In a recent memorandum to her staff, Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lisa Jackson outlined the seven priorities that “will guide our work in 2010 and the years ahead.” Calling them challenges and opportunities, the Administrator detailed the following themes as focal points for EPA’s work:
Taking Action on Climate Change: Focus will continue to be on greenhouse gas reduction initiatives, enactment of the clean energy and climate legislation, finalization of the mobile source rules, and development of common-sense solutions for reducing GHG emissions from large stationary sources.
Improving Air Quality: Work will be the development of a comprehensive strategy for a cleaner and more efficient power sector, stronger emission reduction goals for SO2, NOx, mercury, and other air toxics, stronger ambient air standards for pollutants like PM, SO2 and NO2, reductions in air emissions from a broad range of industrial facilities and stronger health assessments on dioxins, arsenic, formaldehyde, TCE and others.
Cleaning Up Communities: Focus will be to accelerate strategy for Brownfield program, and enhance strategies for the Superfund program.
Protecting America’s Waters: Efforts will be to continue the watershed protection programs for the Chesapeake Bay and Great Lakes. EPA will initiate programs to address post-construction runoff, water quality impairment from surface mining, and the development stronger water quality protection.
Expanding Environmentalism and Environmental Justice: Thrust of the work will be to include environmental justice policies in all policy decisions, increase protection of vulnerable subpopulation groups, and revitalize the Children’s Health Office.
Strengthening Tribal Partnerships: Focus will be the development of stronger partnerships with state and tribal governments and stronger state and tribal environmental protection.
Improving EPA’s Internal Organization: EPA efforts will be to enhance internal operations.
