US ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY REGION
5
The mission of the Environmental Protection Agency is to protect
human health and the environment. Since 1970, EPA has been working
for a cleaner, healthier environment for the American people.
Who We Are
EPA employs 17,000 people across the country, including our
headquarters offices in Washington, DC, 10 regional offices,
and more than a dozen labs. Our staff are highly educated and
technically trained; more than half are engineers, scientists,
and policy analysts. In addition, a large number of employees
are legal, public affairs, financial, information management
and computer specialists. EPA is led by the Administrator, who
is appointed by the President of the United States.
What We Do
EPA leads the nation's environmental science, research, education
and assessment efforts.
Develop and enforce regulations:
EPA sets national standards for environmental programs, and
delegates to states and tribes the responsibility for issuing
permits and for monitoring and enforcing compliance. Where national
standards are not met, EPA can issue sanctions and take other
steps to assist the states and tribes in reaching the desired
levels of environmental quality.
Offer financial assistance: Between 40 and 50
percent of EPA's enacted budgets provide direct support through
grants to environmental programs of States, non-profits and
educational institutions. They support research that will improve
the scientific basis for decisions on national environmental
issues and help EPA achieve its goals
Perform environmental research:
The Agency works to assess environmental conditions and to identify,
understand, and solve current and future environmental problems
and provide leadership in addressing emerging environmental
issues and in advancing the science and technology of risk assessment
and risk management.
Sponsor voluntary partnerships and programs:
The Agency headquarters and regional offices work with over
10,000 industries, businesses, non-profit organizations, and
state and local governments, on over 40 voluntary pollution
prevention programs and energy conservation efforts. Partners
set voluntary pollution-management goals. In return, EPA provides
incentives like vital public recognition and access to emerging
information.
Further environmental education: EPA
advances educational efforts to develop an environmentally conscious
and responsible public, and to inspire personal responsibility
in caring for the environment.
Publish information: Through
written materials and this Web site, EPA informs the public
about our activities.
Region 5 Priorities
The priorities for the Midwest and Great Lakes derive from the
Administrator's action plan; the Agency's emerging work in Eco-Regions;
joint priorities negotiated with states and tribes and finally,
the measures used to track the Region's annual performance.
In addressing these priorities, Region 5 will ensure that decisions
and actions are consistent with the Administrator's principles
of Results and Accountability; Innovation and Collaboration
and Best Available Science. In keeping with the principles,
the Region, through partnerships with state, tribal and local
environmental regulators, will work to protect human health
and the environment by fostering stewardship and furthering
voluntary efforts while ensuring compliance with environmental
laws through assistance and vigorous enforcement.
Air
·Expand the use of biofuels and reduce diesel emissions through
retrofit and other technologies
·Address NAAQS non-attainment for ozone and PM 2.5
·Ensure timely and streamlined permitting for domestic energy
projects
·Protect communities from hazardous air pollutants
Water
·Protect and restore watersheds, using voluntary and regulatory
approaches, especially through partnerships with agriculture
·Enhance water quality monitoring programs to:
·Protect public health and restore lakes and rivers for recreation;
Land
·Reduce the incidence of childhood lead poisoning;
·Promote stewardship through increased re-source conservation
and voluntary conservation programs
·Clean up spills, facilitate the restoration of contaminated
properties and accelerate their return to productive use
Multi-Media
·Meet Agency commitments to the Great Lakes Regional Collaboration
·Improve regional disaster and homeland security planning, preparedness
and response capabilities
·Implement programs in Indian country while continuing to build
Tribal capacity
Human Capital
·The Region's systems and organizational structures support
its employees in accomplishing the Agency's strategic goals
·Attract and retain a diverse and talented workforce
·Help the Region's highly capable employees perform to their
highest potential
·Ensure that employees at all levels are results-focused, act
with integrity and help to improve environmental programs through
innovation, creativity and reasonable risk-taking
·Teamwork and collaboration are routinely practiced with internal
and external customers
