Environmental Protection Agency: Difference between revisions

{{Organization

|OrganizationType=Independent agency

|Mission=The mission of EPA is to protect human health and the environment.  

* Contaminated lands and toxic sites are cleaned up by potentially responsible parties and revitalized; and

* Chemicals in the marketplace are reviewed for safety

|CreationLegislation=National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969

|Employees=16204

|Website=http://epa.gov/

}}

{{Infobox government agency

| agency_name    = Environmental Protection Agency

===2000s===

In March 2005 nine states (California, New York, New Jersey, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Maine, Connecticut, New Mexico and Vermont) sued the EPA. The EPA's [[Office of Inspector General (United States)|inspector general]] had determined that the EPA's regulation of [[mercury (element)|mercury]] emissions did not follow the Clean Air Act, and that the regulations were influenced by top political appointees.<ref>{{cite news |url = https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/politics/2004/01/31/proposed-mercury-rules-bear-industry-mark/028e1379-0026-4bcb-b7ce-192bbae7b4c6/ |first = Eric |last = Pianin |title = Proposed Mercury Rules Bear Industry Mark |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20191229021711/https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/politics/2004/01/31/proposed-mercury-rules-bear-industry-mark/028e1379-0026-4bcb-b7ce-192bbae7b4c6/ |archive-date = December 29, 2019 |date = January 31, 2004 |url-access = limited |newspaper = The Washington Post |access-date = July 21, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |first = Shankar |last = Vedantam |url = https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A61762-2005Feb3.html |title = EPA Inspector Finds Mercury Proposal Tainted|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20200527092803/http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A61762-2005Feb3.html|archive-date = May 27, 2020 |newspaper = The Washington Post |date = February 4, 2005 |access-date = July 21, 2020}}</ref> The EPA had suppressed a study it commissioned by [[Harvard University]] which contradicted its position on mercury controls.<ref>[https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A55268-2005Mar21.html New EPA Mercury Rule Omits Conflicting Data] {{Webarchive|url = https://web.archive.org/web/20170106132433/http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A55268-2005Mar21.html |date = January 6, 2017 }}, ''The Washington Post'', March 22, 2005</ref> The suit alleged that the EPA's rule exempting coal-fired power plants from "maximum available control technology" was illegal, and additionally charged that the EPA's system of [[cap-and-trade]] to lower average mercury levels would allow power plants to forego reducing mercury emissions, which they objected would lead to dangerous local hotspots of mercury contamination even if average levels declined.<ref name = "Bustillo2005">Bustillo, Miguel.[https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2005-mar-30-me-mercury30-story.html States Sue EPA Over Mercury Emissions], ''Los Angeles Times'', March 30, 2005</ref> Several states also began to enact their own mercury emission regulations. Illinois's proposed rule would have reduced mercury emissions from power plants by an average of 90% by 2009.<ref>[http://www.epa.state.il.us/environmental-progress/v32/n1/environmental-progress.pdf Governor Blagojevich and Illinois EPA Propose Aggressive Mercury Controls For Illinois Power Plants] {{Webarchive|url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070710021724/http://www.epa.state.il.us/environmental-progress/v32/n1/environmental-progress.pdf |date = July 10, 2007 }}, ''Environmental Progress'', Spring 2006, page 12</ref> In 2008—by which point a total of fourteen states had joined the suit—the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia ruled that the EPA regulations violated the Clean Air Act.<ref name = "Baltimore2008">{{cite news |last1 = Baltimore |first1 = Chris |title = EPA must rewrite utility mercury rule: U.S. court |url = https://www.reuters.com/article/environment-usa-utilities-mercury-dc-idUSN0847678520080208 |access-date = February 1, 2017 |work = Reuters |date = February 8, 2008 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20180322204634/https://www.reuters.com/article/environment-usa-utilities-mercury-dc-idUSN0847678520080208 |archive-date = March 22, 2018 |url-status = live}}</ref> In response, EPA announced plans to propose such standards to replace the vacated Clean Air Mercury Rule, and did so on March 16, 2011.<ref name = "EPA_MATS2011">{{cite web |title = History of the MATS Regulation |url = https://www.epa.gov/mats/history-mats-regulation |publisher = EPA |access-date = February 1, 2017|date = November 11, 2015 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20170202092159/https://www.epa.gov/mats/history-mats-regulation|archive-date = February 2, 2017 |url-status = live}}</ref>

** Office of Administrative and Executive Services

** Office of Children's Health Protection

** Office of Civil Rights

** Office of Congressional and Intergovernmental Relations

** Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization

** [[Science Advisory Board]]

* Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention (OCSPP)<ref>{{cite web |url = http://www2.epa.gov/aboutepa/about-office-chemical-safety-and-pollution-prevention-ocspp |title = About the Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention |publisher = EPA |date = May 13, 2014 |access-date = May 19, 2014 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20140603223904/http://www2.epa.gov/aboutepa/about-office-chemical-safety-and-pollution-prevention-ocspp |archive-date = June 3, 2014 |url-status = live}}</ref>

* Office of the Chief Financial Officer (OCFO)<ref>{{cite web |url = https://www.epa.gov/aboutepa/about-office-chief-financial-officer-ocfo |title = About the Office of the Chief Financial Officer |publisher = EPA |date = January 20, 2017 |access-date = November 6, 2016 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20161013041423/https://www.epa.gov/aboutepa/about-office-chief-financial-officer-ocfo |archive-date = October 13, 2016 |url-status = live}}</ref>

* [[Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance]] (OECA)<ref>{{cite web|url = https://www.epa.gov/aboutepa/about-office-enforcement-and-compliance-assurance-oeca|title = About the Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance|publisher = EPA|date = November 17, 2010|access-date = March 20, 2017|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20170329024948/https://www.epa.gov/aboutepa/about-office-enforcement-and-compliance-assurance-oeca|archive-date = March 29, 2017|url-status = live}}</ref>

* Office of General Counsel (OGC)<ref>{{cite web |url = http://www.epa.gov/aboutepa/ogc.html |title = About the Office of General Counsel |publisher = EPA |date = November 17, 2010 |access-date = April 22, 2012 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120501141448/http://www.epa.gov/aboutepa/ogc.html |archive-date = May 1, 2012 |url-status = live}}</ref>

* Office of International and Tribal Affairs (OITA)<ref>{{cite web |url = https://www.epa.gov/aboutepa/about-office-international-and-tribal-affairs-oita |title = About the Office of International and Tribal Affairs |publisher = EPA |date = November 17, 2010 |access-date = March 20, 2017 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20170329025052/https://www.epa.gov/aboutepa/about-office-international-and-tribal-affairs-oita |archive-date = March 29, 2017 |url-status = live}}</ref>

* Office of Mission Support (OMS)<ref>{{Cite web |url = https://www.epa.gov/aboutepa/epa-organization-chart |title = EPA Organization Chart |publisher = EPA |date = 2013-01-29 |access-date = 2019-07-08 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20190710034347/https://www.epa.gov/aboutepa/epa-organization-chart |archive-date = July 10, 2019 |url-status = live}}</ref>

[[File:EPA Breidenbach Laboratory 2019a.jpg|thumb|The [[Andrew W. Breidenbach Environmental Research Center]] in [[Cincinnati]] is EPA's second-largest R&D center.<ref>{{Cite web |url = https://www.epa.gov/greeningepa/andrew-w-breidenbach-environmental-research-center-awberc |title = Andrew W. Breidenbach Environmental Research Center (AWBERC) |date = 2015-09-18 |publisher = EPA |access-date = 2019-05-29|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20190529143426/https://www.epa.gov/greeningepa/andrew-w-breidenbach-environmental-research-center-awberc |archive-date = May 29, 2019 |url-status = live}}</ref>]]

* Office of Research and Development (ORD), which {{As of|2021|11|lc=y}}, consisted of:<ref>{{Cite web|date = 2019-04-08|title = EPA's Office of Research and Development Reorganizes to Better Support EPA's Mission|url = https://www.epa.gov/sciencematters/epas-office-research-and-development-reorganizes-better-support-epas-mission|publisher = EPA|access-date = November 6, 2021|archive-date = November 6, 2021|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20211106212415/https://www.epa.gov/sciencematters/epas-office-research-and-development-reorganizes-better-support-epas-mission|url-status = live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date = 2013-01-29 |title = Organization Chart for the Office of Research and Development |url = https://www.epa.gov/aboutepa/organization-chart-office-research-and-development-ord |access-date = 2021-11-06 |publisher = EPA |archive-date = November 6, 2021 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20211106212415/https://www.epa.gov/aboutepa/organization-chart-office-research-and-development-ord |url-status = live }}</ref>

** Center for Public Health and Environmental Assessment (CPHEA)

** Center for Environmental Solutions and Emergency Response (CESER)

* Office of Land and Emergency Management (OLEM), which {{As of|2017|3|lc=y}}, consisted of:<ref>{{cite web|url = http://www.epa.gov/aboutepa/about-office-land-and-emergency-management-olem |title = About the Office of Land and Emergency Management |date = November 17, 2010 |publisher = EPA |access-date = January 27, 2016 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20160127120503/http://www.epa.gov/aboutepa/about-office-land-and-emergency-management-olem |archive-date = January 27, 2016|url-status = live}}</ref>

** Office of Superfund Remediation and Technology Innovation

** Office of Emergency Management

** Federal Facilities Restoration and Reuse Office

* Office of Water (OW)<ref>{{cite web |url = http://www.epa.gov/aboutepa/ow.html |title = About the Office of Water |publisher = EPA |date = November 17, 2010 |access-date = April 22, 2012 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120501133930/http://www.epa.gov/aboutepa/ow.html |archive-date = May 1, 2012 |url-status = live}}</ref> which, {{As of|2017|3|lc=y}}, consisted of:<ref>{{cite web|url = https://www.epa.gov/aboutepa/about-office-water#wetlands |title = About the Office of Water |publisher = EPA |date = January 29, 2013 |access-date = March 20, 2017 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20170320233011/https://www.epa.gov/aboutepa/about-office-water#wetlands |archive-date = March 20, 2017|url-status = live}}</ref>

** Office of Ground Water and Drinking Water (OGWDW)

** Office of Wastewater Management (OWM)

** Office of Wetlands, Oceans and Watersheds (OWOW)

===Regions===

[[File:Regions of the United States EPA.svg|thumb|The administrative regions of the United States Environmental Protection Agency]]

=====Mobile source standards=====

* [[Clean Air Act (United States)#On-road vehicles regulations|On-road vehicles regulation]]

* [[Clean Air Act (United States)#Non-road vehicles regulations|Non-road vehicle regulation]] (including aircraft, locomotives, marine transport, stationary engines)

====Land, waste and cleanup====

* '''Regulation of solid waste (non-hazardous) and hazardous waste under RCRA.''' To implement the 1976 law, EPA published standards in 1979 for "sanitary" [[landfill]]s that receive [[Resource Conservation and Recovery Act#Subtitle D: Non-hazardous Solid Wastes|municipal solid waste]].<ref>EPA (1979-09-13). "Criteria for Classification of Solid Waste Disposal Facilities and Practices; Final rule." ''Federal Register,'' {{USFR|44|53438}}</ref> The agency published national [[Resource Conservation and Recovery Act#Subtitle C: "Cradle to Grave" requirements for hazardous waste|hazardous waste regulations]] and established a nationwide permit and tracking system for managing hazardous waste. The system is largely managed by state agencies under EPA authorization. Standards were issued for [[Resource Conservation and Recovery Act#Treatment, storage, and disposal facility permits|waste treatment, storage and disposal facilities]] (TSDFs), and ocean dumping of waste was prohibited.<ref name = "RCRA 25 years">{{cite report |title = 25 Years of RCRA: Building on Our Past To Protect Our Future |url = https://nepis.epa.gov/Exe/ZyPURL.cgi?Dockey=10000MAO.txt |date = April 2002 |publisher = EPA |id = EPA 530-K-02-027 |access-date = March 21, 2021 |archive-date = April 16, 2021 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20210416020325/https://nepis.epa.gov/Exe/ZyPURL.cgi?Dockey=10000MAO.txt |url-status = live }}</ref>{{rp|2–4}} In 1984 Congress passed the Hazardous and Solid Waste Amendments (HSWA) which expanded several aspects of the RCRA program:<ref>United States. Hazardous and Solid Waste Amendments of 1984. {{uspl|98|616}} Approved November 8, 1984.</ref>

* '''Hazardous site cleanup.''' In the late 1970s, the need to clean up sites such as [[Love Canal]] that had been highly contaminated by previous hazardous waste disposal became apparent. However the existing regulatory environment depended on owners or operators to perform environmental control. While the EPA attempted to use RCRA's section 7003 to perform this cleanup, it was clear a new law was needed. In 1980, Congress passed the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA), commonly known as "Superfund".<ref>United States. Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980. {{uspl|96|510}}, approved December 11, 1980. {{USC|42|9601}} ''et seq.''</ref> This law enabled the EPA to cast a wider net for responsible parties, including past or present generators and transporters as well as current and past owners of the site to find funding. The act also established some funding and a tax mechanism on certain industries to help fund such cleanup. Congress did not renew the Superfund tax in the 1990s, and subsequently funding for cleanup actions was supported only by general appropriations. Congress restored an excise tax on chemical manufacturers in 2021, which will eventually increase the available budget for site cleanups.<ref name = "infrastructure act 2021"/> Today, due to restricted funding, most cleanup activities are performed by responsible parties under the oversight of the EPA and states. {{As of|2016}}, more than 1,700 sites had been put on the cleanup list since the creation of the program. Of these, 370 sites have been cleaned up and removed from the list, cleanup is underway at 535, cleanup facilities have been constructed at 790 but need to be operated in the future, and 54 are not yet in cleanup stage.<ref name="Voltaggio-2019" />{{Update inline|date=March 2023}}

* EPA's '''oil spill prevention program''' includes the Spill Prevention, Control, and Countermeasure (SPCC) and the Facility Response Plan (FRP) rules. The SPCC Rule applies to all facilities that store, handle, process, gather, transfer, refine, distribute, use or consume oil or oil products. Oil products includes petroleum and non-petroleum oils as well as: animal fats, oils and greases; fish and marine mammal oils; and vegetable oils. It mandates a written plan for facilities that store more than 1,320 gallons of fuel above ground or more than 42,000 gallons below-ground, and which might discharge to navigable waters (as defined in the Clean Water Act) or adjoining shorelines. [[Secondary spill containment]] is mandated at oil storage facilities and oil release containment is required at oil development sites.<ref>{{Cite web |url = https://www.epa.gov/oil-spills-prevention-and-preparedness-regulations |title = Oil Spills Prevention and Preparedness Regulations |date = March 7, 2017 |publisher = EPA |access-date = March 14, 2017 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20170314063148/https://www.epa.gov/oil-spills-prevention-and-preparedness-regulations |archive-date = March 14, 2017 |url-status = live }}</ref>

* [[Environmental history of the United States]]

* [[Environmental policy of the United States]]

* [[List of EPA whistleblowers]]