Working Together FY 2018-2022 U.S
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Working Together FY 2018-2022 U.S. EPA Strategic Plan February 2018 EPA’s Mission Protect Human Health and the Environment Goal 1 Core Mission: Deliver real results to provide Americans with clean air, land, Goal 2 and water, and ensure Cooperative Federalism: chemical safety. Rebalance the power between Washington and the states to create tangible Goal 3 environmental results for the Rule of Law and Process: American people. Administer the law as Congress intended, to refocus the Agency on its statutory obligations under the law. Table of Contents Introduction ...................................................................................................................................................................................................4 Goal 1: Core Mission .............................................................................................................................................................................6 Objective 1.1: Improve Air Quality ....................................................................................................................................................................8 Objective 1.2: Provide for Clean and Safe Water .........................................................................................................................................11 Objective 1.3: Revitalize Land and Prevent Contamination .......................................................................................................................15 Objective 1.4: Ensure Safety of Chemicals in the Marketplace ..................................................................................................................19 Goal 2: Cooperative Federalism ..................................................................................................................................................24 Objective 2.1: Enhance Shared Accountability ...............................................................................................................................................26 Objective 2.2: Increase Transparency and Public Participation ..................................................................................................................30 Goal 3: Rule of Law and Process ................................................................................................................................................34 Objective 3.1: Compliance with the Law ........................................................................................................................................................36 Objective 3.2: Create Consistency and Certainty ........................................................................................................................................39 Objective 3.3: Prioritize Robust Science ..........................................................................................................................................................42 Objective 3.4: Streamline and Modernize ......................................................................................................................................................46 Objective 3.5: Improve Efficiency and Effectiveness .....................................................................................................................................48 The GPRA (Government Performance and Results Act) Modernization Act of 2010 directs agencies to consult with the Congress and requires that they solicit and consider the views and suggestions of those entities likely to be interested in or potentially affected by a strategic plan. Consultation with EPA’s federal, state, tribal, and local government partners and its many stakeholders is integral to the Agency’s strategic planning process. In developing the FY 2018-2022 EPA Strategic Plan, EPA issued a Federal Register notice and used www.regulations.gov to encourage and share feedback on the draft Plan. The Agency also sent notifications on the availability of the draft Plan to leaders of the Agency’s Congressional authorizing, appropriations, and oversight committees, and notified all federally-recognized Indian tribes of the opportunity for consultation and coordination. These outreach efforts resulted in unique submissions from approximately 5,000 organizations and individuals. 2 Message from EPA The U.S. Environmental Protection Our nation has made great progress in standards to reduce contaminants that Agency’s FY 2018–FY 2022 Strategic making rivers and lakes safer for swim- cause or exacerbate health issues. Plan emphasizes the EPA’s “Back-to- ming and boating, reducing the smog that Basics” agenda. The agenda set out in this clouded city skies, cleaning up lands that Water plan has three over-arching goals: (1) were once used as hidden chemical dumps We will modernize and update aging refocus the agency back to its core and providing Americans greater access to drinking water, wastewater and storm- mission; (2) restore power to the states information on chemical safety. However, water infrastructure which the American through cooperative federalism; and (3) we still have important work to do. public depends on. lead the agency through improved We must create a sense of shared processes and adhere to the rule of law. The agency will continue to leverage the accountability between states, tribes State Revolving Funds (SRFs) and Water The agency’s mission of protecting and the federal government to achieve Infrastructure Finance and Innovation human health and the environment reso- positive environmental results. Along Act (WIFIA) to assist states, tribes, mu- nates with all Americans; we all can agree with faithfully following the rule of law, nicipalities and private entities to finance that we want our future generations to improving the processes by which the high-priority infrastructure investments inherit a cleaner, healthier environment EPA has operated is crucial in that protect human health and the that supports a thriving economy. advancing the agency’s mission. environment. Air Land Over the next five years, the EPA will The Administration is placing particular prioritize key activities to support attain- emphasis on the top priority list of ment of the national ambient air quality Superfund sites and will implement standards (NAAQS) and implementation Superfund Task Force recommendations of stationary source regulations. to accelerate the pace of cleanups and promote site reuse, while addressing risks We will work with our state and tribal to human health and the environment. partners to rapidly approve their imple- mentation plans for attaining air quality The agency will accelerate cleanup by re-prioritizing some resources to focus on remedial actions, construction com- pletions, ready-for-reuse determinations and National Priorities List site deletions. 3 Chemicals our shared governance to clarify the comprehensive. The EPA will also employ agency’s statutory roles and respon- business process improvement strategies, We will prioritize the safety of chemicals sibilities and tailor state oversight to such as Lean, to improve efficiencies in all in the marketplace in the implementation maximize our return on investment and permitting processes, working along- of the new Frank R. Lautenberg Chem- reduce burden on states. side states to streamline the review of ical Safety for the 21st Century Act, state-issued permits and to improve our which modernizes the Toxic Substances Over the next five years, the EPA will internal business processes. and Control Act (TSCA). improve its processes and reinvigorate the rule of law as it administers environ- EPA can accomplish the environmental To achieve this, the EPA will focus on mental regulations as Congress intended and human health outcomes outlined in this meeting its statutory requirements and will refocus the agency on its core Strategic Plan by increasing collaboration and mandatory deadlines of TSCA and statutory obligations. with other external partners and striving ensure our reviews are efficient, effective to achieve improved consistency and and transparent to stakeholders. Federal agencies exist to administer certainty for the regulated community. laws passed by Congress, in accordance More than 45 years after the creation with the will of this body. The EPA of the EPA most states, and to a lesser will ensure compliance with the law by extent territories and tribes, are autho- providing consistency and certainty for rized to implement delegated federal the regulated community and clarify the environmental programs within their impact of proposed actions on human jurisdictions. Recognizing the congres- health, the environment and the econo- sionally intended responsibilities of our my to provide a clear path and timeline state, local and tribal partners, we must for entities to achieve compliance. adapt and modernize our practices to reduce duplication of effort and tailor Further, we will reform our approach oversight of delegated programs. to regulatory development and prioritize meeting our statutory deadlines to en- For example, the EPA will expand its sure that expectations for the regulated compliance assistance work by continu- community and the public are clear and ing to partner with third-party organi- zations and federal agencies to support existing web-based, sector-specific compliance assistance centers and seek to develop new centers. EPA will assess 4 Introduction The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency