FY 2022-2026 EPA Strategic Plan
                                     Draft

                                October 1, 2021

Table of Contents
Administrator Regan's Message (Placeholder)	3
Introduction	4
Goal 1: Tackle the Climate Crisis	7
Objective 1.1: Reduce Emissions that Cause Climate Change	8
Objective 1.2: Accelerate Resilience and Adaptation to Climate Change Impacts	14
Objective 1.3: Advance International and Subnational Climate Efforts	17
Goal 2: Take Decisive Action to Advance Environmental Justice and Civil Rights	20
Objective 2.1: Promote Environmental Justice and Civil Rights at the Federal, Tribal, State, and Local Levels	22
Objective 2.2: Embed Environmental Justice and Civil Rights into EPA's Programs, Policies, and Activities	25
Objective 2.3: Strengthen Civil Rights Enforcement in Communities with Environmental Justice Concerns	29
Goal 3: Enforce Environmental Laws and Ensure Compliance	31
Objective 3.1: Hold Environmental Violators and Responsible Parties Accountable	32
Objective 3.2: Detect Violations and Promote Compliance	35
Goal 4: Ensure Clean and Healthy Air for All Communities	38
Objective 4.1: Improve Air Quality and Reduce Localized Pollution and Health Impacts	39
Objective 4.2: Reduce Exposure to Radiation and Improve Indoor Air	43
Goal 5: Ensure Clean and Safe Water for All Communities	46
Objective 5.1: Ensure Safe Drinking Water and Reliable Water Infrastructure	47
Objective 5.2: Protect and Restore Waterbodies and Watersheds	52
Goal 6: Safeguard and Revitalize Communities	57
Objective 6.1: Clean Up and Restore Land for Productive Uses and Healthy Communities	59
Objective 6.2: Reduce Waste and Prevent Environmental Contamination	63
Objective 6.3: Prepare for and Respond to Environmental Emergencies	66
Goal 7: Ensure Safety of Chemicals for People and the Environment	68
Objective 7.1: Ensure Chemical and Pesticide Safety	69
Objective 7.2: Promote Pollution Prevention	73
Cross-Agency Strategies	76
Cross-Agency Strategy 1: Ensure Scientific Integrity and Science-Based Decision Making	77
Cross-Agency Strategy 2: Consider the Health of Children at All Life Stages and Other Vulnerable Populations	81
Cross-Agency Strategy 3: Advance EPA's Organizational Excellence and Workforce Equity	84
Cross-Agency Strategy 4: Strengthen Tribal, State, and Local Partnerships and Enhance Engagement	89
Draft Learning Agenda	94
Draft Capacity Assessment	106

                 Administrator Regan's Message (Placeholder)
[Placeholder]
                                 Introduction
EPA Mission
To Protect Human Health and the Environment
Principles
Follow the Science
Follow the Law
Be Transparent
Advance Justice and Equity
Strategic Goals
Goal 1: Tackle the Climate Crisis
Goal 2: Take Decisive Action to Advance Environmental Justice and Civil Rights
Goal 3: Enforce Environmental Laws and Ensure Compliance
Goal 4: Ensure Clean and Healthy Air for All Communities
Goal 5: Ensure Clean and Safe Water for All Communities
Goal 6: Safeguard and Revitalize Communities
Goal 7: Ensure Safety of Chemicals for People and the Environment
Cross-Agency Strategies
Strategy 1: Ensure Scientific Integrity and Science-Based Decision Making
Strategy 2: Consider the Health of Children at All Life Stages and Other Vulnerable Populations
Strategy 3: Advance EPA's Organizational Excellence and Workforce Equity
Strategy 4: Strengthen Tribal, State, and Local Partnerships and Enhance Engagement
EPA Mission
To Protect Human Health and the Environment
Principles
Follow the Science
Follow the Law
Be Transparent
Advance Justice and Equity
Strategic Goals
Goal 1: Tackle the Climate Crisis
Goal 2: Take Decisive Action to Advance Environmental Justice and Civil Rights
Goal 3: Enforce Environmental Laws and Ensure Compliance
Goal 4: Ensure Clean and Healthy Air for All Communities
Goal 5: Ensure Clean and Safe Water for All Communities
Goal 6: Safeguard and Revitalize Communities
Goal 7: Ensure Safety of Chemicals for People and the Environment
Cross-Agency Strategies
Strategy 1: Ensure Scientific Integrity and Science-Based Decision Making
Strategy 2: Consider the Health of Children at All Life Stages and Other Vulnerable Populations
Strategy 3: Advance EPA's Organizational Excellence and Workforce Equity
Strategy 4: Strengthen Tribal, State, and Local Partnerships and Enhance Engagement
EPA's FY 2022-2026 Strategic Plan communicates the Agency's priorities and provides the roadmap for achieving its mission to protect human health and the environment. In this Strategic Plan, the Agency renews its commitment to the three principles articulated by William Ruckelshaus, who served as the EPA's first Administrator (1970  -  1973, and then again from 1983  -  1985), to: follow the science, follow the law, and be transparent. The Agency also adds a fourth foundational principle: advance justice and equity. We add this principle to infuse the consistent and systematic fair, just, and impartial treatment of all individuals into all EPA policies, practices, and programs. These principles form the basis of the Agency's culture and will guide our operations and decision making now and into the future. Building on work already begun under President Biden's Executive Orders (E.O.s) 13985: Advancing Racial Equity and Support for Underserved Communities Through the Federal Government and 14008: Tackling the Climate Crisis at Home and Abroad, and in alignment with the Administration's whole-of-government approach, we are charting a course in this Strategic Plan where tackling climate change and advancing environmental justice and civil rights are integral to all we do in carrying out EPA's mission. In accordance with these priorities, we have established new strategic goals on addressing climate change and environmental justice to signal the importance of these issues. We will embed this focus into the work we do to carry out our five programmatic strategic goals for enforcement and compliance, air quality, water quality, land revitalization, and chemical safety.
Our four cross-agency strategies describe the essential ways EPA will carry out our mission. These strategies include reinforcing science as foundational to Agency decision making; protecting children's environmental health; building back EPA's workforce with particular attention to equity and enhancing mission-support functions to achieve organizational excellence; and renewing our commitment to EPA's trust responsibility to Tribal nations and our engagement with Tribal, state, and local government partners, stakeholders, the regulated community, and the public.
EPA's Strategic Plan includes a suite of long-term performance goals (LTPGs) that reflect the quantifiable outcomes we will achieve for each strategic objective and cross-agency strategy by 2026. LTPGs will help us understand, monitor, and tell the story of progress we are making to partners and external stakeholders, Agency employees, and the public.
In addition, we have identified three FY 2022-2023 Agency Priority Goals (APGs), which are intended to jumpstart actions and showcase progress toward Administrator Regan's priorities:
 Phase down the production and consumption of hydrofluorocarbons;
 Clean up contaminated sites and invest in water infrastructure to enhance the livability and economic vitality of overburdened and underserved communities; and
 HUD and EPA will reduce exposure to lead to protect families, particularly children, in overburdened and underserved communities.
For the first time, EPA's Strategic Plan incorporates a Learning Agenda and Capacity Assessment, consistent with the requirements of the Foundations for Evidence-Based Policymaking Act of 2018. Our goal is to achieve a culture of evidence-building, continuous learning, and evaluation in our operations and decisions. The Learning Agenda will address key questions across priority areas by leveraging high-quality data. The Capacity Assessment will guide our efforts to develop the skills, expertise, and infrastructure that support routine, rigorous use of data. We also identified emerging issues and external factors for consideration in developing strategies to carry out the Plan. This included strategic foresight horizon scanning, which involved literature reviews and interviews with experts to identify emerging issues on selected topics.
Engaging with our Tribal, federal, state, and local government partners and our many stakeholders is an integral part of strategic planning. For the first time, we conducted early outreach prior to issuance of the Draft Plan. Through this engagement, we sought to understand what matters most to our Tribal and state partners and stakeholders as we work to achieve EPA's mission and find ways we can work together to achieve our goals. We issued a Federal Register notice and used www.regulations.gov to encourage and share feedback on the Draft Plan. We sent notification of the availability of the Draft Plan for review to over ## organizations and individuals. We also initiated consultation with our Tribal partners and Congress.
                       Goal 1: Tackle the Climate Crisis
 Objective 1.1: Reduce Emissions that Cause Climate Change
 Objective 1.2: Accelerate Resilience and Adaptation to Climate Change Impacts
 Objective 1.3: Advance International and Subnational Climate Efforts
Goal 2: Take Decisive Action to Advance Environmental Justice and Civil Rights
 Objective 2.1: Promote Environmental Justice and Civil Rights at the Federal, Tribal, State, and Local Levels
 Objective 2.2: Embed Environmental Justice and Civil Rights into EPA's Programs, Policies, and Activities
 Objective 2.3: Strengthen Civil Rights Enforcement in Communities with Environmental Justice Concerns
Goal 3: Enforce Environmental Laws and Ensure Compliance
 Objective 3.1: Hold Environmental Violators and Responsible Parties Accountable
 Objective 3.2: Detect Violations and Promote Compliance
Goal 4: Ensure Clean and Healthy Air for All Communities
 Objective 4.1: Improve Air Quality and Reduce Localized Pollution and Health Impacts
 Objective 4.2: Reduce Exposure to Radiation and Improve Indoor Air
Goal 5: Ensure Clean and Safe Water for All Communities
 Objective 5.1: Ensure Safe Drinking Water and Reliable Water Infrastructure
 Objective 5.2: Protect and Restore Waterbodies and Watersheds
Goal 6: Safeguard and Revitalize Communities
 Objective 6.1: Clean Up and Restore Land for Productive Uses and Healthy Communities
 Objective 6.2: Reduce Waste and Prevent Environmental Contamination
 Objective 6.3: Prepare for and Respond to Environmental Emergencies
Goal 7: Ensure Safety of Chemicals for People and the Environment
 Objective 7.1: Ensure Chemical and Pesticide Safety
 Objective 7.2: Promote Pollution Prevention

Goal 1: Tackle the Climate Crisis
 Objective 1.1: Reduce Emissions that Cause Climate Change
 Objective 1.2: Accelerate Resilience and Adaptation to Climate Change Impacts
 Objective 1.3: Advance International and Subnational Climate Efforts
Goal 2: Take Decisive Action to Advance Environmental Justice and Civil Rights
 Objective 2.1: Promote Environmental Justice and Civil Rights at the Federal, Tribal, State, and Local Levels
 Objective 2.2: Embed Environmental Justice and Civil Rights into EPA's Programs, Policies, and Activities
 Objective 2.3: Strengthen Civil Rights Enforcement in Communities with Environmental Justice Concerns
Goal 3: Enforce Environmental Laws and Ensure Compliance
 Objective 3.1: Hold Environmental Violators and Responsible Parties Accountable
 Objective 3.2: Detect Violations and Promote Compliance
Goal 4: Ensure Clean and Healthy Air for All Communities
 Objective 4.1: Improve Air Quality and Reduce Localized Pollution and Health Impacts
 Objective 4.2: Reduce Exposure to Radiation and Improve Indoor Air
Goal 5: Ensure Clean and Safe Water for All Communities
 Objective 5.1: Ensure Safe Drinking Water and Reliable Water Infrastructure
 Objective 5.2: Protect and Restore Waterbodies and Watersheds
Goal 6: Safeguard and Revitalize Communities
 Objective 6.1: Clean Up and Restore Land for Productive Uses and Healthy Communities
 Objective 6.2: Reduce Waste and Prevent Environmental Contamination
 Objective 6.3: Prepare for and Respond to Environmental Emergencies
Goal 7: Ensure Safety of Chemicals for People and the Environment
 Objective 7.1: Ensure Chemical and Pesticide Safety
 Objective 7.2: Promote Pollution Prevention

Strategic Goals and Objectives
Goal 1: Tackle the Climate Crisis
Cut pollution that causes climate change and increase the adaptive capacity of Tribes, states, territories, and communities.
Introduction
                                  Definitions
Climate change refers to changes in global or regional climate patterns attributed largely to human-caused increased levels of atmospheric greenhouse gases.
Climate change adaptation or climate adaptation means taking action to prepare for and adjust to both the current and projected impacts of climate change.
Climate change mitigation refers to actions limiting the magnitude and rate of future climate change by reducing greenhouse gas emissions and/or advancing nature-based solutions.
Adaptive capacity is the ability of a human or natural system to adjust to climate change (including climate variability and extremes) by moderating potential damages, taking advantage of opportunities, or coping with the consequences.
Climate resilience can be generally defined as the capacity of a system to maintain function in the face of stresses imposed by climate change and to adapt the system to be better prepared for future climate impacts.
                                  Definitions
Climate change refers to changes in global or regional climate patterns attributed largely to human-caused increased levels of atmospheric greenhouse gases.
Climate change adaptation or climate adaptation means taking action to prepare for and adjust to both the current and projected impacts of climate change.
Climate change mitigation refers to actions limiting the magnitude and rate of future climate change by reducing greenhouse gas emissions and/or advancing nature-based solutions.
Adaptive capacity is the ability of a human or natural system to adjust to climate change (including climate variability and extremes) by moderating potential damages, taking advantage of opportunities, or coping with the consequences.
Climate resilience can be generally defined as the capacity of a system to maintain function in the face of stresses imposed by climate change and to adapt the system to be better prepared for future climate impacts.
The impacts of climate change affect people in every region of the country, threatening lives and livelihoods and damaging infrastructure, ecosystems, and social systems. Global annually-averaged surface air temperature has increased by about 1.8°F (1.0°C) over the last 115 years (1901 - 2016), making this period the warmest in the history of modern civilization. The last few years have seen record-breaking, climate-related weather extremes; increased droughts, flooding, and wildfires; increasing surface, atmospheric, and oceanic temperatures; melting glaciers; diminishing snow cover; shrinking sea ice; rising sea levels; ocean acidification; and increasing atmospheric water vapor. Climate change also exacerbates existing pollution problems and environmental stressors impacting the nation's land, air, and water and the people who depend on them. Overburdened and underserved communities and individuals are particularly vulnerable to these impacts, including low-income communities and communities of color, children, the elderly, Tribes, and Indigenous people. In addition, climate-driven famine, property loss, mass migrations, human conflict, species extinctions, and ecosystem failures have significant humanitarian and national security implications.
EPA will take bold steps and align its actions to respond decisively to the climate crisis. As part of a whole-of-government approach, EPA must aggressively tackle the climate crisis by helping the nation reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and anticipate, prepare for, and adapt to or recover from the impacts of climate change. Policies to tackle climate change must address the disproportionate vulnerability of low-income communities and communities of color while also dealing with the legacy pollution those communities continue to endure.
Climate change is a global issue and domestic action must go hand in hand with international leadership. EPA will continue to share its expertise internationally, while learning from the expertise of others. EPA's programs will not only drive emissions reductions and resilience across the country but will help the U.S. to lead by example on the global stage and provide the foundation for science-based national and international climate mitigation and adaptation goals.

Objective 1.1: Reduce Emissions that Cause Climate Change
Aggressively reduce the emissions of greenhouse gases from all sectors while increasing energy and resource efficiency and the use of renewable energy.
Introduction
Greenhouse gases from human activities are the most significant driver of observed climate change since the mid-20th century. As GHG emissions from human activities increase, they build up in the atmosphere and warm the climate, leading to increasingly destructive changes around the world -- in the atmosphere, on land, and in the oceans. Steep and swift reductions in GHG emissions are essential to avoid the most catastrophic consequences of climate change.
With its regulatory authority, technical and programmatic expertise, and mission to protect human health and the environment, EPA can drive significant emissions reductions to mitigate climate change. EPA will cut emissions by exercising its authorities to regulate GHG pollutants, including carbon dioxide (CO2), methane, and hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), across key sectors. As a complement, EPA will accelerate private and public sector mitigation with partnership programs that address market barriers, encourage leadership, and support Tribal, state, and local governments' efforts to drive down emissions. Tackling the climate crisis will require deep gains in energy efficiency and deep decarbonization of buildings, transportation, and the power and industrial sectors. EPA will collaborate closely with stakeholders to drive energy efficiency, grid decarbonization, and zero emissions mobility.
EPA will publish GHG emissions data and apply tools such as the social cost of greenhouse gases (SC-GHGs), multipollutant analysis, reviews of environmental impact statements, permitting, and technical assistance. EPA also will increase recycling and decrease the use of resources. Together, these approaches will produce measurable reductions in GHG emissions.
Deep emission reductions will require significant transitions in technologies and energy systems that must be informed by community-level engagement, input, and analysis. Climate change is a crisis for the United States and the world, and EPA must respond accordingly and make the transition to a less carbon-intensive existence. EPA will take all measures within its authorities to speed this transition and will do so in a just, equitable, and inclusive manner.
Long-Term Performance Goals
 By September 30, 2026, promulgate final rules to reduce GHG emissions from light duty, medium-duty, and heavy-duty vehicles; electric utility generating units; and the oil and gas industry.
 By September 30, 2026, EPA's climate partnership programs will reduce expected annual greenhouse gas emissions by 533 million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent (MMTCO2e).

FY 2022-2023 Agency Priority Goal (APG)
 Phase down the production and consumption of Hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs). By September 30, 2023, annual U.S. consumption of hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) will be 10% below the baseline, consistent with the HFC phasedown schedule implemented under the American Innovation and Manufacturing (AIM) Act. The current U.S. consumption limit for 2023 is less than 273.5 million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent (MMTCO2e).
Strategies
As part of the Administration's comprehensive approach to tackling the climate crisis, EPA will act boldly to drive down GHG emissions and reduce future climate change impacts. EPA will ensure a robust process of engagement with communities that have historically experienced disproportionate exposure to pollution to ensure policy solutions begin to repair this harmful legacy.
Regulatory Approaches: EPA regulations will reduce the emissions of GHGs from mobile and stationary sources. Under the American Innovation and Manufacturing (AIM) Act of 2020, EPA will phase down the production and import of hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), which are highly potent GHGs commonly used in refrigerators, air conditioners, and many other applications. The AIM Act directs EPA to sharply reduce production and consumption of these harmful GHG pollutants by using an allowance allocation and trading program. EPA's implementation of the AIM Act will decrease the production and import of HFCs in the United States by 85 percent over the next 15 years. A global HFC phasedown is expected to avoid up to 0.5°C of global warming by 2100. EPA will also consider complementary regulations consistent with the AIM Act to require sector-based transitions away from high-Global Warming Potential (GWP) HFCs and establish additional HFC management requirements to further reduce use and emissions of HFCs.
The transportation sector is the largest source of GHG emissions in the United States. EPA will reduce GHGs from the two largest sources of GHG emissions in the transportation sector: light-duty and heavy-duty vehicles. EPA will set robust federal GHG emissions standards for passenger cars and light trucks to secure pollution reductions through Model Year (MY) 2026. EPA also will set standards for MY 2027 and beyond to speed the transition of the light-duty vehicle fleet toward a zero emissions future and will update air pollution standards for heavy-duty vehicles. The regulations will set the U.S. on a course to achieve aggressive reductions in GHG and other harmful pollutant emissions from highway transportation. EPA will drive GHG reductions while protecting fair competition in the marketplace by testing motor vehicles, heavy-duty engines, nonroad engines, and fuels that enter the U.S. market to certify they comply with federal clean air, GHG, and fuel economy standards. This will pave the way for faster adoption of zero-emission technologies and substantial improvements in air quality, particularly in communities living near heavily traveled corridors.
Electricity production generates the second largest share of greenhouse gas emissions. Approximately 62 percent of U.S. electricity comes from burning fossil fuels, mostly coal and natural gas. Executive Order 13990: Protecting Public Health and the Environment and Restoring Science to Tackle the Climate Crisis directs EPA to revise and address, as appropriate, the regulation of greenhouse gases from power plants under Section 111 of the Clean Air Act. Section 111(d) specifically provides states with a central role in developing plans to implement and enforce limits on pollution from existing sources, subject to emission guidelines issued by EPA. EPA will issue rules to reduce greenhouse gas pollution from fossil-fuel fired power plants and work closely with Tribes, states, and local agencies to implement them.
As part of the Administration's comprehensive approach to tackling the climate crisis, EPA will issue rules to reduce methane from oil and gas facilities. The oil and natural gas industry is the largest industrial source of U.S. emissions of methane, a potent greenhouse gas, and its facilities and operations also emit smog-forming volatile organic compounds and toxic air pollutants such as benzene. EPA will issue rules to reduce methane and other harmful pollutants from new and existing sources in the oil and natural gas industry. These actions meet the requirements of President Biden's Executive Order 13990 and are key steps toward EPA's commitment to deliver public health protections from methane pollution for communities across America.
Congress created the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) program to reduce GHG emissions and expand the nation's renewable fuels sector while reducing reliance on imported oil. The RFS program requires a certain volume of renewable fuel to replace or reduce the quantity of petroleum-based transportation fuel, heating oil, or jet fuel. EPA will continue to implement the RFS program, including the attendant credit trading systems. Separately, EPA will also continue work with partners on programs to control emissions from marine and aircraft engines.
EPA will facilitate net emission and air quality analyses of increased electric vehicle (EV) use.
Science and Disclosure: EPA will improve models of climate change impacts, including how risks and economic impacts can be reduced under mitigation and adaptation scenarios. The Agency will advance the scientific literature on climate impacts through the Climate Impacts and Risk Analysis (CIRA) project, quantifying and monetizing the risk of climate change on socially vulnerable populations and by making EPA's Climate Change Indicators website, which compiles key indicators related to the causes and effects of climate change, more accessible. EPA will also continue its role as a key contributor along with technical experts across the Federal Government to update estimates of the social cost of greenhouse gases to reflect the best available climate science and economics. This metric -- a range of estimates, in dollars, of the long-term damage imposed by one ton of greenhouse gas emissions -- combines climate science and economics to help policy makers and the public understand the benefits of reducing greenhouse gas emissions and account for those benefits in decision-making.
Under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and Clean Air Act Section 309, EPA will promote robust consideration of climate change mitigation, adaptation, and resilience in the reviews of proposed actions, such as federal land management actions, transportation projects, and publicly owned facility construction, as applicable. EPA fulfills its NEPA and Section 309 responsibilities, in part, by annually reviewing approximately 280 Environmental Impact Statements developed by other federal agencies. EPA will review the adequacy and acceptability of environmental impacts, including those related to climate change, and will identify and recommend appropriate measures to avoid and mitigate significant environmental impacts associated with each proposal.
EPA will continue to implement the U.S. Greenhouse Gas Reporting Program. Under this Clean Air Act regulatory program, EPA annually collects data from over 8,100 facilities from 41 large industrial source categories in the U.S. to support federal and state-level policy development; support regulatory development; and to share GHG emissions and supply data with stakeholders, including industry, state and local governments, academia, the research community, and the public in general.
EPA will continue compiling and publishing the annual Inventory of U.S. Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Sinks to fulfill U.S. treaty obligations, under Article 4 of the 1992 Framework Convention on Climate Change. The Inventory provides information on total annual U.S. emissions and removals by source, economic sector, and GHG. The Inventory is used to inform U.S. policy and for tracking progress towards the U.S. Nationally Determined Contribution under the Paris Agreement. EPA will continue to improve and refine inventory methodologies in areas such as oil and gas, land-use, and waste, consistent with Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) guidelines, and to meet upcoming Paris reporting requirements.
Market Drivers and Incentives: EPA's partnership programs will help the transition to a clean energy economy. These programs overcome market barriers, support state and local partners in the public and private sectors, and channel marketplace ingenuity towards climate action. Climate partnership programs will improve delivery of energy efficiency, transportation efficiency, clean energy, and heat mitigation solutions to communities. For example, EPA's domestic methane partnership programs will focus on advancing methane reductions from agriculture, coal mines, landfills, oil and gas systems, and municipal wastewater. ENERGY STAR will achieve significant and growing GHG reductions by promoting the adoption of cost-effective, energy-efficient technologies and practices and by working with state and local governments to improve efficiency in the residential, commercial, and industrial sectors. ENERGY STAR also supports equitable energy solutions that can deliver significant cost savings for low-income families and other underserved populations, prioritizing outreach to low-income populations on products that have the greatest potential to save energy and dollars. EPA will continue to provide tools, data, and technical expertise to help subnational governments implement clean energy policies and programs that reduce emissions, maximize co-benefits, and prioritize overburdened and underserved communities.
EPA will also continue to drive down emissions of black carbon. This component of particulate matter contributes the most to global warming when deposited on snow or ice, so it is important to prioritize emission sources that impact the Arctic. Domestically, our regulatory and voluntary programs will continue to reduce emissions from residential wood-burning appliances and diesel vehicles. New GHG regulations on light-duty and heavy-duty vehicles, described above, will further lower emissions of particles and black carbon. Also, implementation of the PM2.5 National Ambient Air Quality Standards will result in particulate matter and black carbon emission reductions in many areas designated as not attaining standards. Relative to 2013, EPA programs will lead to a 50% reduction in black carbon emissions by 2028. Globally, emissions from household energy/cookstoves are the largest controllable source of black carbon (>50%). Cookstove emissions also include methane and CO2. More than 3 billion low-income people around the world, including 600,000 low-income Americans, cook their food and/or heat their homes with open fires or with rudimentary stoves. EPA will work with domestic and international partners to reduce these exposures and address these inequities -- for example, by supporting cookstove design and performance standards and providing technical assistance to foster adoption of improved fuels and stoves. Domestically and globally, these regulations and programs will deliver both public health benefits by reduced exposure to particulate matter and climate change mitigation benefits.
EPA will reduce GHG emissions by promoting a circular economy, which minimizes extraction of finite resources, reduces waste and pollution, keeps products and materials in use, and regenerates natural systems. Extraction and processing of natural resources, including fossil fuels, biomass, minerals, and metals, comprise approximately 50 percent of global GHG emissions. For example, more than one-third of all available food in the United States goes uneaten, ends up in landfills, and produces methane. Investing in domestic recycling, as well as solid waste and food waste infrastructure, that supports a circular economy will help resources maintain their highest and best use and reduce GHG emissions. Through its National Recycling Strategy, EPA is working to develop a stronger, more resilient, and cost-effective U.S. municipal solid waste recycling system, a key component of a circular economy. By moving towards a system that designs out waste while being restorative to the environment, the United States will be positioned to find more productive and sustainable ways to extract, use, and manage materials and generate measurable GHG reductions. For more information about EPA efforts to reduce the environmental impacts of materials across their lifecycle, see Objective 6.2.

External Factors and Emerging Issues
Future GHG emissions levels and resulting impacts depend on many economic, political, and demographic factors as well as other emerging issues, some of which are described below.
 Transformation to Advanced Technology: There is an unprecedented transformation taking place in many highly-emitting GHG sectors, including more widespread adoption of electrified vehicles and other advanced technologies. To prepare for this change, EPA is investing in technologies to support anticipated future test requirements for light-duty and heavy-duty electric vehicles and is preparing for testing of hydrogen fuel cell technologies.
 Multi-Environmental Media Analytics: The interaction of rising temperatures due to climate change, more heat waves, and the heat island effect will be increasingly harmful to people's health and the air and water quality in communities. A rapid transition to low-carbon energy and transportation systems and the deployment of heat mitigation strategies will have cross-media impacts, and EPA will need to advance analytical efforts to better identify and evaluate these effects.
 Leveraging EPA Emission Expertise Internationally: High-level diplomatic efforts to increase climate mitigation may result in additional requests for EPA expertise related to quantifying current and projected future emissions, assessing mitigation options in other countries, and implementing programs and regulations. EPA is uniquely positioned to contribute to this effort given both its sectoral expertise and emission quantification and modeling tools.
Objective 1.2: Accelerate Resilience and Adaptation to Climate Change Impacts
Deliver targeted assistance to increase the resilience of Tribes, states, territories, and communities to the impacts of climate change.
Introduction
EPA is committed to taking necessary actions to anticipate, prepare for, adapt to, and recover from the impacts of climate change while advancing the climate resilience of Tribes, states, territories, and communities across the nation.
Climate change poses significant risks to EPA's ability to fulfill its mission and affects how it designs and implements its programs. EPA will ensure its programs, policies, rulemaking processes, enforcement and compliance assurance activities, and operations consider the current and future impacts of climate change and how those impacts will disproportionately affect overburdened and underserved communities. Through adaptation planning and implementation activities, EPA will continue to protect human health and the environment even as the climate changes.
EPA will provide targeted assistance to Tribes and Indigenous peoples, states, territories, local governments, communities, and businesses to transform their environmental programs, strengthen their adaptive capacity, and increase the resilience of the nation, with a particular focus on advancing environmental justice. This includes preparing for and responding to climate-related impacts and disasters (e.g., wildfires, extreme heat, droughts, floods, sea level rise and storm surge, and melting permafrost) and ensuring that infrastructure investments increase resilience to climate change.
EPA's commitments are part of a whole-of-government approach to pursue actions at home and abroad to avoid the most catastrophic impacts of climate change.
Long-Term Performance Goals
 By September 30, 2026, implement all priority actions in EPA's Climate Adaptation Action Plan and the 19 National Program and Regional Climate Adaptation Implementation Plans to account for the impacts of the changing climate on human health and the environment.
 By September 30, 2026, assist XX federally recognized Tribes to take action to anticipate, prepare for, adapt to, or recover from the impacts of climate change.
 By September 30, 2026, provide assistance to XX states, territories, local governments, and communities with environmental justice concerns to take action to anticipate, prepare for, adapt to, or recover from the impacts of climate change.
Strategies
In 2021, EPA issued a Policy Statement signed by Administrator Regan and a Climate Adaptation Action Plan, which advance Executive Order (E.O.) 14008: Tackling the Climate Crisis at Home and Abroad. EPA's Climate Adaptation Action Plan accelerates and focuses attention on five priority actions the Agency will take over the next four years to increase human and ecosystem resilience as the climate changes and disruptive impacts increase:
 Integrate climate adaptation into EPA programs, policies, rulemaking processes, and enforcement activities.
 Consult and partner with Tribes, states, territories, local governments, environmental justice organizations, community groups, businesses, and other federal agencies to strengthen adaptive capacity and increase the resilience of the nation, with a particular focus on advancing environmental justice.
 Implement measures to protect the Agency's workforce, facilities, critical infrastructure, supply chains, and procurement processes from the risks posed by climate change.
 Measure and evaluate performance.
 Identify and address climate adaptation science needs.
EPA will closely coordinate with other federal agencies on climate change adaptation challenges that cut across Agency jurisdictions to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the combined federal effort.
Integrating Climate Adaptation into EPA Programs, Policies, and Operations: EPA will implement 19 Climate Adaptation Implementation Plans developed by EPA programs and regions to align with and advance the five priorities in the 2021 EPA Adaptation Action Plan. Program and regional plans will build on progress to date and identify actions that integrate climate adaptation into remedies, permits, infrastructure investments, enforcement and compliance assistance, grants, loans, technical assistance, and operations. In addition, programs and regions will identify climate adaptation strategies, informed by the best available science, that deliver co-benefits for mitigation of GHG and other pollution, public health, economic growth and job creation, national security, and environmental justice -- all of which will be central to building a more resilient future.
Increasing Resilience of Tribes, States, and Communities: EPA will ensure its grants, loans, and technical assistance consider climate change to the greatest extent possible and help to empower communities across the nation and Tribes to anticipate, prepare for, adapt to, and recover from the impacts of climate change. Of particular concern is that the impacts of climate change across the U.S. and the world will not be distributed equally. Certain communities and individuals are particularly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change, including low-income communities, children, the elderly, communities of color, Tribal communities, and Indigenous people. EPA will actively engage with organizations representing overburdened and underserved communities, such as the National Environmental Justice Advisory Council and the Local Government Advisory Committee, with the goal of attaining a more equitable, just, and climate-resilient future.
EPA will work with Tribes and Indigenous communities, states, territories, local governments, environmental justice organizations, community groups, businesses, other federal agencies, and other partners to leverage existing efforts and provide targeted support to build adaptive capacity and resilience. For example, EPA will work with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to assist and support communities with disaster mitigation and recovery planning. In addition, EPA will collaborate with, support, and learn from international partners on climate adaptation and capacity building.
Climate Adaptation Literacy and Science: EPA will increase the climate literacy of EPA employees and Tribal, state, local, and community partners. EPA will equip staff and partners with an understanding of projected climate-related impacts and how to use climate adaptation tools to incorporate climate adaptation into decision making. EPA will develop, update, and expand its existing climate adaptation training modules to prioritize two primary goals: (1) to increase awareness about the importance of climate adaptation and encourage all EPA staff and partners to consider the changing climate in the normal course of business; and (2) to introduce specific methods and tools for integrating climate adaptation into decision-making processes.
EPA will support an Agencywide approach to identify and update priority climate adaptation research needs. EPA will advance a rigorous exploratory and applied climate adaptation science program by conducting climate-related research in its labs and centers, supporting research through its grants program, conducting policy-relevant assessments, communicating research and assessment results, and delivering innovative and sustainable solutions. EPA will coordinate and collaborate with other agencies and the scientific community to provide access to the best available science, technologies, and practices.
EPA will establish a central repository of information and tools related to climate adaptation to facilitate the ongoing sharing of information. EPA programs and regions will contribute to the repository by documenting adaptation integration methods that may also be applicable to others within the Agency or its partners. EPA will collaborate with other federal agencies to develop and maintain a means to ensure access to climate adaptation data by all staff and partners.
External Factors and Emerging Issues
Communities across the country are already feeling the impacts of climate change. More frequent and intense extreme weather and climate-related events, as well as changes in average climate conditions, are expected to continue to damage infrastructure, ecosystems, and social systems that provide essential benefits to communities and the nation. The increasing frequency of climate-related disruptions may stress already limited federal, Tribal  and state resources to support planning and preparedness to minimize long-term impacts.
The transformation required to integrate climate adaptation planning and preparedness into EPA's programs and operations also must be undertaken by EPA's Tribal, state, and local government partners. To anticipate, prepare for, adapt to, and recover from the impacts of climate change will require all levels of government to transform together.
There is an increasing need to measure community climate risk and resiliency so limited resources can be targeted most effectively; for example, to environmental justice communities at greatest risk. Data related to local impacts and effective actions to reduce risk are not consistent or widely available. This may limit the Agency's ability to identify and invest in the most vulnerable communities using the highest impact actions.
Objective 1.3: Advance International and Subnational Climate Efforts
Collaborate with Tribal, state, local, and international partners and provide leadership on the global stage to address climate change.
Introduction
Climate change is a global issue that has far-reaching human health, social, economic, and biodiversity impacts on the planet, with direct adverse effects in the United States. EPA is prioritizing efforts to help countries respond to the climate crisis by reducing domestic GHG emissions as well as increasing equitable adaptation and resiliency to climate change impacts. Building on EPA's responsibilities for protecting human health and the environment, EPA plays a critical role internationally by providing technical expertise, guidance, and capacity building to help countries set and meet ambitious GHG reductions, improve adaptive capacity, and strengthen climate governance.
E.O. 14008 directs federal agencies to develop plans for integrating climate considerations into their international work, as appropriate and consistent with applicable law. In response, EPA developed an International Climate Strategy Plan to advance climate assistance internationally at the Tribal/Indigenous, national, city, and local levels and provide leadership on the global stage to address climate change.
EPA support will increase partner countries' abilities to integrate climate change mitigation and adaptation actions and information into their relevant domestic policy and engagement decisions. This is consistent with the Agency's domestic climate work and its mission to protect human health and the environment, including from transboundary pollution sources.
Long-Term Performance Goal
 By September 30, 2026, undertake at least 40 international climate engagements that result in an individual partner commitment or action to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, adapt to climate change, or improve resilience in a manner that promotes equity.
Strategies
EPA's International Climate Strategy Plan outlines activities where EPA can contribute to help address the global climate crisis. These activities include a focus on overburdened and underserved communities that are most susceptible to impacts from climate change and may be disproportionately affected by climate change mitigation and adaptation actions. To achieve the goals of E.O. 14008, EPA will promote tools and initiate capacity building and technical assistance programs in countries where EPA expects to have the greatest potential to impact the following issues:
 Reducing potent climate forcers: black carbon, methane, ozone, and hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs).
 Improving household and commercial energy efficiency.
 Reducing GHG emissions from the transport sector.
 Improving integrated air quality management.
 Supporting fulfillment of commitments under the Paris Agreement and other international climate related agreements.
 Strengthening climate governance through a suite of model laws, regulations, partnerships, and strategies that build country capacity to strengthen, implement, and enforce domestic policies.
 Boosting national and local adaptation and resilience strategies to the impacts of climate change in an equitable and just manner.
 Supporting resource efficiency actions to reduce GHG emissions from overlooked sources.
Reducing Potent Climate Forcers with Near-Term Benefits: EPA will partner with other countries to establish a global methane emissions reduction goal and will provide technical assistance to build capacity for countries to meet that goal. EPA will also partner with the European Union and INTERPOL to reduce illegal trading of hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) through improved international tracking and capacity-building activities. EPA will help countries reduce global black carbon emissions from solid fuel combustion to meet household energy needs (e.g., cooking, heating) by partnering with international organizations such as the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP), Climate and Clean Air Coalition (CCAC), and the Clean Cooking Alliance (CCA), to enable transitions to clean energy sources through research and capacity-building programs.
Improving Household and Commercial Energy Efficiency: To address the rapidly expanding use of air conditioning and refrigeration globally, EPA will collaborate with international organizations such as UNEP to provide technical assistance to draft energy efficient cooling standards and permitting requirements for air conditioning and refrigeration. EPA will collaborate with international organizations, including the International Organization for Standards (ISO), to provide countries with information and technical assistance on efficiency and emissions standards to improve the energy efficiency of residential and commercial appliances. EPA will share tools and information on various solid waste management practices and their associated GHG reductions to help incentivize commercial industries to reduce GHG emissions.
Reducing GHG Emissions from the Transportation Sector: EPA will collaborate with international organizations such as UNEP to equip countries with information, knowledge, and tools needed as they transition to zero emissions transportation and improve efficiency of their vehicle fleets. EPA will collaborate with international organizations, such as the International Maritime Organization (IMO), to provide tools and technical assistance for priority countries, including helping them reach the IMO's goal of zero emissions from international shipping by 2050. EPA will also continue working with the International Civil Aviation Authority (ICAO) on programs to control emissions from aircraft.
Improving Integrated Air Quality Management, including Consideration of Clean Air and Climate Co-Benefits and GHG Modeling, Monitoring, and Reporting: EPA will provide tools to countries to improve GHG modeling, monitoring, and reporting. EPA will partner with UN bodies such as the Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) and the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) to improve data and methods for specific source inventories and improve countries' national GHG inventory software. This assistance is in support of national requirements for reporting and review of GHG emissions inventories under the Paris Agreement.
Strengthening Climate Governance and Equity at All Levels of Government: EPA will provide climate and equity governance capacity building and technical assistance to help countries develop, implement, and enforce laws, regulations, partnerships, and policies to reduce GHG emissions, enforce climate regulations, and adapt to climate impacts in pursuit of the goals of the Paris Agreement in a manner that engages and protects vulnerable and underserved communities. This work will also improve adaptive capacity and mitigation strategies of countries at all levels of government, including subnational governments and vulnerable and underserved communities. EPA will also provide technical assistance to countries to help address the social impacts of GHG emissions.
Boosting Strategies for National and Local Adaptation and Resilience: EPA will engage internationally to assist countries with planning, monitoring, and managing climate change adaptation and resilience strategies, factoring in equity for vulnerable and underserved communities. This includes sharing information and technical assistance on adaptation and resilience strategies for protecting vulnerable coastal ecosystems, building resilient water infrastructure, managing flood and fire risk, and mitigating public health impacts of natural disasters and other extreme weather events.
Supporting Resource Efficiency Actions to Reduce GHG Emissions from Overlooked Sources: EPA will collaborate with international organizations to provide technical assistance to help countries assess environmental, economic, and social impacts of the production and consumption of goods and services, including food loss and waste. This assistance will use models to incorporate GHG emission factors in the evaluation of options for inputs and outputs to the supply chain and to increase the resilience of their economic and natural resource systems. EPA will collaborate with multilateral partners to provide tools and information for countries and the private sector in mineral supply-chain transparency for critical minerals and rare-earth metals to incentivize climate-friendly decisions that shape more sustainable industrial processes.
External Factors and Emerging Issues
EPA cannot control how countries will use the Agency's climate change tools and information, capacity-building trainings and guidance, and technical assistance to develop and implement climate governance regulations and policy to reduce GHG emissions. Ongoing COVID-19 travel restrictions could limit in-country activities around the world.
EPA will target all engagement and technical assistance toward countries where EPA expects to have the greatest potential impact and where EPA can leverage the work of other departments or agencies, as appropriate. These expectations are predicated on the experience of past successes with bilateral engagements and with existing multilateral agreements or partnerships, or with countries otherwise identified by the White House's Special Presidential Envoy for Climate.

Goal 2: Take Decisive Action to Advance Environmental Justice and Civil Rights
Achieve tangible progress for historically overburdened and underserved communities and ensure the fair treatment and meaningful involvement of all people regardless of race, color, national origin, or income in developing and implementing environmental laws, regulations, and policies.
Introduction
EPA will center its mission on the integration of justice, equity, and civil rights across the nation's environmental protection enterprise. By doing so, EPA will advance the promise of clean air, clean water, and safe land to the many communities across the country that have not received the full benefits from EPA's decades of progress. Centering its work on justice is especially important in an era when EPA must simultaneously break the cycle of historic environmental injustices while maximizing protection for these same communities as they are too often are hit worst and first from the impacts of a changing climate.
EPA's ultimate goal of centering its mission on these priorities is to achieve measurable environmental, public health, and quality of life improvements in the most overburdened, vulnerable, and underserved communities. Achieving this goal will require significant transformations in how EPA understands and implements its work, including how EPA prioritizes program resources, allocates funding, implements statutory authorities, and engages the communities most affected by environmental and public health threats, especially as the climate changes. Critical to achieving this goal is for EPA to proactively engage with Tribes, states, and local governments to discuss and address disproportionate impacts through their implementation of EPA authorities and engage in meaningful joint planning with communities to advance community visions and priorities.
The vigorous enforcement of civil rights is also key to addressing historical and systemic barriers. These efforts lead to more responsible and equitable siting and permitting decisions by recipients of EPA funding; reductions in racial and ethnic disparities in levels of air pollutants and exposure to toxins; reductions in racial and ethnic disparities in access to clean and reliable water infrastructure that are free of lead and other toxins; reductions in racial and ethnic disparities among communities enduring mismanaged solid waste programs and processes; increased access to other environmental resources such as green spaces; better health outcomes in impacted communities; and increased public participation in critical decision making.
EPA will work to increase the capacity of communities and Tribes working to address environmental justice and civil right concerns; embed environmental justice and civil rights in the Agency's core work; and strengthen civil right enforcement in communities overburdened by pollution.
This goal consists of three objectives for furthering equity, justice, and civil rights across EPA's policies, programs, and activities. The first focuses on EPA's ability to advance this priority outside of EPA  --  through the support the Agency provides directly to communities, EPA's direct implementation of Federal environmental programs, and the implementation of these programs by co-regulators. The second objective focuses on advancing equity, justice, and civil rights through EPA's internal program activities such as reviewing state permitting actions, responding to emergencies, and cleaning up contamination. EPA recognizes that while the environmental justice and external civil rights programs and their authorities are distinct, they share a deep connection and ability to reinforce and leverage one another to make significant progress in addressing disproportionate adverse impacts burdening communities. For example, civil rights laws, taken together with EPA's environmental justice efforts, can effectively target disparities in exposure to pollution on the basis of race, color, national origin, and other characteristics such as disability. The final objective focuses on EPA's commitment to strengthen the External Civil Rights Office and its ability to enforce federal civil rights laws to their fullest extent, including by fully implementing its authority to conduct affirmative investigations in overburdened communities, issue policy guidance, and secure timely and effective resolutions to address discrimination.
Furthermore, this goal sets targets that align closely with Administration priorities set forth in Executive Orders (E.O.s) 13985: Advancing Racial Equity and Support for Underserved Communities Through the Federal Government and 14008: Tackling the Climate Crisis at Home and Abroad. Both Executive Orders require that EPA develop implementation plans to ensure that underserved communities and individuals have full, fair, and equitable access to the benefits of the Agency's programs. The actions in these upcoming plans will be developed to help achieve those objectives.

Objective 2.1: Promote Environmental Justice and Civil Rights at the Federal, Tribal, State, and Local Levels
Empower and build capacity of underserved and overburdened communities to protect human health and the environment.
Introduction
EPA has the potential to make transformative progress on environmental justice and civil rights at the Tribal, state, and local levels, through a whole-of-government approach that involves communities as authentic partners. This is evidenced by increasing commitments, innovations, and capacities at the state level. In addition, communities are increasingly well organized and equipped to develop their own visions of well-being and resilience, advocate for change, and influence public policy.
Fulfilling the promise of these opportunities requires pursuing three strategies:
 Building capacity and climate resilience and maximizing benefits to overburdened and underserved communities.
 Engaging and supporting federal, state, and local governments to achieve results in communities.
 Integrating environmental justice principles into the implementation of federal environmental programs in Indian country and in other areas of interest to Tribes, in partnership with federally recognized Tribes.
Long-Term Performance Goals
 By September 30, 2026, all EPA programs that seek feedback and comment from the public will provide capacity-building resources to communities with environmental justice concerns to support their ability to meaningfully engage and provide useful feedback to those programs.
 By September 30, 2026, EPA will include commitments to address disproportionate impacts in all written agreements between EPA and states and Tribes (e.g., grant work plans) implementing delegated authorities.
 By September 30, 2026, EPA programs with direct implementation authority will take at least X significant actions that will result in measurable improvements in Indian country.
 By September 30, 2026, all state recipients of EPA financial assistance will have foundational civil rights programs in place.
Strategies
Building Community Capacity and Climate Resilience and Maximizing Benefits to Overburdened and Underserved Communities: EPA will increase support for community-led action by providing unprecedented investments and benefits directly to communities with environmental justice concerns and by integrating equity throughout Agency programs. EO 14008's Justice40 mandate elevates this approach to a national initiative to deliver at least 40 percent of the overall benefits from certain federal investments to underserved communities. Over the next four years, EPA will strive to not only meet this goal but exceed it. EPA must likewise ensure that relevant programs are actively supporting community efforts to engage and influence program implementation and maximize the benefits from the investment of resources to achieve meaningful change on the ground for the most impacted communities. Supporting communities as they adapt to and recover from climate change is also central to this commitment.
E.O. 13985 mandates a comprehensive effort to advance equity throughout all of EPA's policies, programs, and activities. A fundamental element of achieving such equity and justice is ensuring communities have the capacity they need to meaningfully engage government programs and have their voices effectively heard and responded to. Critical to EPA's success in this area is supporting the efforts of community members and organizations to provide EPA with their expertise and viewpoints. To meet this responsibility, EPA commits to establishing the necessary policies, tools, and other mechanisms to provide support to communities. In addition, the Agency must take concrete action to further include the voices, experiences, and passions of the full diversity of the nation in EPA's workforce.
Engaging and Supporting Federal, State, and Local Governments to Achieve Results in Communities: Virtually all national programs interact with other federal agencies, state, and local governments in multiple ways, including funding and oversight of delegated programs. EPA national and regional offices will work proactively to integrate environmental justice and civil rights into policies and activities as a fundamental element of the Agency's relationships with federal, state, and local partners to jointly affect beneficial changes on the ground for communities. EPA will invest in oversight, guidance, and assistance for states and local governments to advance environmental justice integration in coordination with enhanced civil rights enforcement.
EPA will also initiate a new era of proactive support and engagement with its federal partners. Through its regulatory responsibility under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and section 309 of the Clean Air Act, EPA will promote robust consideration and mitigation of environmental impacts on overburdened communities with environmental justice concerns in the review of other federal agencies' environmental impact statements for proposed actions such as federal land management activities, transportation related projects, and publicly owned facility construction, as applicable.
Integrating Environmental Justice Principles into the Implementation of Federal Environmental Programs in Indian Country and in Other Areas of Interest to Tribes, in Partnership with Federally Recognized Tribes: Equity principles and equal protection require that implementation of federal environmental law protections be as robust inside Indian country as EPA requires these protections to be outside of Indian country. At this time, EPA directly implements the vast majority of federal environmental programs in Indian country where EPA seeks to apply key environmental justice principles, such as equity, meaningful involvement, and fair treatment. Ensuring EPA direct implementation of federal environmental programs in Indian country is in keeping with the federal trust responsibility and incorporating environmental justice principles when the Agency directly implements federal environmental programs will advance environmental justice for federally recognized Tribes.
EPA will continue its long commitment to assisting Tribes in building the capacity to receive delegated programs. In those instances when Tribal governments are authorized to implement federal programs, EPA supports Tribal governments' inclusion of environmental justice principles, community engagement, and decision-making processes. Integration of environmental justice principles into all EPA activities with Tribal governments and in Indian country is designed to be flexible enough to accommodate EPA's Tribal program activities and goals, while at the same time meeting the Agency's environmental justice goals.
External Factors and Emerging Issues
EPA's ability to effectively guide and oversee the integration of environmental justice and civil rights will be challenging due to the structure of the nation's environmental regulatory system, which places the bulk of implementation responsibilities on partner agencies, such as in environmental permitting, contamination clean-up, prioritization of infrastructure investments, facility siting, and transportation.
Additionally, while there remains a list of legacy environmental justice issues  --  such as toxic chemical exposure, hazardous facilities siting, and lack of safe drinking water  --  communities face a rapidly growing set of impacts from climate change. The majority of Superfund sites are near environmental justice communities, for example, and 65 of them are subject to flooding from natural disasters. This will further compound problems for low-income communities of color that have limited resources to anticipate, respond to, and recover from climate related changes and disasters. EPA will work with community partners and Tribal, state, and local governments to provide support for climate adaptation, prioritizing areas with environmental justice concerns.

Objective 2.2: Embed Environmental Justice and Civil Rights into EPA's Programs, Policies, and Activities
Integrate environmental justice and civil rights in all of the Agency's work to maximize benefits and minimize impacts to underserved and overburdened communities.
Introduction
Commitments to achieving change on the ground and accountability for such change will be the ultimate measure of the Agency's success at advancing justice, civil rights, and equity, including the implementation of E.O.s 13985 and 14008. These efforts include incorporating feedback from impacted communities while analyzing and addressing disproportionate impacts. EPA must not only better support community efforts to engage with the Agency but also advance the Agency's ability to engage in community-driven work through the regions and across all EPA programs. EPA must ensure the Agency is following and implementing the Civil Rights Act just as equally as environmental statutes. Advancing civil rights compliance through all EPA programs is distinct from Objective 2.3: Strengthen Civil Rights Enforcement in Communities with Environmental Justice Concerns. Agency strategies to achieve this include the following elements:
 Making commitments on measurable environmental and public health improvements in overburdened and underserved communities.
 Ensuring that EPA decision making incorporates meaningful community involvement and analyzes for disproportionate impacts.
 Building EPA capacity to support community-driven approaches to building healthy, sustainable, and climate-resilient communities.
 Ensuring consideration of civil rights by EPA programs.
Long-Term Performance Goals
 By September 30, 2026, publicly identify and begin to implement at least ten commitments towards improving environmental and public health conditions on the ground for communities with environmental justice concerns.
 By September 30, 2026, XX% of all significant EPA actions with environmental justice implications will clearly demonstrate how the action is responsive to environmental justice concerns and addresses disproportionate impacts.
 By September 30, 2026, XX% of EPA programs that work in and with communities will do so in ways that are community-driven, coordinated, and collaborative and will support community revitalization, equitable resilience, and/or implementation of climate justice plans.
 By September 30, 2026, all EPA programs and regions will identify and implement areas and opportunities to achieve civil rights compliance in their planning, guidance, policy directives, monitoring, and review activities.
Strategies
Make Commitments on Measurable Environmental and Public Health Improvements in Overburdened and Underserved Communities: EPA will set ambitious goals of achieving meaningful change on the ground for communities with environmental justice concerns. EPA recognizes that these commitments require decisions and activities that extend beyond the implementation of EPA's authorities, such as capacity and relationship building and providing guidance and training to our partners. EPA believes that setting such ambitious goals that speak to priority environmental justice issues is critical to stimulating not only a deeper evaluation of the use of all EPA authorities, but also its ability to lead and support efforts by public and private sector partners to strive collectively towards attainment of those goals. EPA will focus on several elements of progress to make such ambitious outcome commitments. These include delineating the responsibilities of programs and regions towards meeting their objectives, identifying data gaps, building tracking systems, and putting in place any needed policy, guidance, or regulatory changes. EPA will also incorporate responsibility and measurable accountability for advancing environmental justice into Agency plans, including the EPA annual operating plan and annual performance plans of key political, senior executive, and general schedule staff. EPA will commit to at least ten measures of progress towards achieving meaningful environmental and public health outcomes on the ground. Some examples include:
 Providing access to safe and sustainable sources of drinking water and clean surface water for the entire population of the United States.
 Minimizing public health disparities such as the difference in childhood blood lead levels and the incidence of asthma for children living in families below the federal the poverty level and children living in older housing, who are often children of color.
 Reducing exposure to pollutants such as air toxics that disproportionately impact communities with environmental justice concerns.
 Increasing access to natural resources such as green spaces within one-third of a mile, through efforts such as the cleanup and revitalization of contaminated sites in the overall number of overburdened and underserved communities.
 Reducing pesticide exposure to farmworkers, their families, and the agricultural community.
Ensure that EPA Decision Making Incorporates Meaningful Community Involvement and Analyzes for Disproportionate Impacts: The knowledge attained from community engagement activities, along with other actions to consider more fully environmental justice and civil rights, must be regularly reflected and addressed throughout EPA's documented decisions. As a first step, EPA will engage in a process and establish all necessary policies to determine which actions are of major significance for environmental justice and civil rights purposes. This will help ensure that the Agency's most important decisions address the needs of impacted communities; respond to policy analyses of potential environmental justice impacts; and consider recommendations from the National Environmental Justice Advisory Council.
EPA must make significant and urgent progress in fundamentally grounding its work in addressing disproportionality, which includes understanding of and reacting to issues of cumulative impacts and cumulative risks, and rapidly advance its ability to analyze for disproportionate impacts. One area to catalyze such progress is to ensure that all EPA programs develop guidance on using environmental justice tools such as EJSCREEN to support their decision making.
Build EPA Capacity to Support Community-Driven Approaches to Building Healthy, Sustainable, and Climate Resilient Communities: Achieving meaningful change necessitates that EPA not only improve its decision making and program implementation, but that the Agency significantly advance its ability to work on the ground with communities as a regular means of achieving its mission. EPA will build upon the many ways that programs and regions currently work with and in communities by elevating and expanding the use of coordinated and collaborative community-driven partnerships to address community priorities.  EPA will leverage and coordinate its investments in communities and collaborate with partners and other external stakeholders to advance comprehensive and strategic community-driven approaches. EPA will increase annually the number of programs that have fully integrated key principles of effective community-driven work and build the number of collaborative partnerships centered on community priorities.
Ensuring Consideration of Civil Rights by EPA Programs: As a federal agency charged with enforcing federal civil rights laws, EPA must ensure that it is complying with and implementing civil rights obligations across all Agency programs and activities. To do so, EPA must recognize that in addition to the enforcement and implementation of federal civil rights laws, a responsibility that is carried out through EPA's external civil rights compliance program and addressed in Objective 2.3, EPA program and regional offices also must recognize and address civil rights issues that arise as they implement their responsibilities under environmental laws, such as their permit review responsibilities. Civil rights vigilance is an EPA-wide responsibility and a critical means for the Agency to advance justice and equity. To accomplish this, EPA must communicate requirements and expectations to EPA staff through education, training, outreach, and technical assistance to enhance civil rights enforcement awareness and strengthen intra-Agency collaboration to identify whether recipient programs and activities are abiding by civil rights laws or engaging in prohibited discrimination. EPA programs must reference and/or include applicable civil rights requirements in non-civil rights guidance documents, such as in program strategic plans and environmental policy directives. In addition, all EPA program and regional office staff must understand and appreciate the civil rights requirements that apply to federal agencies themselves, including their responsibility to develop and implement program-specific limited English language assistance and disability access plans that apply to all of the public-facing activities of EPA program and regional offices.
External Factors and Emerging Issues
Many of the problems that need to be addressed have been well-known but unsolved for decades. Communities that have multiple industrial and energy facilities and are saturated with legacy pollution want to see EPA realign its enforcement in a way that provides action, accountability, and guidance for taking cumulative impacts and risks into account, even if they cannot be measured with precision.
Permitting and rulemaking have typically not reflected the reality of overburdened communities, which means that it is often easier to site an eighth facility in a community that already has seven than in a community that has none.  Since permitting is primarily implemented by other governmental partners with delegated authority from EPA, the work of integrating environmental justice and external civil rights considerations throughout all EPA programs and activities will require commitment, relationship building, and trust from partner agencies.

Objective 2.3: Strengthen Civil Rights Enforcement in Communities with Environmental Justice Concerns
Strengthen enforcement of and compliance with civil rights laws to address the legacy of pollution in overburdened communities.
Introduction
To address the legacy of pollution in overburdened communities that results from discriminatory actions, whether direct or indirect, intentional, or unintentional, EPA must use the full extent of its authority and resources to vigorously enforce federal civil rights laws.  EPA is required to enforce federal civil rights laws that prohibit discrimination on the basis of race, color, national origin (including limited English proficiency), disability, sex, and age, in programs or activities that receive Agency financial assistance. To ensure EPA financial assistance is not being used in a manner that discriminates and subjects already overburdened communities to further harm, EPA must support and promote a robust and mature external civil rights compliance program for execution of EPA responsibilities and to provide a strong partner to its environmental justice program. As stated earlier, robust enforcement of civil rights law coupled with EPA's environmental justice efforts provides EPA with the strongest ability to address disparities.
Long-Term Performance Goals
 By September 30, 2026, initiate 15 proactive post-award civil rights compliance reviews annually in environmentally overburdened and underserved communities compared with the FY 2021 baseline of one.
 By September 30, 2026, complete 100 audits annually to ensure EPA financial assistance recipients are complying with nondiscrimination program requirements compared with the FY 2021 baseline of none.
 By September 30, 2026, complete 25 information sharing sessions, outreach, technical assistance events, and Alternative Dispute Resolution and informal resolution facilitation opportunities with overburdened and underserved communities and environmental justice advocacy groups on civil rights and environmental justice issues, annually, compared with the 2021 baseline of five.
 LTPG under development on informal resolution agreements under Title VI.
Strategies
The classifications protected by federal civil rights laws encompass most of the underserved and overburdened communities that have been exposed to a disproportionate level of harmful environmental, quality of life, and health impacts from pollution sources. Federal law authorizes agencies such as EPA to enact rules, regulations, or orders to achieve the laws' objectives. EPA's nondiscrimination regulation prohibits recipients of EPA financial assistance from taking actions in their programs or activities that are intentionally discriminatory and/or have a discriminatory effect. It is EPA's inherent mission and legal mandate to dismantle discriminatory barriers and systematic injustice with respect to the federal programs and statutes it implements  --  and the Agency must have a more robust and effective civil rights compliance program to ensure achievement of this mandate.
EPA has begun revitalizing its external civil rights mission and will launch a significant number of critical initiatives that will directly impact overburdened communities. The external civil rights compliance program will strengthen enforcement of civil rights laws by increasing: the number of affirmative compliance reviews targeting critical environmental health and quality of life impacts in overburdened communities; the number of guidances issued and technical assistance provided to improve implementation; and timeliness and effectiveness of complaint investigations and resolutions.
External Factors and Emerging Issues
For EPA to move its external civil rights program from a reactive program, responding only to complaints, to a proactive program, as the goals envision, involves: making expectations clear by providing clarifying guidance to recipients; using the Agency's affirmative authority to initiate compliance reviews and audits; and providing enhanced outreach, technical assistance, and informal resolution facilitation opportunities.
Goal 3: Enforce Environmental Laws and Ensure Compliance
Improve compliance with the nation's environmental laws and hold violators accountable.
Introduction
A robust compliance monitoring and enforcement program is necessary to ensure communities get the environmental and human health benefits intended by environmental statutes and EPA's regulations. EPA regulates more than 1.2 million facilities adhering to a variety of environmental statutes that protect human health and the environment. Likewise, EPA regulates a wide range of products including automobiles and pesticides. EPA, federally recognized Indian Tribes, states, and territories work cooperatively to achieve compliance, with delegated or authorized states conducting most enforcement activities across the country. EPA collaborates with Tribes in Indian country, by both directly implementing compliance monitoring and enforcement programs and through oversight of programs implemented by Tribes.
EPA will focus federal enforcement resources on the most serious environmental problems where noncompliance with environmental statutes and regulations is a significant contributing factor and where federal enforcement can have a significant impact on the nation's air, water, and land. This work will include targeting and screening to prioritize inspections in communities facing substantial burdens from environmental noncompliance. EPA will continue to identify a small number of key areas, called National Initiatives, where focused EPA attention will be especially value-added. EPA will seek to increase inspections, prioritize enforcement cases, identify remedies with tangible benefits for impacted communities, and increase engagement with communities about enforcement cases. EPA will continue to initiate enforcement actions to protect against children's health hazards in areas such as exposure to lead paint, the presence of lead and other contaminants in drinking water, and particulate air emissions that aggravate asthma.
The Agency will address climate change by directing resources to ensure effective enforcement responses for those sources with noncompliant emissions of greenhouse gases and develop remedies that are consistent with GHG mitigation and climate resilience. In addition, EPA will enforce against the illegal import, distribution and use within the United States of HFCs, which are chemicals with potent global warming potential, and pursue violators of the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS).
Objective 3.1: Hold Environmental Violators and Responsible Parties Accountable
Use vigorous and targeted civil and criminal enforcement to ensure accountability for violations and to clean up contamination.
Introduction
Enforcement is essential to ensuring that everyone is protected by the nation's environmental laws and regulations. EPA strives to not only return violators to compliance but also to obtain the relief needed to address the underlying causes of the violations to prevent reoccurrence and, in appropriate cases, mitigate the harm to the communities impacted by noncompliance.
Long-Term Performance Goal
 By September 30, 2026, ensure the number of "Referred No Complaint Filed" (RNCF) civil judicial cases that are more than 2.5 years old is no more than 93.
Strategies
Taking Timely Enforcement Action: Timely enforcement is effective enforcement. EPA has set a long-term performance goal that reflects the commitment of the enforcement program to address noncompliance as expeditiously as possible. For example, one area of focus has been to reduce the number of Referred No Complaint Filed (RNCF) cases; namely, the number of open civil judicial cases that EPA referred to the Department of Justice (DOJ) more than 2.5 years ago and a complaint has not been filed.
Complex cases often take longer to resolve; some of EPA's enforcement cases involve national companies with multiple facilities across the country. Many cases also involve extremely complex facilities that must comply with multiple federal statutes based on the nature of their operations. Municipal cases often involve multiple neighboring communities with varying economic means who share a failing sewer or drinking water system and who must agree together on injunctive relief that is a very significant expense for the defendants. These types of cases, justifiably, often take a long time to resolve.
Since implementation of the RNCF measure in 2018, EPA has been steadily resolving older referred cases, primarily through settlement. Through timely resolution of environmental violations EPA can address both the public health concerns of overburdened, disproportionately affected communities and the emissions of greenhouse gases or other compounds that contribute to or exacerbate the effects of climate change.
Using All Appropriate Injunctive Relief Tools in Civil Enforcement Settlements: EPA is committed to using the full array of policy and legal tools available to ensure that environmental laws and the policies to implement them deliver benefits to all individuals and communities. In determining the most appropriate resolution for a particular matter, EPA will first consider which compliance tools will be effective to promptly ensure the regulated party returns to and remains in compliance. Tools like Advanced Monitoring, Audits and Independent Third-party Verification, Electronic Reporting, and Increased Transparency of Compliance Data can help provide information in a more readily available format to members of the public, who can assist in monitoring compliance. Many tools also benefit the settling party. For example, third party verification helps the facility identify future non-compliance early, allowing for a quick response to remedy the problem; and electronic reporting provides a more transparent demonstration of compliance, which may help the settling party's relationship with its neighboring community. When appropriate, an Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) process is used to reach a solution that meets the needs of both EPA and the settling party.
Strengthening Environmental Justice Through a Robust Enforcement Program: EPA will continue to rely on mapping and screening tools, including EJSCREEN, in combination with local knowledge to help identify overburdened communities that may be disproportionally impacted by pollution. EPA will focus on strengthening enforcement and resolving environmental noncompliance through remedies with tangible benefits for the impacted community, including:
 Preventing further pollution due to noncompliance, mitigating past impacts from pollution, and securing penalties to recapture economic benefit of noncompliance and deter future violations.
 Seeking early and innovative relief (e.g., fenceline monitoring and transparency tools).
 Incorporating Supplemental Environmental Projects (SEPs) in settlements, where appropriate and to the extent permitted by law and policy.
 Seeking restitution for victims of environmental crimes.
The Agency uses its statutory authorities under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA or Superfund) and Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) to protect overburdened communities by requiring responsible parties to take early and expedited cleanup actions, developing more robust enforcement instruments, ensuring the oversight of those enforcement instruments, and building trust and capacity through community engagement. Superfund enforcement efforts maximize Potentially Responsible Parties' (PRP) involvement at Superfund sites, ensuring that viable, liable PRPs cleanup sites, rather than taxpayers, and by recovering costs if the EPA expends Superfund-appropriated dollars to clean up sites.
In addition, EPA will strengthen tools for the detection of environmental crimes in overburdened communities, improve outreach to the victims of such crimes, and ensure that investigations are structured to provide maximum assistance to DOJ in its exercise of prosecutorial discretion and pursuit of remedies that will guarantee adequate protection for those communities.
Tackling Climate Change Through Enforcement: To advance Agency efforts to tackle the climate crisis and mitigate greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, EPA will target violators of the American Innovation and Manufacturing (AIM) Act, the Renewable Fuel Standard, and regulations that apply to oil and gas sources and landfills. EPA will make effective use of civil judicial litigation and, if appropriate, administrative orders to achieve suitable remedies. EPA also will include climate change adaptation measures, flare efficiency and flare gas recovery requirements, and clean renewable energy projects in case resolutions as appropriate. Case teams will assess climate vulnerabilities and ensure that the injunctive relief measures implemented to resolve environmental violations are resilient to the impacts of climate change. EPA will vigorously enforce its regulations to prevent and deter illegal importation of HFCs.
External Factors and Emerging Issues
To address contamination caused by emerging contaminants (e.g., Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), which are a current priority), the Superfund enforcement program will continue to use the Agency's enforcement authorities to ensure the manufacturers and generators of these dangerous compounds are held responsible. The civil enforcement program will take action to compel parties that manufacture or release PFAS or other chemicals in violation of the law to return to compliance. Where such parties are causing or may cause an imminent and substantial endangerment, the EPA enforcement program can also compel the parties to address the potential endangerment.
COVID-19 has presented unique challenges, and to ensure the safety of EPA personnel and the public, the Agency decreased the number of onsite inspections. However, EPA's enforcement program has used many off-site compliance monitoring techniques, including remote and virtual inspections, expanded use of information requests, and desk audits, to bolster the compliance assurance program.
Many environmental justice advocates have raised concerns about the number of facilities permitted and re-permitted in their communities. EPA cannot take enforcement action against these facilities unless they are in violation of the law and therefore faces constraints in addressing the concerns of cumulative impacts in these communities through enforcement alone. Advocates have also called for strengthening enforcement of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act to address claims that siting numerous facilities in communities of color imposes disparate pollution impacts in violation of the law. Title VI issues in a community often serve as a prompt to consider conducting an environmental compliance review.
Objective 3.2: Detect Violations and Promote Compliance
Ensure high levels of compliance with federal environmental laws and regulations through effective compliance tools  -  including inspections, other monitoring activities, and technical assistance supported by evidence and advanced technologies.
Introduction
Effective targeting of compliance monitoring, including inspections in communities with environmental justice concerns, plays a critical role in achieving the goals EPA has set forth for protecting health and the environment. Achieving high rates of compliance with environmental laws and regulations requires the use of a wide range of compliance tools, including compliance monitoring. EPA and Tribal, state, and territorial co-regulators conduct inspections, investigations, and review of self-reported compliance monitoring information to determine if regulated entities are complying with environmental statutes as well as applicable regulations and permit conditions. These activities help identify conditions that may present imminent and substantial endangerment to human health and the environment and thereby warrant immediate response.
Long-Term Performance Goals
 By September 30, 2026, send 75% of EPA inspection reports to facilities within 70 days of inspection.
 By September 30, 2026, conduct 55% of inspections annually at facilities that affect communities with potential environmental justice concerns.
Strategies
Through its ongoing process of selecting National Initiative areas in collaboration with Tribes, states, and territories, EPA will focus its work on critical areas of noncompliance. Recent examples include National Initiatives to address toxic Clean Air Act (CAA) and RCRA air emissions, improve drinking water compliance, reduce the rate of Clean Water Act (CWA) significant noncompliance, and reduce the number of chemical accidents. Notably, EPA is carrying out evidence-building activities to address priority questions related to drinking water systems out of compliance, one of EPA's Learning Agenda priority areas. By proactively working with Tribes, states, and territories to identify areas of serious noncompliance and then bringing the right compliance and enforcement tools to bear, EPA will make the most effective use of its resources.
EPA will continue to promote innovative enforcement remedies that are based on reliable data or other robust evidence to substantiate their effectiveness, through the development of a compliance Learning Agenda. The Agency will identify the most pressing programmatic questions and create a venue for EPA, Tribes, states, and territories to collaborate in the development of evidence-based enforcement tools and techniques that will ensure the biggest impact on environmental compliance.
Producing Timely Inspection Reports: EPA has set a long-term performance goal to reduce the time from when EPA conducts an on-site inspection to the time that EPA provides the facility with a completed inspection report notifying it of any potential compliance issues. Improving the timeliness of these activities allows the facility to address compliance issues more quickly, which often directly benefits the communities affected by the environmental and human health impacts of the alleged violations. EPA balances the desire for fast action against the fundamental need to ensure quality inspections. Thus, where inspections are extremely complex and multi-faceted, more time for the completion of the inspection report may be needed.
Strengthening Environmental Justice Through Compliance Assurance Activities: EPA has set a long-term performance goal to increase the percentage of inspections at facilities affecting overburdened communities. Communities that are already burdened with high pollution levels are more vulnerable to the harmful effects of permit violations and are a high priority for inspections and compliance review. These efforts will advance the detection and resolution of noncompliance activities in communities with environmental justice concerns.
EPA also will provide greater public access to compliance data to help communities better understand and manage risks. The Agency will increase engagement with communities so that communities and EPA can share resources and work together to improve compliance. As an example of community outreach to address the root causes of noncompliance at small drinking water and wastewater systems, EPA will continue the Compliance Advisor Program (formerly known as the Circuit Rider Program) to help systems return to, and maintain, compliance. Many small drinking water and wastewater systems are unable to achieve and maintain compliance due to lack of technical, managerial, and financial capacity as well as aging infrastructure, workforce shortages, and declining rate bases. These challenges are the root cause of most violations of the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) and CWA at small drinking water and wastewater systems. The numbers of systems in noncompliance are holding fairly constant, indicating the need for more hands-on technical assistance for small systems to troubleshoot issues and develop plans to return to compliance. Part trainer and part consultant, compliance advisors troubleshoot issues, develop plans to return systems to compliance, and increase the technical capacity of operators. EPA will continue work to ensure that funded activities increase capacity in these vulnerable communities, including those in Indian country and where EPA has direct implementation authority, to achieve and sustain compliance.
Improving Compliance Assurance Data Management and Enforcement Targeting Capabilities: Effective compliance monitoring and enforcement increasingly depends on effective use of data management and data science capabilities. EPA will improve its collection and management of compliance monitoring information through modernization of existing data systems and creation of new tools to streamline the compliance monitoring process.
EPA will modernize its key compliance information system, the Integrated Compliance Information System (ICIS), and will support better integration with the Enforcement and Compliance History Online (ECHO) website. Improvements to ICIS and ECHO will facilitate better access to compliance data and community information (e.g., from EPA's EJSCREEN tool) for the Agency, states, and the public. This will enhance EPA's efforts to address compliance concerns in underserved communities and help EPA and authorized states ensure better compliance with clean air and clean water requirements.
EPA will also continue to expand software solutions for field inspectors to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of compliance inspections conducted by the Agency and authorized states. EPA's Smart Mobile Tools for Inspectors software streamlines the process of documenting field inspections and preparing reports on their results. This software will allow EPA and states to use their compliance monitoring resources more efficiently, including monitoring for noncompliance, which affects underserved communities, or which may have climate impacts. ICIS Modernization and Smart Mobile Tools for Inspectors are two of the key efforts under the Agency's E-Enterprise for the Environment program.
Tackling Climate Change Through Compliance Assurance: EPA will advance its efforts to address climate change mitigation and adaptation issues through targeting, monitoring, and technical assistance. For example, EPA will direct monitoring and targeting efforts to sources with the most potential for noncompliant emissions of greenhouse gases and other compounds that contribute to or exacerbate climate change, such as oil and gas wells that are a large source of methane emissions. In addition, EPA's compliance advisors for sustainable water systems will continue to provide technical assistance on climate resilience to wastewater and drinking water facilities. Further, EPA will vigorously enforce its regulations to prevent and deter the illegal importation of HFCs.
External Factors and Emerging Issues
Advanced monitoring technology and information technology continue to evolve, and advances in these fields offer great opportunities for improving the ability of EPA, Tribes, and states to ensure compliance. While continuing research and growing knowledge may offer innovative approaches, EPA, Tribes, states, and territories often face challenges in keeping up with emerging technologies. Through its evidence-based approach, EPA, in collaboration with Tribes and states, is working with the academic community to identify new ways to improve compliance.

Goal 4: Ensure Clean and Healthy Air for All Communities
Protect human health and the environment from the harmful effects of air pollution.
Introduction
All people regardless of race, color, national origin, or income deserve to breathe clean air outdoors and indoors, and it is especially important that the health of vulnerable and sensitive populations, such as children and persons adversely affected by persistent poverty or inequality, be protected. Levels of pollutants linked to health impacts continue to decline as the economy has grown significantly over the long term. Between 1970 and 2020, the combined emissions of six key pollutants dropped by 78 percent, while the U.S. economy remained strong  --  growing 272 percent over the same time. EPA will continue to build on this progress and work to assure clean air for all Americans, with a particular focus on those in underserved and overburdened communities, who are impacted disproportionately.
Numerous scientific studies have linked air pollution and specific pollutants to a variety of health problems and environmental impacts. Long-term exposure to elevated levels of certain air pollutants is associated with increased risk of cancer, premature mortality, and damage to the immune, neurological, reproductive, cardiovascular, and respiratory systems. Over the next four years, EPA will work to ensure clean and healthy air for communities by reducing emissions of ozone-forming pollutants and particulate matter, and air toxics. EPA will also work to address high-risk indoor air quality pollutants in homes, schools, and workplaces. EPA will rely on proven approaches including regulatory tools, innovative market-based techniques, public and private-sector partnerships, community-based approaches, technical assistance programs that promote environmental stewardship, and programs that encourage adoption of cost-effective technologies and practices.

Objective 4.1: Improve Air Quality and Reduce Localized Pollution and Health Impacts
Reduce air pollution on local, regional, and national scales to achieve healthy air quality for people and the environment.
Introduction
The United States is continuing to see strong improvement in air quality on the national level as the combined emissions reductions efforts by EPA and Tribal, state, and local air agencies have proven to be very effective. Between 1970 and 2020, the combined emissions of the six common National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) pollutants (particulate matter (PM2.5 and PM10), sulfur dioxide (SO2), oxides of nitrogen (NOx), volatile organic compounds (VOCs), carbon monoxide (CO), and lead (Pb)) dropped by 78 percent. Also, the number of days each year reaching the "Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups" level or above on the Air Quality Index has continued to trend downward since 2000.
Despite this national record of success, air quality disparities due to disproportionate pollution impacts exist in multiple areas across the country. Approximately 97 million Americans lived in counties with air quality concentrations above the level of one or more NAAQS in 2020. Studies show substantial disparities exist in PM2.5-related risk between groups. Nonwhites, particularly blacks, are at increased risk for PM2.5-related health effects, in part due to disparities in exposure. One study estimated people of color were exposed to 25 percent higher PM2.5 (as compared to the rest of the population) in 2014 from domestic anthropogenic sources. Neighborhoods with the highest poverty rates had 14 percent higher PM2.5 levels in 2016 compared with neighborhoods with the lowest poverty rates. Multiple areas are disproportionately impacted by local sources emitting air toxics, and the scientific understanding of health risks related to exposure to air toxics continues to emerge.
All people regardless of race, color, national origin, or income deserve to breathe clean air, and it is especially important that the nation's laws protect the health of vulnerable and sensitive populations, such as children and those with preexisting respiratory conditions. Over the next four years, EPA will work collaboratively with air agencies to maintain and improve the nation's air quality. EPA will particularly focus on advancing environmental justice by engaging with communities on key activities including technical assistance, regulation development, and financial assistance.

Long-Term Performance Goals
 By September 30, 2026, reduce ozone season emissions of nitrogen oxides (NOx) from electric power generation sources by 21% from the 2019 baseline of XX.
 By September 30, 2026, improve measured air quality in counties not meeting the current National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) from the 2016 baseline by 10%.
 By September 30, 2026, strive to ensure all people with low socio-economic status (SES) live in areas where the air quality meets the current fine particle pollution (PM2.5) National Ambient Air Quality Standards.
 By September 30, 2026, ensure U.S. consumption of hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs) is less than 76.2 tons per year of ozone depletion potential.
Strategies
Taking into account the most current research on health effects and changing conditions from a warming climate, EPA will continue to periodically review the NAAQS. The Agency will reconsider the December 2020 decision to retain the PM NAAQS because available scientific evidence and technical information indicate that the current standards may not be adequate to protect public health and welfare, as required by the Clean Air Act. In reviewing the NAAQS, the Agency will assess whether the current standards provide adequate protection for the people most at-risk, including people with heart or lung disease, children and older adults, and nonwhite populations.
The Agency will focus on evaluating environmental justice considerations related to the NAAQS during review and implementation. EPA will continue to work closely with air agencies to ensure that they are working to improve air quality in areas that do not meet the NAAQS, including the 2010 SO2 NAAQS, the 2012 PM2.5 and PM10 NAAQS, and the 2008 and 2015 Ozone NAAQS. EPA will also continue to work closely with state air agencies on the regional haze program to improve visibility in the larger national parks and wilderness areas.
Stationary fuel combustion sources, such as electric utilities and industrial boilers, continue to represent a significant proportion of the nation's emissions inventory. In meeting statutory and legal requirements to regulate stationary sources, EPA will maximize public health benefits and make environmental justice and community outreach central in these rulemaking efforts. EPA will lead the development of comprehensive and cost-effective emission reduction strategies and multipollutant regulations governing air emissions from stationary sources, including technology and health-based standards and voluntary or non-regulatory initiatives.
EPA will continue to operate nationwide and multi-state programs, such as the Acid Rain Program and the Cross-State Air Pollution Rules, that address major global, national, and regional air pollutants from the power sector and other large stationary sources. These flexible, cost-effective, and environmentally effective air pollution control programs help reduce air toxics emissions, regional haze, and interstate pollution that interferes with the attainment and maintenance of the NAAQS.
EPA will also continue to set and enforce technology-based air toxics emissions standards and, where appropriate, amend those standards to address residual risk and technology advancements. This includes revisiting aspects of the Mercury and Air Toxics Standards for power plants, as directed by Executive Order 13990: Protecting Public Health and the Environment and Restoring Science to Tackle the Climate Crisis. These regulations limit toxic air pollution from stationary sources, reducing pollution in communities and providing tools to help communities and other stakeholders meaningfully engage in the process. EPA will consider multipollutant impacts in the development and implementation of Maximum Achievable Control Technology standards and New Source Performance Standards, where appropriate. To address unacceptable risks that may remain after implementing national strategies, EPA works with air agencies to understand the risks at the local level, target problem areas, and tailor reduction strategies and approaches to the unique situations in those areas.
EPA will promote early integration of environmental justice considerations in the regulatory process. For example, the Agency will develop new and enhanced applications of environmental justice analytics to inform how power sector rules can mitigate impacts on overburdened communities. This effort will include modeling of power sector emissions down to the county level as well as improved representation of fine particulate matter that includes toxic heavy metals.
The Agency will continue to develop and make available the necessary technical data and tools to support air quality planning and environmental justice analyses. This includes critical information on emissions and ambient concentrations of air pollution, and associated data systems, such as AirNow, the Air Quality System, and the National Emissions Inventory. In addition, EPA will work with air agencies to develop improved measurement methods (e.g., for woodsmoke, PM emissions, PFAS, and air toxics, such as ethylene oxide). To support air agencies, promote national consistency, and ensure information is publicly available, EPA will continue to operate, maintain, and upgrade as needed the State Planning Electronic Collaboration System (SPeCS), the Combined Air Emissions Reporting System (CAERS), and the Electronic Permit System (EPS). EPA will also test, evaluate, and refine draft tools for incorporating environmental justice considerations into EPA-issued permits and ensure opportunities for meaningful public involvement in the permit process.
EPA will work with air agencies and local communities to prioritize engagement with low-income and marginalized communities that for decades have been overburdened with air pollution and other environmental hazards. EPA will undertake air monitoring and other assessment approaches to address these long-neglected air quality and public health problems. The Agency will work to assess the current state of our nation's monitoring network and pursue collaborative approaches to modernize the technologies, equipment, and network design used to measure air quality as well as enhance the quality and security of critical data collection, handling, and reporting from the network.
EPA will collect and evaluate mobile source emission data to help guide future program priorities related to reducing criteria pollutant and GHG emissions from light-duty cars and trucks, heavy-duty trucks and buses, nonroad engines and equipment, and from the fuels that power these engines. The Agency will develop the next round of multi-pollutant emission standards for light-duty and highway heavy-duty vehicles, which will improve air quality and reduce pollution near roads and other areas of high truck activity, such as warehouses and ports. EPA will also continue to work to ensure that Clean Air Act requirements are met for new transportation projects with heavy-duty diesel traffic, such that they do not worsen air quality near communities with environmental justice concerns. The Agency will address air quality concerns in these communities through implementing regulations, developing improved air quality models and mitigation measures, and collaborating with a broad range of stakeholders  --  including state air quality agencies and communities with environmental justice concerns  --  to develop targeted, sector-based, and place-based strategies for diesel fleets (including school buses, ports, and other goods movement facilities).
EPA will implement its Air Toxics Strategy to more effectively identify and address existing, emerging, and future air toxics issues in the U.S. Identifying air toxics issues and appropriate approaches for addressing them requires strong communication, coordination, and collaboration between EPA, regulatory partners, and stakeholders as well as sound technical information and analyses to support technical and policy solutions. EPA will assess risks to public health from exposure to air toxics such as ethylene oxide, chloroprene, and benzene from stationary sources. This will be done in support of upcoming regulatory and other program efforts, including for source categories with significant disproportionate impacts such as chemical manufacturing, to ensure that the air toxics rules appropriately protect public health, especially for neighboring communities. EPA will also improve delivery of information to the public on the status of air toxics pollution and potential exposure and risk levels through the Air Toxics Data Update. The Agency is developing an approach to provide annual emissions, air quality, and risk information nationally as well as how to best provide interim risk information to communities as needed.
EPA is continuing to implement provisions of Title VI of the Clean Air Act Amendments and the Montreal Protocol, to protect and restore the stratospheric ozone layer by reducing the use, emissions, import, and production of ozone-depleting substances (ODS) in the United States. By 2022, U.S. consumption of hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs), chemicals that deplete the Earth's protective ozone layer, will be less than 76.2 tons per year of ozone depletion potential from the 2015-2019 target of 1,520 tons per year. EPA will continue to use regulatory approaches to reduce the production import, use, and production of ODS, including reviewing and listing alternatives that are safer for the ozone layer.
External Factors and Emerging Issues
The increasing intensity, duration, and scale of wildfires occurring in the western United States as the climate changes worsens air quality across the country. Older adults, children, pregnant women, people with cardiovascular or respiratory disease, people of low socio-economic status and outdoor workers may be at heightened risk for severe health effects from exposure to smoke. EPA is working to protect public health during wildfire-smoke events by improving smoke forecasting abilities, identifying and communicating when and where smoke events are occurring, building local capacity to be Smoke Ready, and providing tools and resources for communities for health protection during smoke events.
Objective 4.2: Reduce Exposure to Radiation and Improve Indoor Air
Limit unnecessary radiation exposure and achieve healthier indoor air quality, especially for vulnerable populations.
Introduction
To improve indoor air and reduce exposure to radiation, EPA leads programs that educate the public about radiation and indoor air quality concerns, including radon, asthma triggers, and poor ventilation. These programs promote public action to reduce potential risks in homes, schools, and workplaces. Included among the people most exposed to indoor air pollutants are those most susceptible to the effects -- the young, the elderly, and the chronically ill. Recognizing the potential hazards of radiation, Congress charged EPA with the primary responsibility for protecting people and the environment from harmful and avoidable exposures.
Because Americans spend most of their time indoors, where pollutant levels are often significantly higher than outdoors, poor indoor air is a major health concern. For example, radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer, responsible for 21,000 lung cancer deaths annually. Nationally, one in 15 homes is estimated to have elevated radon levels. In many communities, this ratio is much higher. Low-income families often lack resources to test for and mitigate radon in their homes. As another example, nearly 24 million Americans have asthma. Low-income communities of color suffer disproportionately from asthma and substandard housing and lack of access to care underlie this disparity. Indoor allergens and irritants play a significant role in making asthma worse and triggering asthma attacks. The COVID-19 pandemic further highlighted the importance of healthy indoor air quality and ventilation in homes, schools, and other buildings.
To address these and other hazardous indoor air pollutants, EPA collaborates with Tribal and state organizations, environmental and public health officials, housing, energy, and building organizations, personnel who manage school environments, and health care providers who treat children prone to or suffering disproportionately from asthma. The focus of these non-regulatory efforts is to create, expand, and leverage policy, systems, and individual action to promote healthy indoor environments and reduce exposure to harmful indoor air pollutants.
Long-Term Performance Goal
 By September 30, 2026, prevent 2,250 lung cancer deaths annually through lower radon exposure as compared to the FY 2020 baseline of 1,684 prevented lung cancer deaths.
Strategies
The COVID-19 pandemic, along with increased prevalence of wildfires and other natural disasters that impact indoor air, generated unprecedented awareness and demand for healthier indoor air in homes, schools, and other buildings. EPA will work to restore, leverage, and scale up programs to reduce exposures to radon through home testing and mitigation, promote in-home asthma management, improve air quality in homes and schools, and build capacity for Tribes and communities with environmental justice concerns to comprehensively address indoor air risks.
EPA estimates that there are 12,000 avoidable lung cancer deaths annually attributable to indoor radon exposure. To reduce this high public health risk, EPA will co-lead the National Radon Action Plan (NRAP), a multisector public-private coalition committed to eliminating avoidable radon-induced lung cancer in the United States and addressing radon as a health equity challenge. It is estimated there are more than seven million homes in the U.S. at or above the EPA radon action level. EPA will continue to provide State Indoor Radon Grant funding, and technical assistance to Tribes and states, with a focus on increasing access to testing and mitigation in underserved communities.
In-home asthma management is a critical component of asthma care, particularly in low-income populations. EPA, in partnership with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) through the Federal Asthma Disparities Action Plan, is supporting state Medicaid programs and private health plans to pay for in-home asthma interventions through reimbursement mechanisms. In addition, EPA is working to reduce asthma disparities for low-income people and communities of color by supporting public health and housing organizations to train and deploy community health workers to deliver in-home asthma interventions and care.
EPA will continue to reduce indoor air quality risks in schools through the Indoor Air Quality Tools for Schools program, with a focus on technical assistance, training, assessments, and implementation support for in-need communities. EPA will expand technical assistance to advance best indoor air quality practices through ventilation improvements, operation and preventive maintenance, and appropriate sanitation in school and childcare buildings. EPA will also expand federal coordination and collaboration through the Federal Partners in School Health, a multi-agency collaboration led by the Department of Education, CDC, and EPA.
EPA will update the Indoor airPLUS new home construction specifications and expand the program to address indoor air quality (IAQ) protections during home renovations and upgrades. EPA will work with federal, state, and local weatherization and energy efficiency programs to incorporate IAQ protective practices through the Energy Savings Plus Health suite of guidances and tools. EPA will provide technical assistance and other support to Tribes through the Tribal Air Monitoring Support (TAMS) Center and tools to build local expertise and indoor air quality capacity among Tribal air quality professionals to help reduce exposure to harmful indoor air pollutants, including through radon testing and mitigation technologies.
EPA will review and update the Federal Radiation Protection Guidance, currently based on protecting an adult male, to include protection for all members of the U.S. population, with particular emphasis on the most vulnerable. These updates will address considerations for all ages, genders, and the increased sensitivity of pregnant individuals and children to radiation exposure. EPA will provide clear, accurate, and accessible risk communications products that allow individuals and communities to make informed decisions about reducing radiation exposure.
EPA will maintain personnel expertise, capabilities, and equipment readiness of the radiological emergency response program under the National Response Framework and the National Contingency Plan, including the Agency's Radiological Emergency Response Team. EPA will provide oversight of the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP), including review of the Department of Energy plans for additional waste panels and surplus plutonium disposal, to ensure safe, long-term disposal of radioactive waste and the continued cleanup of nuclear weapons program legacy sites. EPA will also meet its Clean Air Act obligation to control radionuclide emissions by updating and bolstering inspector training programs and guidance to ensure a sustainable level of expertise.
External Factors and Emerging Issues
Impacts from a changing climate and the continued threat of disease may worsen existing indoor environmental problems and introduce new ones as temperatures change and the frequency or severity of wildfires, heatwaves, floods, and other climate-driven events increase. These impacts include increased mold from water damage and more time spent indoors where air may be of poorer quality.
The use of novel or advanced nuclear fuel for power generation and for space application, both foreign and domestic, is an emerging issue with direct impact to EPA's core mission areas of radiation protection, response, and waste management. EPA will fill gaps in expertise to meet these emerging needs to support, as appropriate, advanced nuclear energy applications while responding to concerns raised by communities living near nuclear facilities.

Goal 5: Ensure Clean and Safe Water for All Communities
Provide clean and safe water for all communities and protect our nation's waterbodies from degradation.
Introduction
Clean and safe water is a vital resource that is essential to the protection of human health. Without clean water, communities and economies cannot thrive. EPA is committed to ensuring clean and safe water for all, especially for vulnerable communities of color, underserved communities, and Tribal communities. EPA has made significant progress in protecting water resources since the enactment of the Clean Water Act (CWA); Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA); and Marine Protection, Research, and Sanctuaries Act (MPRA). As a result, most communities enjoy and depend upon reliable sources of clean and safe water. Many formerly impaired waters have been restored and now support recreational and public health uses. Still, the nation faces significant challenges, including water equity and affordability, aging infrastructure, legacy lead pipes, nutrient pollution, Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) contamination, cybersecurity threats, and the climate crisis.
Many communities need upgrades in both drinking water and wastewater infrastructure as well as greater capacity to comply with new and existing risks and standards. Tens of thousands of homes, primarily in Tribal communities, and underserved communities and territories, lack access to basic sanitation and drinking water. EPA is committed to prioritizing equity, environmental justice, and the lived experience of those most impacted by water pollution in the Agency's policy and regulatory development. Climate change compounds these problems. For example, warmer temperatures are exacerbating harmful algal blooms in freshwater lakes and storms of increasing intensity are further stressing aging infrastructure. These challenges highlight the need to work with EPA's partners to evaluate options for protecting and improving the resilience of both built and natural infrastructure.
Over the next four years, EPA will work to protect and improve the quality of groundwater, surface waters, and drinking water. EPA is committed to strengthening collaborative problem-solving with federal agencies, Tribal, state, and local governments, communities, and nongovernmental partners; advancing science; completing key rulemakings (e.g., Lead and Copper Rule Revisions, definition of "waters of the United States," Clean Water Act Section 401 water quality certification); protecting underground sources of drinking water; providing technical assistance; improving data accessibility and risk communication; facilitating innovative program action; and using its authority to help protect the health of all people and the nation's waterbodies. EPA will ensure that science is respected, elevated, and prioritized in all decisions and is released to the public in a timely and transparent manner. EPA will also address a critical public health issue by working with states and water utilities to remove lead service lines that contribute to high lead levels in drinking water. EPA will help utilities identify their lead service lines and work with federal and state funding authorities to help utilities remove the lines.
Objective 5.1: Ensure Safe Drinking Water and Reliable Water Infrastructure
Protect public health from the risk of exposure to regulated and emerging contaminants in drinking and source waters by improving the reliability, accessibility, and resilience of the nation's water infrastructure to reduce the impacts of climate change, structural deterioration, and cyber threats.
Introduction
The United States enjoys one of the world's most reliable and safest supplies of drinking water.  More than 93 percent of the population receives safe drinking water from approximately 50,000 community water systems. Similarly, the use of sewage collection systems has provided dramatic improvements in public health. Today, approximately 15,000 municipal wastewater treatment facilities operate nationwide, serving more than 76 percent of the population.
Some communities across the country, however, face the challenge of aging or inadequate drinking water, wastewater, and stormwater infrastructure. Many marginalized, underserved, or Tribal communities lack crucial access to clean and safe water and are the most vulnerable to exposure to contaminants such as lead and PFAS. The COVID-19 pandemic, cyber-attacks, and climate change have compounded these challenges and heightened the urgency to reinvest in water infrastructure (i.e., gray and green infrastructure, or natural systems such as wetlands). EPA is committed to investing in water infrastructure improvements to address these challenges so that all communities have access to clean and safe drinking water.
Long-Term Performance Goals
 By September 30, 2026, reduce the number of community water systems still in noncompliance with health-based standards since September 30, 2017 from 3,508 to 600.
 By September 30, 2026, reduce the number of community water systems in Indian country still in noncompliance with health-based standards since March 31, 2021 from 110 to 70.
 By September 30, 2026, EPA water infrastructure finance programs (CWSRF, DWSRF and WIFIA) will leverage an additional $45 billion in non-federal dollars.