EPA Releases Draft Strategic Plan for Comment

The EPA has made available and is accepting public comment on the Draft FY 2011-2015 EPA Strategic Plan, which will be submitted to Congress on September 30.

“The Strategic Plan provides the Agency's long-term direction and strategies to improve environmental and human health over the next five years,” the agency said.  

ACWA plans to submit comments on the plan, which discusses EPA's plans to begin focusing on drinking water contaminants as groups instead of as one-by-one, and the importance of ensuring compliance by small and rural communities.

The document lists five strategic goals: taking action on climate change and improving air quality; protecting America’s waters; cleaning up our communities; ensuring the safety of chemicals and preventing pollution; and enforcing environmental laws.  It also addresses “cross-cutting fundamental strategies” and strategic measurement framework goals.

In her message at the beginning of the report, EPA Administrator Lisa P. Jackson says, “The year 2010 marks the EPA’s 40th anniversary.  It is a moment of celebration but also a moment when we face some of the most complex and far-reaching environmental challenges in the history of our agency, our nation and our planet.  It is critical that we work harder and smarter and look further ahead.”

The public comment period will close on July 30, 2010.  The EPA is also encouraging the public to participate in a discussion of the plan in an online forum it has created.

The plan and information about the comment process are available here.  The related Federal Register announcement can be found here.