November 8, 2017

EPA’s Draft FY 2018–2022 Strategic Plan Released

The Government Performance and Results Act Modernization Act of 2010 holds federal agencies accountable for using resources wisely and achieving program results. Specifically, the law requires agencies to develop strategic plans that 1) include a mission statement; 2) set out long-term goals, objectives, and strategic measures; and 3) describe strategies to achieve them over a four-year time frame.

EPA has released its Draft FY 2018–2022 EPA Strategic Plan that reflects the administrator’s priorities for advancing the agency’s mission to protect human health and the environment. The 38-page plan sets out three strategic goals:

Core mission—deliver real results to provide Americans with clean air, land, and water.
Cooperative federalism—rebalance the power between Washington and the states to create tangible environmental results for the American people.
Rule of law and process—administer the law, as Congress intended, to refocus the agency on its statutory obligations under the law.

Waste Management Measures

While the strategic plan addresses all media, we will focus on the waste management strategic measures. To achieve the first goal above, two measures are identified: 1) making additional brownfield, Superfund, and RCRA corrective action sites ready for anticipated use; and 2) completing additional leaking underground storage tank cleanups to meet risk-based standards for human exposure and ground-water migration.

Strategies identified to achieve the objective of land revitalization and contamination prevention include:

Updating and improving the efficiency of the RCRA hazardous waste regulations and supporting state hazardous waste permitting efforts.
Implementing the hazardous waste electronic manifest system.
Helping states develop plans and permit programs for coal ash disposal.

The agency anticipates that its final strategic plan will be submitted to Congress in February 2018. Although the comment period has expired, you may still download EPA’s Draft FY 2018–2022 Strategic Plan, dated October 2, 2017. You may also access the Docket Folder which contains supporting documents and public comments.

McCoy and Associates has provided in-depth information to assist environmental professionals with complex compliance issues since 1982. Our seminars and publications are widely trusted by environmental professionals for their consistent quality, clarity, and comprehensiveness.

Disclaimer

Considerable care has been exercised in preparing this document; however, McCoy and Associates, Inc. makes no representation, warranty, or guarantee in connection with the publication of this information. McCoy and Associates, Inc. expressly disclaims any liability or responsibility for loss or damage resulting from its use or for the violation of any federal, state, or municipal law or regulation with which this information may conflict. McCoy and Associates, Inc. does not undertake any duty to ensure the continued accuracy of this information.

This document addresses issues of a general nature related to the federal environmental regulations. Persons evaluating specific circumstances dealing with the environmental regulations should review state and local laws and regulations, which may be more stringent than federal requirements. In addition, the assistance of a qualified professional should be enlisted to address any site-specific circumstances.