft IRIS Assessment for Perfluorohexanesulfonic Acid (PFHxS) and
Related Salts103 in the third quarter of FY 2023. HERA provided the scientific foundation for
the review of the National Ambient Air Quality Standard for Lead with the release of the draft
Integrated Science Assessment for Lead104 in March 2023. In FY 2024, EPA will continue to
finalize IRIS assessments for high-priority chemicals such as formaldehyde-inhalation and
hexavalent chromium.105 In FY 2023, the Agency released seven PPRTV assessments. In FY
2024, EPA anticipates delivering six to nine additional high-priority PPRTV assessments to
support Superfund priorities106. In FY 2023, the Agency publicly released the draft IRIS
Toxicological Review of Hexavalent Chromium107. In FY 2024, the Agency publicly released
the draft IRIS Toxicological Review for Inorganic Arsenic10* and anticipates publicly releasing
scoping and problem formulation materials such as systematic review protocols for uranium
and nitrates/nitrites; and draft assessments for chloroform (inhalation) and cobalt (inhalation,
cancer). In addition, HERA finalized the Office of Research and Development (ORD) Staff
Handbook for Developing IRIS Assessments109 in December 2022.
Innovations in Risk Assessment: Research under the HERA Program continues to advance
assessment science and modernize its assessment infrastructure through tool and model
advancements. In FY 2023, continued advancements were made to the dose-response analysis
tool, Benchmark Dose Software (BMDS),110 as well as critical information management
databases including Health and Environmental Research Online111 and the Health Assessment
and Workplace Collaborative,112 contributing to the improvement in the science, structure, and
interoperability of these critical assessment infrastructure tools. Accompanying innovations in
assessment science in FY 2023, staff under the HERA Program have emphasized and
coordinated training in risk assessment practice, methods, and tools for a wider audience of
EPA staff and stakeholders to enhance communication, understanding, and engagement.
100 For more information, please see: https://cfpub.epa.gov/ncea/iris draft s/recordi splay .cfm?deid=356425.
101 For more information, please see: https://cfpub.epa.gov/ncea/iris draft s/recordi splay ,cfm?deid=357314.
102 For more information, please see: https://cfpub.epa.gov/ncea/iris_draft s/recordi splay .cfm?deid=354408.
103 For more information, please see: https://cfpub.epa.gov/ncea/iris_draft s/recordi splay ,cfm?deid=355410.
104 For more information, please see: https://www.epa.gov/isa/integrated-science-assessment-isa-lead.
105 For more information, please see: https://www.epa.gov/iris/iris-program-outlook.
106 For more information, please see: https://www.epa.gov/pprtv.
107 For more information, please see: https://cfpub.epa.gov/ncea/iris draft s/recordi splay ,cfm?deid=355226.
108 For more information, please see: https://cfpub.epa.gov/ncea/iris drafts/recordisplay.cfm?deid=343951.
109 For more information, please see: https://cfpub.epa.gov/ncea/iris draft s/recordi splay ,cfm?deid=356370.
110 For more information, please see: https://www.epa.gov/bmds.
111 For more information, please see: fattps://hero.epa.gov/hero/.
112 For more information, please see: littps://hawcprd.epa. gov/.
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FY 2025 Activities and Performance Plan:
Work in this Program provides Cross-Agency Mission and Science Support and is allocated across
strategic goals and objectives in the FY 2022-2026 EPA Strategic Plan.
In FY 2025, the HERA Program's work will focus on efforts integral to achieving EPA priorities
and informing the Agency's implementation of key environmental decisions. Specifically, the
program will:
Continue developing additional assessments of perfluorinated compounds, as well as other
priority chemicals identified by EPA's Water Program, Air and Radiation Program, and Land
and Emergency Management Program. These assessments include ethylbenzene, chloroform,
methylmercury, mercury salts, nitrates/nitrites, uranium, and inorganic arsenic.
Provide assessment, methodology, and modeling support to the Office of Chemical Safety and
Pollution Prevention (OCSPP) on TSCA implementation for an array of chemicals, as well as
support to the Air and Radiation Program, including the development of the ISA for Oxides of
Nitrogen and the development of the ISA for Ozone to support review of the National Ambient
Air Quality Standards (NAAQS). Additional FY 2025 investment in TSCA, HERA and the
CSS research program will support a collaborative research program for new chemicals with
OCSPP called the New Chemicals Collaborative Research Program (NCCRP)113 that is
focused on modernizing the process and incorporating scientific advances in new chemical
evaluations under TSCA.
Provide high-priority PPRTV human health assessments to support the Land and Emergency
Management Program on CERCLA and Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA)
implementation.
Focus on providing support for specific decision contexts through a modernized assessment
infrastructure, applying state-of-the-art science tools, databases, and models in assessment
development and program management. Continue to develop and apply evidence mapping to
provide a better understanding of the extent and nature of the evidence available to address the
priority needs of the Agency and its partners.
Provide the resources and workflow to two of the five Superfund technical support centers
(TSCs)114 to provide localized and tailored technical assistance and scientific expertise on
human and ecological risk assessments to states, tribes, and EPA's program and regional
offices. This includes direct support in cases of emergencies and other rapid response
situations.
Apply new and alternative approaches, methods, and data to risk assessment products, and
technical support to better respond to the needs of states, tribes, and EPA's program and
regional offices, in cooperation with the Chemical Safety for Sustainability (CSS) Research
Program.
Conduct research to expand the identification and consideration of information on
susceptibility in assessments, advance the evaluation of chemical mixtures, and improve
113 For more information, please see: https://www.epa.gov/reviewing-new-chemicals-under-toxic-substances-control-act-
tsc a/new-chemicals-collaborative.
114 HERA supports the Superfund Health Risk Technical Support Center (STSC) and the Ecological Risk Assessment Support
Center (ERASC). For more information on EPA's five TSCs, please see: https://www.epa.gov/land-research/epas-technical-
support-centers.
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cumulative risk assessment practices to better characterize and assess health disparities in
communities with environmental justice and equity concerns.
Provide training to staff, partners, and stakeholders on risk assessment practice, assessment
tool literacy, and standard operating procedures for assessment development via easy-to-access
modules.
Please note that certain activities within this program could support the Administration's Cancer
Moonshot Initiative.
In addition to the activities listed above, EPA also conducts research across programs in the
following areas:
PFAS Research: PFAS are a class of chemicals of concern in the environment, and EPA is
committed to pursuing all options to address PFAS pollution and protect human health and the
environment. There are still large numbers of PFAS of high interest to stakeholders which
currently have no federally published, peer-reviewed toxicity values. As described in the PFAS
Strategic Roadmap,115 within the HERA Research Program, EPA is prioritizing additional
PFAS for the development of peer-reviewed toxicity values. This will result in an expanded
set of high-quality peer-reviewed toxicity values for use by federal, state, and tribal decision-
makers in making risk assessment and management decisions. In addition, EPA is identifying,
reviewing, organizing, and presenting relevant health information on PFAS through systematic
evidence mapping to identify data gaps, inform prioritization and hazard characterization, and
facilitate human health assessments for PFAS.
Lead116: Childhood lead exposure continues to be one of the highest priorities for EPA. To
advance the application of lead exposure and biokinetic models in EPA regulatory decisions
and site assessments, agency research will enhance, evaluate, and apply lead biokinetic models
used to estimate potential blood lead levels for regulatory determinations.117 Additionally, the
Exposure Factors Handbook118 provides up-to-date data on various human factors, including
soil and dust ingestion rates, used by risk assessors.
Research Planning:
EPA is built around six integrated and transdisciplinary research programs. Each of the six
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 planned with their active
involvement. Each research program has developed and published the fourth generation of the
StRAPs,119 which will continue the practice of conducting innovative scientific research aimed at
solving the problems encountered by the Agency and its stakeholders.
115 For more information, please see EPA's PFAS Strategic Roadmap at: https://www.epa.gov/system/files/documents/2021-
10/pfas-roadmap final-508.pdf.
116 For EPA's Lead Strategy document, please visit: https://www.epa.gov/system/files/documents/2022-
1.1./Lead%20Strategy 1. .pdf.
117 For more information, please see: https://www.epa.gov/superfund/lead-superfund-sites-sof1tware-and-users-manuals.
118 For more information, please see: https://cfpub.epa.gov/ncea/risk/recordisplay.cfm?deid=236252.
119 The StRAPs are available and located here: https://www.epa.gov/research/strategic-research-action-plans-fiscal-years-2023-
2026.
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ORD works with various groups, including communities, to ensure the integrity and value of its
research through a variety of mechanisms that include:
EPA's Board of Scientific Counselors (BOSC)
o ORD meets regularly with this committee, which provides advice and
recommendations to ORD on technical and management issues of its research
programs.
State Engagement
o EPA's state engagement120 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.
Tribal Partnerships
o Key tribal partnerships are established through the Tribal Science Program which
provides a forum for the interaction between tribal and agency representatives.
These interactions identify research of mutual benefit and lead to collaborations on
important tribal environmental science issues.
Performance Measure Targets:
Work under this program supports performance results in the Research: Chemical Safety for
Sustainability Program under the S&T appropriation.
FY 2025 Change from FY 2024 Annualized CR (Dollars in Thousands):
(+$561.0 / +3.0 FTE) This increase supports a collaborative research program for new
chemicals with OCSPP that is focused on modernizing the process and incorporating
scientific advances in new chemical evaluations under TSCA. This increase in funding will
lead to the development and translation of science to inform regulatory and policy decisions
effectively and efficiently by the Agency and external partners to increase access to clean
and safe air, land, and water for all communities across the Nation. This investment
includes $572.0 thousand in payroll and additional changes to fixed support costs".
(+$382.0 / +2.0 FTE) This program Change reflects an increase to address vulnerabilities
in risk assessment capabilities and build EPA's risk assessment portfolio. This investment
includes $382.0 thousand in payroll.
(+$4,885.0 / +19.0 FTE) This net program change reflects an increase for the Health and
Environmental Assessment program. This increase will assist in advancing science
assessments like IRIS as well as analytical approaches for the applications of risk
assessments. This investment includes $3,625 million in payroll.
120 For more information, please see: https://www.epa.gov/research/epa-research-solutions-states.
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Statutory Authority:
Clean Air Act §§ 103, 108, 109, and 112; Clean Water Act §§ 101(a)(6), 104, 105; Federal
Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) § 3(c)(2)(A); Safe Drinking Water Act
(SDWA) § 1458; Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA).
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Research: Safe and Sustainable Water Resources
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Research: Safe and Sustainable Water Resources
Program Area: Research: Safe and Sustainable Water Resources
Cross-Agency Mission and Science Support
(Dollars in Thousands)
FY 2023
Final Actuals
FY 2024
Annualized
CR
FY 2025
President's
Budget
FY 2025 President's
Budget v.
FY 2024 Annualized
CR
Sciciuv it- icclnwhixy
SI25J-/0
SI 16.1-11
SN3.--/5
S 2'.00-1
Tolal Budget Authority
S125,346
SI 16,141
S143,745
S27,604
Total Workyears
356.4
358.1
380.1
22.0
Program Project Description:
The quality and availability of water, upon which human and ecosystem health and a robust
economy depend, face multiple challenges. These challenges include aging water infrastructure,
contaminants of existing and emerging concern, waterborne pathogens, antimicrobial resistance,
harmful algal blooms and hypoxia, stormwater runoff, and diminished quality and loss of aquatic
habitat. Many of these challenges can be exacerbated by the impacts of a changing climate,
including greater frequency, duration, and intensity of precipitation, flooding, extreme heat,
wildland fire, and drought. These concerns can be more prevalent in disadvantaged and rural
communities.
To address these current, emerging, and long-term water resource challenges, EPA's Safe and
Sustainable Water Resources (SSWR) Research Program conducts robust research and scientific
analyses to support decision-making and the development of innovative, practical solutions for the
Agency and its partners to protect and restore America's watersheds and water infrastructure.
Recent Accomplishments of the SSWR Research Program121
Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS):
o PFAS Treatment in Drinking Water. EPA's Drinking Water Treatability Database
was updated to include 66 PFAS chemicals from 197 sources. The database provides
information on best practices and technologies for PFAS treatment in drinking water.
Information on cost models for PFAS treatment in drinking water also was generated.
ORD provided research support to the Office of Water on PFAS treatment modeling
for the development of the proposed PFAS drinking water regulation,
o PFAS Drinking Water Treatment. EPA completed an evaluation of 428 PFAS for
which little or no treatment information is known. The published modeling work
predicts that 76 to 87 percent of those PFAS can be effectively removed by granular
activated carbon (GAC). These results can be used to prioritize research and treatment
studies on those PFAS that are not strongly adsorbed by GAC.
121 For a more complete view of accomplishments, please see: https://www.epa.gov/research/iiatioiial-researcli-prograiiis.
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o PFAS Analytical Methods.
EPA completed a single lab validation for an American Society for Testing and
Materials (ASTM) method for analysis of semi-volatile PFAS in non-potable
waters. The method will be available to the public next year after an ASTM
review.
ORD and the Office of Land and Emergency Management (OLEM) began to
work together to develop a standard method for the total oxidizable precursor
assay in aqueous and solid samples. This method will provide a 'total' summary
of PFAS compounds that may transform into chemicals of concern.
Harmful Algal Blooms/Hypoxia/Excess Nutrients. Harmful cyanobacterial blooms can
produce toxins that impair freshwater ecosystems used for drinking water, recreation, and
habitat for aquatic biota. To support water managers and prioritize monitoring locations in
surface waters, data from the remote sensing Cyanobacteria Assessment Network (CyAN) and
the National Lakes Assessments field surveys were combed to determine the risk of toxic
blooms in large lakes across the United States.
FY 2025 Activities and Performance Plan:
Work in this program provides Cross-Agency Mission and Science Support and is allocated across
strategic goals and objectives in the FY 2022-2026 EPA Strategic Plan.
In FY 2025, the SSWR Research Program will continue to focus on:
Water Infrastructure:
Conduct research and provide technical support to assess the distribution, composition, and
potential health risks of known and emerging chemical and biological contaminants.
Continue work with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Ohio
Network to develop appropriate methodologies and approaches for wastewater surveillance
to inform public health. Assist states, communities, and utilities with stormwater and
wastewater infrastructure needs through models and assistance.
Climate Change Impacts/Resiliency:
Continue the Coastal Community Resilience through Blue Carbon Resources solutions-
driven research project to evaluate coastal resilience capabilities of Blue Carbon resources
(e.g., wetlands, tidal marshes, and seagrasses) and co-benefits (e.g., flood protection,
improved water quality, habitat for sensitive and commercially valuable species).
Water Reuse:
Expand the integrated assessment of cost, carbon footprint, and risk assessment of fit-for-
purpose use of alternative water sources to include industrial reuse, potable end uses, and
aquifer recharge. Results will inform the new approaches to managing water resources and
mitigating drought.
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Harmful Algal Blooms/Nutrients:
Expand toxicity evaluation of additional planktonic cyanobacteria cells and cyanotoxins
and begin new research on benthic species that can form highly toxic algal mats.
Develop the science needed to forecast harmful algal blooms.
Develop coastal acidification sensors and evaluate impacts for the protection of
acidification-sensitive estuarine species.
Recreational Waters and Public Health Protection:
Develop and characterize rapid fecal indicators, bacteriophage, microbial source tracking,
and antimicrobial resistance tools for monitoring recreational waters and quick response
times.
Develop human health risk and water quality predictive modeling tools to support
recreational water quality criteria development and implementation.
Conduct a performance assessment of new recreational water quality assessment tools in
sub-tropical and tropical marine waters.
Use an applied economic benefits analysis to evaluate the economic impacts of beach
closures based on different water quality monitoring technologies.
Antimicrobial Resistance:
Conduct national scale and watershed-focused studies of antimicrobial-resistant bacteria
and associated resistance genes in surface waters to inform risk modeling of recreational
and drinking water exposures. Apply similar techniques in wastewater systems to define
the best approaches for mitigating risks with discharges of wastewater effluents and solids.
Biosolids:
Focus on biological and chemical contaminants and health effects by investigating the
occurrence of antimicrobial-resistant E. coli during the treatment of Class B biosolids;
assessing the human health risks of biosolids using molecular tools; developing a
Voluntary Consensus Standard analytical method for the analysis of PFAS precursors in
biosolids; evaluating anaerobic biotreatment of perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA)/PFAS in
wastewater biosolids; and determining the applicability of molecular techniques in
treatment performance evaluation.
Microplastics:
Develop and evaluate sediment and water extraction and identification methods focusing
on plastic particles smaller than one micrometer for which there is less data.
Begin developing approaches to evaluate human health and ecological effects of micro-
and nano-plastics.
Collaborate with the National Institute of Standards and Technology, American Chemistry
Council, and members of the National Nanotechnology Initiative to develop essential
standard reference materials needed for microplastic analyses.
99
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In addition to the activities listed above, ORD also will conduct research across programs in the
following areas:
PFAS Research: ORD research will develop and validate methods for measuring different
PFAS in water and water treatment residuals (e.g., biosolids); review available literature
on effectiveness and cost data for different water treatment technologies applied to
different PFAS; conduct pilot- and bench-scale testing of the most promising technologies
to further evaluate effectiveness; evaluate the bioaccumulation of PFAS in aquatic
organisms and identifying the toxicity of selected PFAS (including mixtures of PFAS) to
aquatic organisms EPA will increase its PFAS research efforts, with specific emphasis on
implementing the PFAS Strategic Roadmap.122
This work is being done in collaboration with water utilities and water treatment technology
suppliers. The results of this work will be posted to EPA's public Drinking Water Treatability
Database and will be widely available to stakeholders.123
Lead: SSWR research will focus on reliable models to estimate lead exposure from
drinking water; improved sampling techniques and strategies to identify and characterize
lead in plumbing materials, including lead service lines; guidance on optimizing lead
mitigation strategies; testing and evaluation of treatment processes for removing lead from
drinking water.
The overall impact of this research will be to provide information and tools that EPA, states, tribes,
utilities, and communities can use to minimize or eliminate lead exposure in drinking water.
In addition to the activities above, the FY 2025 Budget includes an increase of $18.3 million to
purchase a new research vessel to replace the 60-year-old Lake Explorer II which is close to having
to be condemned. If this new vessel investment is not supported, EPA's water quality and
biological monitoring of the Great Lakes would be greatly impacted.
Research Planning:
EPA research is built around six integrated and transdisciplinary research programs. Each of the
six 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 planned with their active
involvement. Each research program has developed and published its fourth generation of the
StRAPs,124 which continue the practice of conducting innovative scientific research aimed at
solving the problems encountered by the Agency and its stakeholders.
122 See EPA's PFAS Strategic Roadmap at: https://www.epa.gov/system/files/documents/2021.-1.0/pfas-roadmap final-508.pdf.
123 For more information, please see: https://iaspub.epa.gOv/tdb/pages/general/home.do#content.
124 The StRAPs are available and located here: https://www.epa.gov/research/strategic-research-action-plans-fiscal-years-2023-
2026.
100
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ORD works with various groups, including communities, to ensure the integrity and value of its
research through a variety of mechanisms that include:
EPA's Board of Scientific Counselors (BOSC)
o ORD meets regularly with this committee, which provides advice and
recommendations to ORD on technical and management issues.
State Engagement
o EPA's state engagement125 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.
Tribal Partnerships
o Key tribal partnerships are established through the Tribal Science Program, which
provides a forum for the interaction between tribal and agency representatives.
These interactions identify research of mutual benefit and lead to collaborations
on important tribal environmental science issues.
Performance Measure Targets:
(PM RDl) Percentage of ORD research products meeting partner needs.
FY
FY
FY
FY
FY
FY
FY
FY
Units
2018
2019
2020
2021
2022
2023
2024
2025
Target
No Target
Established
77
80
81
93
94
94
94
Percent
Actual
77
79
80
94
94
96
Numerator
171
154
120
60
77
278
Products
Denominator
222
196
150
64
82
290
(PM RD2) Number of ORD activities related to environmental justice that involve or are designed to be
applicable to tribes, states, territories, local governments, and communities.
FY
20IS
FY
201')
FY
2020
FY
2021
FY 2022
FY
2023
FY
2024
FY
2025
Units
Target
No Target
Established
113
113
113
Activities
Actual
N/A
117
(PM RD4) Percentage of ORD environmental
justice-related research products meeting partner needs
FY
FY
FY
FY
FY
FY
FY
FY
Units
20IS
201')
2020
2021
2022
2023
2024
2025
Target
)3
94
94
94
Percent
Actual
mo
100
Numerator
i
3
Products
Denominator
i
3
125 For more information, please see: https://www.epa.gov/research/epa-research-solutions-states.
101
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(PM RD5) Number of actions implemented for EPA scientific integrity ob jectives.
FY
FY
FY
FY
FY
FY
FY
FY
Units
2018
2019
2020
2021
2022
2023
2024
2025
Target
No Target
Established
21
22
44
Actions
Actual
N/A
24
FY 2025 Change from FY 2024 Annualized CR (Dollars in Thousands):
(+$278.0) This change to fixed and other costs is an increase due to the recalculation of
laboratory fixed costs and additional changes to fixed support costs.
(+$18,329.0) This program increase reflects the purchase of a new vessel to replace the 60-
year-old Lake Explorer II which is close to having to be condemned. If this new vessel
investment is not supported, EPA's water quality and biological monitoring of the Great
Lakes would be greatly impacted.
(+$377.0 / +2.0 FTE) This program change reflects an increase to address skill gaps
identified in EPA's workforce. This investment includes $377.0 thousand in payroll costs.
(+$8,620.0 / +20.0 FTE) This net program change reflects an increase to the Sustainable
Water Research Program. This increase will help to address the challenges of aging water
infrastructure, contaminants of concern, harmful algal blooms, and diminished water
availability. This investment includes $3.77 million in payroll costs.
Statutory Authority:
Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) § 1442(a)(1); Clean Water Act §§ 101(a)(6), 104, 105;
Environmental Research, Development, and Demonstration Authorization Act (ERDDAA);
Marine Protection, Research, and Sanctuaries Act (MPRSA) § 203; Title II of Ocean Dumping
Ban Act of 1988 (ODBA); Water Resources Development Act (WRDA); Wet Weather Water
Quality Act of 2000; Marine Plastic Pollution Research and Control Act of 1987 (MPPRCA);
National Invasive Species Act; Coastal Zone Amendments Reauthorization Act (CZARA);
Coastal Wetlands Planning, Protection and Restoration Act; Endangered Species Act (ESA); North
American Wetlands Conservation Act; Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act
(FIFRA); Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA).
102
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Research: Sustainable Communities
103
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Research: Sustainable and Healthy Communities
Program Area: Research: Sustainable Communities
Cross-Agency Mission and Science Support
(Dollars in Thousands)
FY 2023
Final Actuals
FY 2024
Annualized
CR
FY 2025
President's
Budget
FY 2025 President's
Budget v.
FY 2024 Annualized
CR
Sciciuv ^ icclnwhixy
.S N~.2~V
SI3~.it."
S1-19,-1 VS
S 11.0-/1
Leaking Underground Storage Tanks
$292
$341
$356
$15
Inland Oil Spill Programs
$785
$675
$683
$8
Hazardous Substance Superfund
$18,525
$16,937
$17,517
$580
Total Budget Authority
$166,880
$155,810
$168,054
$12,244
Total Workyears
427.2
421.8
451.3
29.5
Program Project Description:
EPA's Sustainable and Healthy Communities (SHC) Research Program supports and empowers
communities to make science-based decisions to improve public and environmental health
through: 1) developing technologies, methods, and other tools to expedite remediation and
restoration of contaminated sites; 2) enhancing materials management through beneficial reuse or
redirection of waste materials toward a circular economy; and 3) increasing understanding of
linkages between the total environment (built, natural, and social) and public and ecosystem health.
These efforts support communities revitalizing formerly contaminated sites, addressing
cumulative impacts (from both chemical and nonchemical stressors), and pursuing climate
resilience and Environmental Justice (EJ) goals.
The SHC Research Program provides state-of-the-science methods, models, tools, and
technologies to the Office of Land and Emergency Management (OLEM) for use in programmatic
guidance and to support EPA decision-makers with the variety of on-site cleanup situations they
face on a regular basis. These approaches will address contaminated sediments, soil, and
groundwater, as well as health risks posed by vapor intrusion and chemicals of immediate concern,
such as per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) and lead. To support the prevention of future
land contamination problems, researchers under the SHC Program are developing life-cycle
analysis tools and exploring opportunities for beneficial reuse of materials, to reduce
environmental impacts.
SHC provides programs, regional partners, and local communities, including those with EJ
concerns, with the research and tools they can apply to assess how they can adapt to climate change
and address cumulative impacts. This community-oriented research is designed to revitalize
communities, support the protection of children's health, and address cumulative impacts on
vulnerable populations. These efforts support community sustainability and increase community
resilience to natural disasters, including those exacerbated by climate change. These efforts also
build the methods and evidence base for doing cumulative impact assessment.
104
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Recent Accomplishments of the SHC Research Program include:
Development and Application of Methods for Supporting Communities in Resilience
Planning with a Focus on Equity (September 2023)126
SHC researchers developed and published a methodology and accompanying suite of resources to
support communities in resilience planning with a focus on equity. The Equitable Resilience
Builder (ERB) tool guides users through a process to inclusively assess local hazards, equity, and
the resilience of built, natural, and social environment systems. Community planners can use the
ERB assessment approach to collaboratively prioritize actions designed to build community
resilience in an equitable way. The ERB was piloted in Grand Rapids, Michigan, one of EPA's
Urban Waters Federal Partnership locations, and community partners used the tool to integrate
equity in their Lower Grand River Watershed Resilience Plan.
Recommendations for Managing Food Waste to Mitigate Impacts of Food Waste on Landfill
Methane Emissions (September 2023)127,128,129
This research provides recommendations for environmentally preferable food-waste management
strategies. Wasted food is the single most common material landfilled and incinerated in the United
States, comprising 24 percent of landfilled municipal solid waste, where it breaks down and
generates methane, a powerful greenhouse gas. This product provides a revised ranking of the
eleven common wasted food pathways, called the Wasted Food Scale, which integrates the latest
science, technological advances, and operational practices. It emphasizes prevention and managing
food waste to avoid sewer/wastewater treatment, landfill, and incineration pathways. Regional,
state, and local decision makers can use this product to develop and prioritize targeted strategies
to prevent adverse health and environmental impacts associated with food waste.
FY 2025 Activities and Performance Plan:
Work in this program provides Cross-Agency Mission and Science Support and is allocated across
strategic goals and objectives in the FY 2022-2026 EPA Strategic Plan.
The SHC Research Program will continue guiding innovative, cost-effective solutions to meet
current, emerging, and long-term contaminated site clean-up and sustainable materials
management challenges. This includes technical support for program and regional partners and
communities as well as exploratory research that may lead to future sustainable solutions. In
addition, research efforts will continue to emphasize healthy and resilient communities. Increased
focus will be given to Administration priorities, such as working with communities to identify
solutions to address cumulative impacts and EJ concerns, including those dealing with impacts
from climate change. Other areas of increased emphasis include research addressing critical
126 For more information, please see: www.epa.gov/emergency-response-research/equitable-resilience-builder and
www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2212096323000463.
127 For more information, please see: www.epa.gov/system/files/documents/2023-10/part2 wf-pathwaysreport formatted no-
appendices 508-compliant.pdf.
128 For more information, please see: www.epa.gov/system/files/documents/2023-10/part2 wf-
pathways_reportappendix_formatted 508-compliant.pdf.
129 For more information, please see: www.epa.gov/systeiii/files/docuiiieiits/2023-10/food-waste-laiidfill-iiietliaiie-1.0-8-23-
final_508-compliant.pdf.
105
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minerals and innovative strategies to reduce the generation of waste, including plastics, through
recycling and reuse.
Specifically, in FY 2025 the SHC Research Program will conduct research in the following areas:
Advancing Remediation and Restoration of Contaminated Sites: EPA research under
this topic will primarily focus on developing and testing remedial alternatives for treating
contaminated soils, sediments, groundwater sites, vapor intrusion sites, and sites with
PFAS and lead contamination; along with providing technical support to OLEM, regions,
tribes, and states to translate the research into usable approaches. SHC has an increased
focus on the remediation of mine waste sites and potential recovery for the reuse of critical
minerals from contaminated sites.
PFAS Research: EPA researchers will develop methods to evaluate PFAS in wastes, soils,
and sediments and investigate PFAS fate and transport in the environment to support the
needs of EPA partners, states, tribes, and local communities. The research will identify and
characterize PFAS concentrations and distributions at contaminated and solid waste sites.
Additionally, researchers will identify locations and source contributors to high potential
human PFAS exposure for children and other populations by evaluating multimedia PFAS
sources and pathways for human exposure. The SHC Research Program also will
investigate approaches, methodologies, and technologies to treat, remove, destroy, and
dispose of PFAS in environmental matrices. This research supports the implementation of
the PFAS Strategic Roadmap.130
Lead Research:131 The SHC Research Program is working to identify locations with high
exposures and elevated blood lead levels, especially in children, to target lead sources for
mitigation. The research program also will develop innovative methods to clean up lead at
Superfund and other contaminated sites and strengthen the scientific basis of the Agency's
lead-related regulatory and clean-up decisions. EPA's research in this area is essential to
support ongoing agency efforts and fill in the data gaps for federal partners, tribes, states,
and local communities.
Materials Management and Beneficial Reuse of Waste: Research under this program
aims to strengthen the scientific basis for the Nation's materials management decisions and
guidance at the tribal, state, and community levels. The overall goal of this research is to
increase sustainability by reducing waste and increasing support for circular economies,
including supporting the implementation of the 2021 National Recycling Strategy.132
Primary research efforts will focus on: 1) developing lifecycle-based assessment tools for
sustainable materials management; 2) evaluating the design, application, and use of
landfills, including liner material degradation, improvements to landfill monitoring
strategies, and long-term landfill impacts on human health and the environment; and 3)
developing waste-management methodologies that can minimize adverse impacts to
human health and the environment through proposed beneficial use and reuse. Food waste
and plastics are two areas of research under this topic.
130 See EPA's PFAS Strategic Roadmap at: https://www.epa.gov/sy stem/files/documents/2021.-1.0/pfas-roadmap final-508.pdf.
131 For EPA's Lead Strategy, please visit: For EPA's Lead Strategy, please see:
https://www.epa.gov/system/files/docunieiits/2022-ll/Lead%20Strategy l.pdf.
132 See EPA's National Recycling Strategy at: https://www.epa.gov/recvclingstrategy.
106
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Integrated Systems Approach to Building Healthy and Resilient Communities: The
SHC Research Program will address the impacts of contamination, remediation, and
redevelopment on the revitalization of a community. The research will address the
cumulative impacts of stressors and exposures, especially in overburdened and under-
resourced communities. The goal of the research is to increase community resilience by
reducing potential risks, promoting health, and revitalizing communities and the
environment that supports them, and increasing research translation to benefit
communities. Research and development under this topic will provide data and tools to
support Agency and delegated programs, such as Superfund, Brownfields, Great Lakes
Restoration Initiative, civil rights, enforcement, and permitting.
Please note that certain activities within this program could have implications associated with the
Administration's Cancer Moonshot Initiative.
Also, EPA is currently a part of the working group that is exploring how to build and strengthen
environmental-economic accounting capacity across the Federal statistical system where
applicable. While existing resources are not sufficient to fulfill the 15-year plan, EPA is working
to develop a budget estimate for FY 2026 and beyond to support this effort.
Research Planning:
EPA research is built around six integrated and transdisciplinary research programs. Each of the
six 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 planned with their active
involvement. Each research program has developed and published its fourth generation of the
StRAPs,133 which continue the practice of conducting innovative scientific research aimed at
solving the problems encountered by the Agency and its stakeholders.
The Office of Research and Development (ORD) works with various groups, including
communities, to ensure the integrity and value of its research through a variety of mechanisms
that include:
EPA's Board of Scientific Counselors (BOSC)
o ORD meets regularly with this committee, which provides advice and
recommendations to ORD on technical and management issues of its research
programs.
State Engagement
o EPA's state engagement134 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.
Tribal Partnerships
o Key tribal partnerships are established through the Tribal Science Program which
provides a forum for the interaction between tribal and agency representatives.
133 The StRAPs are available and located here: https://www.epa.gov/research/strategic-research-action-plans-fiscal-years-2023-
2026.
134 For more information, please see: https://www.epa.gov/research/epa-research-solutions-states.
107
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These interactions identify research of mutual benefit and lead to collaborations on
important tribal environmental science issues.
Performance Measure Targets:
(PM RDl) Percentage of ORD research products meeting partner needs.
FY 2018
FY
2019
FY
2020
FY
2021
FY
2022
FY
2023
FY
2024
FY
2025
Units
Target
No Target
Established
77
80
81
93
94
94
94
Percent
Actual
77
79
80
94
94
96
Numerator
171
154
120
60
77
278
Products
Denominator
222
196
150
64
82
290
(PM RD2) Number of ORD activities related to environmental justice that involve or are designed to be
applicable to tribes, states, territories, local governments, and communities.
FY
FY
FY
FY
FY
FY
FY
FY
Units
2018
2019
2020
2021
2022
2023
2024
2025
Target
No Target
Established
113
113
113
Activities
Actual
N/A
117
(PM RD4) Percentage of ORD environmental
justice-related research products meeting partner needs
FY
FY
FY
FY
FY
FY
FY
FY
Units
2018
2019
2020
2021
2022
2023
2024
2025
Target
93
94
94
94
Percent
Actual
100
100
Numerator
1
3
Products
Denominator
1
3
(PM RD5) Number of actions im
)lemented for EPA scientific integrity objectives.
FY
2018
FY
2019
FY
2020
FY
2021
FY 2022
FY
2023
FY
2024
FY
2025
Units
Target
No Target
Established
21
22
44
Actions
Actual
N/A
24
FY 2025 Change from FY 2024 Annualized CR (Dollars in Thousands):
(+$537.0) This change to fixed and other costs is an increase due to the recalculation of
laboratory fixed costs.
(+$908.0 / +7.0 FTE) This program change reflects an increase to support expanding work
under the Community-Engaged Collaborative for Learning and Excellence model. This
investment includes $1,322 million in payroll and additional changes to fixed support
costs".
(+$10,196.0 / +22.5 FTE) This net program change reflects an increase to the Sustainable
and Healthy Communities Research Program. This increase will help to address the
acceleration of cleanup and return of contaminated sites to beneficial use, protection of
108
-------
vulnerable populations, and the revitalization of vulnerable communities. This investment
includes $4,248 million in payroll.
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).
109
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Ensure Safe Water
110
-------
Drinking Water Programs
Program Area: Ensure Safe Water
Goal: Ensure Clean and Safe Water for All Communities
Objective(s): Ensure Safe Drinking Water and Reliable Water Infrastructure
(Dollars in Thousands)
FY 2023
Final Actuals
FY 2024
Annualized
CR
FY 2025
President's
Budget
FY 2025 President's
Budget v.
FY 2024 Annualized
CR
Environmental Programs & Management
SI 09.958
SI 21.607
SI 43.886
S22.279
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SI. 04 5
Total Budget Authority
$115,432
$126,705
$150,929
$24,224
Total Workyears
471.0
539.4
554.5
15.1
Program Project Description:
EPA's Drinking Water Program is responsible for a range of activities to address drinking water
contamination. The Program:
Leads the collection of national occurrence data for unregulated contaminants in drinking
water;
Develops, evaluates, and approves analytical methods that are used to monitor drinking
water contaminants accurately and reliably;
Leads the national program under which laboratories are certified to conduct the analyses
of drinking water contaminants with approved analytical methods; and
Collaborates with states, tribes, and public water systems to implement tools that optimize
treatment and improve water quality by helping systems achieve compliance and maximize
technical capacity while reducing operational costs.
FY 2025 Activities and Performance Plan:
Work in this program directly supports Goal 5/Objective 5.1, Ensure Safe Drinking Water and
Reliable Water Infrastructure in the l'Y 2022 - 2026 EPA Strategic Plan. The Program also
supports the Agency's implementation of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act of 2021
(IIJ A).
In FY 2025, EPA's Drinking Water Program will continue to carry out the activities listed below:
Lead development and implementation activities for the Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring
Rule (UCMR), a federal direct implementation program coordinated by EPA, as required by
the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA).
o The data collected pursuant to this rule support the Agency's determination of whether to
establish health-based standards for unregulated drinking water contaminants to protect
public health.
Ill
-------
o In December 2021, the Agency published the final rule for the UCMR's fifth cycle (UCMR
5). EPA is managing UCMR 5 sampling through December 2025 and leading the data
collection through 2026.
o UCMR 5 is the first cycle of the Unregulated Contaminant Monitor Rule to implement the
monitoring provisions of America's Water Infrastructure Act of 2018 (AWIA), which
requires, subject to the availability of appropriations and adequate laboratory capacity,
sampling at all small public water systems (PWSs) serving between 3,300 and 10 thousand
persons. AWIA also requires monitoring at a representative sample of small PWSs serving
fewer than 3,300 persons. EPA implementation responsibilities have significantly
expanded to address a 7.5-fold increase in the number of small-system samples as a result
of AWIA.
o EPA is responsible for managing UCMR 5 implementation at all large PWSs serving more
than 10 thousand persons, all small PWSs serving between 3,300 and 10 thousand, and a
representative sample of PWS serving fewer than 3,300 persons. EPA is additionally
responsible for funding the required monitoring at small PWSs. Key activities for EPA
include ensuring laboratories are available to perform the required analyses, managing the
field sample collection and sample analysis for small systems, and managing data
reporting. In addition, EPA makes the UCMR data available to state and tribal partners and
to the public.
o By conducting sampling and data collection/reporting at all small PWSs serving between
3,300 and 10 thousand persons and a representative sample of those serving fewer than
3,300 persons, the UCMR Program also supports the Agency's implementation of the IIJA.
o Concurrent with managing the implementation of UCMR 5 in FY 2025, EPA will be
publishing the proposed rule to support the sixth cycle of UCMR (UCMR 6) monitoring.
Lead the development, revision, evaluation, and approval of analytical methods for
unregulated and regulated contaminants in drinking water to assess and ensure protection of
public health (e.g., per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances [PFAS]). This work supports the
activities underway for the Agency's PFAS Roadmap135 and supports priorities identified by
the EPA Council on PFAS.
Implement EPA's Drinking Water Laboratory Certification Program,136 which sets direction
for oversight of state, municipal, and commercial laboratories that analyze drinking water
samples. EPA will conduct regional laboratory certification program reviews and deliver
laboratory certification officer training courses (chemistry and microbiology) for state and
regional representatives. The FY 2025 certification program oversight activities and trainings
will help ensure the quality of drinking water compliance monitoring analyses.
Partner with states and water systems to optimize their treatment technology and distribution
systems under the drinking water Area Wide Optimization Program (AWOP).137 AWOP is a
highly successful technical/compliance assistance and training program that enhances the
ability of public water systems to comply with existing microbial, disinfectant, and disinfection
byproduct standards, and to address distribution system integrity and water quality issues
135 For more information, please see: https://www.epa.gov/pfas/pfas-strategic-roadmap-epas-commitments-action-2021-2024.
136 For more information, please see: https://www.epa.gov/dwlabcert.
137 For more information, please see: https://www.epa.gov/sdwa/optimization-pro gram-drinking-water-systems.
112
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caused by the source, aging infrastructure, or other concerns. During FY 2025, EPA expects
to work with states, tribes, and technical assistance providers to expand efforts to train and
directly assist systems, including those in disadvantaged and tribal communities. This effort
includes identifying performance limiting factors at public water systems and developing and
applying tailored tools to help them overcome operational challenges, achieve performance
and optimization levels, and address health-based compliance challenges. The technical
assistance provided by AWOP can be instrumental in supporting public water systems with
limited capacity to effectively address drinking water quality issues. The AWOP Program also
supports the Agency's implementation of IIJA.
Performance Measure Targets:
Work under this program supports Safe Drinking Water Act implementation and compliance and
requirements in the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund and Categorical Grant: Public Water
System Supervision Programs under the STAG appropriation to support safe drinking water for
the Nation.
FY 2025 Change from FY 2024 Annualized CR (Dollars in Thousands):
(+$88.0) This change to fixed and other costs is an increase due to the recalculation of base
workforce costs for existing FTE due to annual payroll increases, adjustments to provide
essential workforce support, and changes to benefits costs.
(+$200.0 / +1.0 FTE) This program change is an increase in resources and FTE to support
the activities associated with the Evidence Act. This investment also includes $190
thousand in payroll.
(+$1,657.0 / +3.0 FTE) This program change represents an increase of resources and FTE
to support regulatory analysis, development and training, and technical assistance for state,
Tribal, and local communities to address drinking water contaminants (including Lead and
PFAS) in their efforts to ensure safe and affordable drinking water. This investment
includes $570.0 thousand in payroll.
Statutory Authority:
SDWA.
113
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Congressional Priorities
114
-------
Congressional Priorities
Program Area: Clean and Safe Water Technical Assistance Grants
Cross-Agency Mission and Science Support
(Dollars in Thousands)
FY 2023
Final Actuals
FY 2024
Annualized
CR
FY 2025
President's
Budget
FY 2025 President's
Budget v.
FY 2024 Annualized
CR
Environmental Programs & Management
$25,700
$30,700
so
-S30.700
Sciciuv it- icclnwhixy
S 2.1.2X3
S M'SI
so
-V10. "1
Total Budget Authority
$48,983
$61,451
$0
-$61,451
Program Project Description:
In FY 2023, Congress appropriated $30.8 million in the Science and Technology appropriation for
Congressional priorities including $9.5 million for extramural grants. EPA was instructed by
Congress to award grants on a competitive basis, independent of the Science to Achieve Results
(STAR) Program, and to give priority to not-for-profit organizations that: 1) conduct activities that
are national in scope; 2) can provide a 25 percent match, including in-kind contributions; and 3)
often partner with the Agency. Additionally, Congress provided $8.0 million to fund research that
will help farmers, ranchers, and rural communities manage per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances
(PFAS) impacts in agricultural settings and communities as well as $13.3 million for other
Congressionally Directed Projects.
FY 2025 Activities and Performance Plan:
There are no resources for this Program in FY 2025.
Performance Measure Targets:
EPA's FY 2025 Annual Performance Plan does not include annual performance goals specific to
this program.
FY 2025 Change from FY 2024 Annualized CR (Dollars in Thousands):
(-$30,751.0) Resources are proposed for elimination for this program in FY 2025. The
goals of this Program can be accomplished through core statuary programs.
Statutory Authority:
Clean Air Act (CAA) 42 U.S.C. 7401 et seq. Title 1, Part A - Sec. 103 (a) and (d) and Sec. 104
(c); CAA 42 U.S.C. 7402(b) Section 102; CAA 42 U.S.C. 7403(b)(2) Section 103(b)(2); dinger
Cohen Act, 40 U.S.C. 11318; Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and
Liability Act (CERCLA) (Superfund, 1980) Section 209(a) of Public Law 99-499; Children's
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Health Act; Clean Water Act (CWA), Sec. 101 - 121; Coastal Wetlands Planning, Protection and
Restoration Act (CWPPRA); Coastal Zone Amendments Reauthorization Act (CZARA); Coastal
Zone Management Act (CZMA) 16 U.S.C. 1451 - Section 302; Economy Act, 31 U.S.C. 1535;
Energy Independence and Security Act (EISA), Title II Subtitle B; Environmental Research,
Development, and Demonstration Authorization Act (ERDDAA), 33 U.S.C. 1251 - Section 2(a);
Endangered Species Act (ESA), 16 U.S.C. 1531 - Section 2; Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic
Act (FFDCA), 21 U.S.C. Sec. 346; Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA)
(7 U.S.C. s/s 136 et seq. (1996), as amended), Sec. 3(c)(2)(A); Food Quality Protection Act
(FQPA) PL 104-170; Intergovernmental Cooperation Act, 31 U.S.C. 6502; Marine Protection,
Research, and Sanctuaries Act (MPRSA) Sec. 203, 33 U.S.C. 1443; North American Wetlands
Conservation Act (NAWCA); NCPA; National Environmental Education Act, 20 U.S.C.
5503(b)(3) and (b)(ll); National Environmental Protection Act (NEPA) of 1969, Section 102;
National Invasive Species Act (NISA); Ocean Dumping Ban Act of 1988 (ODBA) Title II; PPA,
42 U.S.C. 13103; Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA); Safe Drinking Water Act
(SDWA) (1996) 42 U.S.C. Section 300j-18; SDWA Part E, Sec. 1442 (a)(1); Toxic Substances
Control Act (TSCA), Section 10, 15, 26, U.S.C. 2609; U.S. Global Change Research Act
(USGCRA) 15 U.S.C. 2921; Water Resources Development Act (WRDA); Water Resources
Research Act (WRRA); and Wet Weather Water Quality Act of 2000 (WWWQA).
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