United States Region 5 EPA 905-K-96-002

Environmental Protection 77 West Jackson Boulevard

Agency Chicago, IL 60604 1996
VISION

A sustainable environment where

air, water, and land resources are

restored and protected to benefit all life.

Together,

we can solve environmental problems with

communities in common-sense ways.
TABLE OF CONTENTS

SECTION PAGE

Introduction .................................................................................... 1

Regional Priorities ........................................................................... 7

Principal Places .............................................................................. 15

Critical Approaches ........................................................................ 25

Region 5 Media Program Divisions .............................................. 31

Conclusion ...................................................................................... 34

1

INTRODUCTION

Background

The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Region 5 has a long and proud

tradition of protecting the Midwest environment. With intensive industrial development,

numerous major urban areas, and extensive agricultural cultivation, the natural resources of the

Region have been under great pressure over the years. The Great Lakes, the Mississippi and Ohio

Rivers, the air over our urban areas, our land, ground water, and many other resources have all

been subject to extensive pollution for a long time. The employees of Region 5 have met the

challenges presented by this pollution for over 25 years, and now the air, water, and land are

much cleaner than before. 

While we have pride in these accomplishments, we must recognize than many challenges remain

and that times have changed dramatically since we began our work. The threats from urban

sprawl, habitat destruction, global warming, toxic contamination, and many other sources

represent very difficult problems to solve. State, local, and tribal governments are working with

EPA as partners in the environmental decision making process. Other stakeholders including

industry, environmental groups, labor unions, and citizens are expecting more from us and want a

bigger role in solving environmental problems. The pace of technological and societal change

continues to increase. 

All of these require that we actively pursue new and more effective ways to protect the

environment. Over the past 3 years, there have been many new initiatives in Region 5 as part of

the overall reinvention efforts in Government. Probably the most significant is our reorganization,

which retained the structure based on air, water, and waste, but added regional teams to focus on

specific environmental priorities, principal places, and critical approaches to solving environmental

problems. As part of the reorganization, there has been an effort to allow for more decision

making at the staff level and more streamlining by reducing the layers of management. These

changes have been difficult for everyone, but we are now at a point where the benefits from the

changes are becoming more evident.

To move into fiscal year 1997 in a way that will take full advantage of the changes and put the

Region in the best possible position to solve environmental problems even more effectively in the

future, our Teams and Programs have prepared detailed plans which support this "Agenda for

Action." This document presents the highlights of the goals and key actions of the Region. Much

more detail is included in the full plans of the Teams and Programs. This “Agenda for Action” is a

dynamic document that can and should be adjusted based on interaction with our partners and

based on changes in the issues we are addressing. Our aim is to provide clear direction for

everyone in Region 5 as to where we are going and how we plan to get there. 
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Vision, Mission, Values

We developed our environmental vision, mission, and values over an 18-month period in 1992

and 1993, with extensive employee involvement. Our environmental vision describes our desired

state. The Senior Leadership Team (SLT) added an operational vision in 1995 to describe how

we will achieve that vision. The operational vision serves as a roadmap to guide us in this pursuit.

The end product of our work will be a sustainable environment, where we utilize resources in a

way that does not compromise the use and enjoyment of the environment by future generations. 

To accomplish this, we must engage in a continuing process of working together with

communities to solve environmental problems. Common sense must be one of the benchmarks in

our approaches to solving problems, with solutions that are effective in accomplishing the desired

results without creating too many undesirable side effects. As set out in our mission, our work is

to protect, preserve, prevent, abate, serve, and lead. Our values serve as our foundation and do

not change. They include respect, integrity, honesty, communication, action, leadership and

partnership. By carrying out this mission with these values as our foundation, there will be a

higher quality of life for the people of the Midwest, this country, and the world.

Priorities, Places, and Approaches

Because of the large number of challenges we face, it is necessary to focus our attention on the

most serious problems and the most threatened places, using the most effective approaches we

can. If we do not, we will find ourselves making only minimal progress on a broad range of

problems. As a result, the SLT considered information from a range of sources and decided to

focus on six major environmental priorities:

Reducing toxicants, especially mercury;

Redeveloping Brownfields;

Ensuring environmental justice;

Cleaning up sediments;

Protecting and restoring critical ecosystems;

Attaining the air quality standard for ozone.

In addition to these priorities, there are 10 principal places where the resources we protect are so

important, or the environmental stresses are so great, that we must concentrate our efforts to

make sure that these resources are restored and the quality of life improved. These 10 principal

places are:
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The Great Lakes

The Upper Mississippi River

Northwest Indiana

Greater Chicago

Southeast Michigan

Gateway (St. Louis, East St. Louis)

Northeast Ohio

Crandon Mine (proposed mine in Wisconsin) 

Tribal Lands

International

To solve the priority environmental problems and address other concerns in these principal

places, we have used new approaches to finding solutions, along with the existing ones that have

served us over the years. The critical approaches we will be using more in the future are:

Community-based environmental protection (CBEP);

Common-sense measures;

Pollution prevention;

Partnerships with States, tribes, local governments, other Federal agencies and

Industry;

Enhanced public communication;

Enforcement and compliance assurance;

Multimedia perspectives;

Risk- and science-based decision making;

Measurement and management for environmental results;

Internal resource investment for change.

The SLT is committed to empowering the employees of Region 5 to use these approaches in a

way that will make more progress toward solving the priority environmental problems, especially

in the principal places, even more effectively in the future than in the past.

Region 5 as a System

One of the important keys to success in the future will be our ability to understand and operate

our Region as a highly interactive, effective system, where every element contributes to the

mission. We must understand that this relates to our internal operations and to our interactions

with external organizations. Internally, we are made up primarily of Divisions, Offices, and

Teams. Four Divisions, Air, Water, Superfund, and Waste, Pesticides, and Toxics, are organized

around our media programs. The Resource Management Division provides our internal resource

services. The Office of Regional Council provides legal services, the Office of Public Affairs

provides public outreach services, and the Office of Strategic Environmental Analysis frames

emerging issues, develops environmental management tools, and pilots new multimedia program

initiatives. Finally, our Great Lakes National Program Office focuses on our predominant natural
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resource, the Great Lakes. The media Divisions conduct the primary work related to

implementing the national statutory programs for environmental protection. The other Division

and Offices provide critical support for carrying out these programs. 

On the other hand, our region-wide Teams are organized around our environmental priorities,

principal places, and critical approaches and provide a focal point for our resources and strategies

to come together. The Teams rely heavily on the programs, and go beyond, to find solutions to

environmental problems. The programs work with the Teams to help focus their efforts in the

places, on the problems, and with the approaches the Teams have developed.

To be successful, our system must be fully integrated with our Headquarters, other Regions, and

research labs located around the country. We must work especially closely with the States in the

newly defined relationship under the National Environmental Performance Partnership System. 

The Native American tribes are particularly important because of our trust responsibility to them. 

We are working more with local governments as they increase their role in the environmental

decision making process. Also very important to the overall process are the industries we

regulate, the environmental groups, and various citizen groups and individuals. All of these

entities are viewed as part of a system to help solve environmental problems.

EPA Regional offices have a special role in this system, as they are in a unique position to

reconcile the tension that develops naturally among the priorities of the many stakeholders. The

Regions, as part of the Federal Government, can bring the national and regional perspective to

State and local problems in a way that is true to national policy, yet sensitive to local concerns. 

Regional offices are in a position to develop a consensus for solutions that will have broad

acceptance and will be more lasting.

Linkages with Other Efforts

The SLT designed this “Agenda for Action” with much help from many people in the Region, to

bring together many of the innovations being implemented by EPA. The national goals project,

which is nearing completion, defines the environmental goals we hope to achieve over the long

term, working in partnership with other stakeholders. These goals are described in environmental

and public health terms and cover 12 broad areas. The various memorandums of understanding

(MOU’s) with the Headquarters programs generally describe what we will be doing in the short

term to help meet these national goals in the long term. Two other EPA documents, “Strategic

Directions for the Midwest Environment”, and the Agency’s “Five Year Strategic Plan” also

provide direction for us in our efforts. 

In the performance partnership agreements (PPA’s) with the states, we are taking the national

priorities from the MOU’s, the State priorities, and our own regional priorities and finding a

balance among the three. Likewise, with the tribal environmental agreements (TEA’s), we factor

in the tribal priorities. These come together in this “Agenda for Action” where we describe our

short-term actions for FY 97 that will lead us toward accomplishing the goals of EPA nationally,
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the goals of the States and tribes, and the Region 5 goals. The common thread through all of

these, which we are still developing, are the goals, milestones, and indicators against which we

will manage for environmental results and measure our progress.

With the full support of everyone in Region 5 working to carry out the “Agenda for Action”, we

will solve environmental problems and improve the quality of life.
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7

REGIONAL PRIORITIES

Reducing Toxicants, Especially Mercury

Redeveloping Brownfields

Ensuring Environmental Justice

Cleaning up Sediments

Attaining the Air Quality Standard for Ozone

Protecting and Restoring Critical Ecosystems
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Reducing Toxicants, Especially Mercury 

Problem 

Releases of toxic substances have had serious adverse effects on humans and the environment. 

Mercury and PCB levels threaten wildlife and make fish consumption advisories necessary. Lead

poisoning is widespread among children. Toxaphene and endocrine disrupters are of great

concern, but their exposure levels, effects, sources, and transport are not clearly understood.

Agencies have focused on investigating and reducing releases of toxic substances, but most often

independently and in single-medium contexts. We must assure that our toxicant reduction efforts

reflect a multimedia perspective and that they are as coherent and effective as possible. 

Goal

The goal of Region 5 is the virtual elimination of toxicants.

Subgoals

Reduce mercury levels;

Reduce levels of Binational Strategy (BNS) Toxicants;

Reduce PCB levels;

Reduce lead exposure;

Actions

Reduce Mercury Levels: Reach out to industry, organizations, and citizens on pollution

prevention; sponsor conference to spur actions; study alternative use and treatmentdisposal options; provide clearinghouse support for Region and States; do studies on

mercury transport, sources, and impacts in Lake Superior and Lake Michigan.

Reduce Levels of other BNS Toxicants: Complete Binational Strategy and monitor and

evaluate its implementation; conduct and coordinate toxicant reduction activities outlined

in BNS. 

Reduce PCB Levels: Pursue voluntary-use reductions through the PCB Phase down

Program; help achieve compliance; promote safe disposal of PCB’s; provide coordination

and clearinghouse support for Region and States; complete PCB Options Paper.

Reduce Lead Exposure: Develop regional lead strategies; conduct education and outreach

programs on lead exposure; improve regional coordination; support geographic initiative

efforts.
9

Redeveloping Brownfields

Problem 

Contaminated or abandoned-underutilized urban sites seriously damage the integrity of

communities as a result of Brownfields’ pervasive socioeconomic, health, and environmental

impacts. The presence of these sites stigmatizes neighborhoods, furthers urban decay, and

contributes to urban sprawl.

Goal

The goal of Region 5 is the virtual elimination of Brownfields. 

Subgoals

Promote cleanup of contaminated sites;

Promote Brownfields prevention;

Position EPA as a resource to States and local communities.

Actions

Promote cleanup of contaminated sites by clarifying liability issues, providing technical

assistance to stakeholders, and targeting our capacity-building efforts towards State and

local entities.

Identify and implement Brownfield prevention activities in Region 5.

Form partnerships with a variety of stakeholders to further promote EPA as a resource in

Brownfield redevelopment activities focusing our efforts on priority places identified by

Region 5 and incorporating strategic approaches. In addition, identify opportunities to

leverage both human and monetary resources at both the State and local level.
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Ensuring Environmental Justice

Problem 

Over the last decade, concern about the impact of environmental pollution on particular

population groups has been growing. There is widespread belief that minority or low-income

populations bear disproportionately high and adverse human health and environmental effects

from pollution. 

Goal

The goal of Region 5 is the virtual elimination of disproportionate environmental impacts on

minority and low-income communities.

Subgoals

Promote public participation, accountability, partnerships, outreach, and communication;

Collect data, and analyze to define EJ areas;

Work with American Indian populations to integrate EJ policies;

Focus EJ issues in enforcement, compliance assurance, regulatory review and permitting.

Actions

Implement Regional Environmental Justice Performance Agreement;

Develop a definition for environmental justice;

Identify environmental justice communities of concern in Region 5;

Develop grant-writing software and other educational materials for communities;

Consider environmental justice concerns in enforcement and permitting activities;

Provide technical assistance to communities and tribes. 
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Cleaning up Sediments

Problem 

Sediments are naturally occurring earth materials that are deposited on the bottom of rivers and

lakes. Some sediments have become contaminated with chemicals, metals, or other pollutants

that can be retained in the sediments for a long time. Contaminated sediments pose a threat to

aquatic life and wildlife because the contaminants they contain can be slowly released into the

environment. Humans can be at risk as well through exposure to contaminants or through

consumption of contaminated fish and wildlife. Contaminated sediments are a significant and

persistent source of pollution in many areas, identified as Areas of Concern, in and around the

Great Lakes, in and around the Mississippi and Ohio Rivers, and other waters in Region 5.

Goal

The goal of Region 5 is the virtual elimination of contaminated sediments in waters of Region 5

through remediation of contaminated sediments that pose a threat to human health, welfare, or the

environment, and prevention of new or additional sediment contamination.

Subgoals

Remediation of contaminated sediments that pose a threat to human health, welfare, or the

environment;

Prevention of new or additional sediment contamination;

Actions

Initiate remedial actions at up to six priority contaminated sediment sites using

enforcement, regulatory, and voluntary approaches.

Work in partnership with Natural Resources Conservation Service, States, and others to

initiate, and support actions for source control of contaminants to sediments and erosion

control of soils.

Work in partnership with Programs, Teams, States, tribes, and others to identify priority

sites and initiate actions.

Develop performance goals, performance indicators, and output measures at selected sites;

participate in National Accountability Project.

Facilitate and support ongoing remedial efforts including those in Northwest Indiana,

Southeast Michigan, and Great Lakes Areas of Concern.

Work in partnership with Natural Resource Trustees and others to facilitate and support

ongoing Natural Resource Damage Assessment and other restoration actions initiated in

conjunction with sediment remedial activities.
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Attaining the Air Quality Standard for Ozone

Problem 

Twenty million people live in the seven urban areas in or bordering Region 5 (Chicago, SE.

Wisconsin, NW. Indiana, SE. Michigan, Cincinnati, St. Louis, and Louisville) that do not meet the

health-related air quality standard for ozone. New health data indicate that elevated ozone levels

may adversely affect as many as 15 percent (3 million) of the exposed population and may require

a tightened standard. Ozone is caused by volatile organic compounds (VOC’s) and nitrogen

oxides (NOX) reacting in the presence of sunlight.

Goal

The goal of Region 5 is to attain the national ambient air quality standard for ozone. 

Subgoals

By the year 2007 (or 2009 if a new standard is adopted), the national ambient air quality

standard for ozone will be attained everywhere in Region 5. 

VOC emissions will meet each area’s targets on schedule.

Regional NOX emissions will meet the requirements of the OTAG strategy on schedule.

Actions

Complete OTAG modeling;

Develop ozone outreach strategy in partnership with States and other Regions;

States and EPA assess 1994, 1995, and 1996 ozone data;

Develop VOC compliance strategy in partnership with States and other Regions;

OAQPS will propose the new ozone standard;

Forward OTAG recommendations to EPA;

Receive State’s revised strategies;

OAQPS will adopt the new ozone standard;

States and EPA assess 1995, 1996, and 1997 ozone data;

Develop NOX compliance strategy in partnership with States and other Regions.
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Protecting and Restoring Critical Ecosystems

Problem 

Ecosystem degradation and loss is one of the highest environmental risk problems facing the

country today. This conclusion is consistent with the international community's Biodiversity

Treaty, which identifies the loss of biological diversity as a global problem. Ecosystems in Region

5 and the Great Lakes Basin, beset by great ecosystem alterations and biodiversity losses,

nevertheless sustain globally rare ecosystems, ecological communities, and species. These

resources are being lost or degraded by physical impairment, chemical pollution, and the

biological invasion of exotic species. 

Goal

Region 5 will strive to protect, restore, and enhance the functions and structure, including

biodiversity, needed to sustain healthy and diverse ecologically significant ecosystems that wholly

or partially lie within Region 5 and the Great Lakes Basin. 

Subgoals

Protect ecosystems possessing ecological integrity, biodiversity, or rare ecological

occurrences from the adverse impacts of anthropogenic stressors.

Restore formerly degraded but potentially ecologically significant ecosystems to their full

potential.

Actions

Create a Regional Ecosystem Protection Team to further focus resources on this priority.

Increase partnership building activities which will result in identification, description, and

on-the-ground actions to protect or restore ecologically significant ecosystems, as well as

support the formation of long-term commitments for acting on jointly developed

ecological priorities. Partners include communities, States, tribes, non-government

organizations, other State and Federal agencies, and the public.

Provide support in solving site-specific ecological problems in Region 5 by integrating

data from EPA and other partners, using environmental indicators for tracking results and

analyzing trends, making data more accessible, and by helping to integrate ecosystem

protection into existing Regional Programs and other authorities.
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15

PRINCIPAL PLACES

The Great Lakes

The Upper Mississippi River

Northwest Indiana

Greater Chicago

Southeast Michigan

Gateway

Northeast Ohio

Crandon Mine

Tribal Lands

International
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The Great Lakes

Problem 

The Great Lakes are the largest system of fresh surface water, containing 18 percent of the

world’s supply. The Great Lakes ecosystem contains many diverse elements, including major

centers of population, agricultural land, forests, dunes, wetlands, and globally rare plant and

animal species. The Great Lakes have suffered over the decades from point and nonpoint sources

of pollution, habitat loss and destruction, and threats to biodiversity. In recent years, the Great

Lakes have seen major environmental improvements, but they still are affected by a wide range of

continuing stressors, particularly toxins that bioaccumulate in the food chain, making numerous

fish advisories necessary. Habitat loss and destruction and loss of biodiversity continue to be

problems as well.

Goal

The goal of Region 5 for the Great Lakes is to restore and maintain the chemical, physical, and

biological integrity of the waters of the Great Lakes Basin ecosystem.

Subgoals

Reduce and eliminate loadings of toxic substances, with an emphasis on persistent

bioaccumulative substances using pollution prevention as a primary tool. Clean up

contaminated sediments.

Protect human health; protect and restore habitat; and maintain healthy and stable

populations of fish and other aquatic life, wildlife, and plants in the Great Lakes

ecosystem.

Support other priorities, such as community-based environmental protection, partnerships,

enhanced public communication, and measuring and managing for environmental results. 

Actions 

Lake Michigan

Complete Volume 1 (partial Stage I and II) of the Lakewide Management Plan (LaMP)

incorporating mass balance data, loadings and source analysis, and adding ecosystem

objectives, beneficial-use impairment assessments, and indicators.

Continue work with the 10 Remedial Action Plans (RAP’s) through partnership

established with the Lake Michigan Forum and U.S. Corps of Engineers, to clean up

contaminated sediments.

Support reduction of toxicants activities, including the P2 Primary Metals project, and

initiation of a PCB Clean Sweep.
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Lake Erie

Complete Volume 1 of the LaMP, including development of ecosystem objectives,

beneficial-use impairment assessments, pollutant source and loadings analysis, and public

involvement activities.

Increase Federal assistance to Remedial Action Plans, promoting increased environmental

progress in Areas of Concern (AOC’s).

Increase pollution prevention activities, as well as habitat protection and restoration

activities, in the Lake Erie Basin.

Lake Superior

Complete Volume 3 of the LaMP, including analysis of current regulatory programs and

development of reduction strategy using tools and incentives.

Increase Federal assistance to Remedial Action Plans to address sediment remediation and

reduction of toxicants in AOC’s.

Identify and fund habitat restoration-protection projects and data-base development for

land use and planning decisions.

Sponsor sustainable development workshops with land-use planners and local

governments, to support community development efforts towards sustainability in the

Lake Superior Basin.

Special Initiatives 

Complete the Great Lakes Initiative (GLI) by working with States to ensure timely

adoption and implementation of consistent water quality standards, antidegradation

policies, and related procedures by statutory deadline.

Complete and implement the Binational Virtual Elimination Strategy, which will further

promote the reduction and elimination of toxic inputs into the Great Lakes. Emphasize

mercury and PCB’s as key targeted chemicals.

Finalize the Lake Michigan Mass Balance study by completing field, lab, modeling, and

data work and develop and publish reports outlining findings, key recommendations, and

implications for environmental management of the Great Lakes. 

Continue to ensure that the goals of the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement, which

emphasizes an ecosystem approach as well as calling for a broader focus on the reduction

of toxic chemicals in the Great Lakes, are met. This will be achieved by coordinating

with Environment Canada, other Regions, Federal agencies, and States to ensure that

programs and projects result in clear and measurable progress against goals.
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The Upper Mississippi River

The Upper Mississippi River basin extends from the Mississippi’s confluence with the Ohio River,

northwards to the Mississippi’s headwaters in Minnesota. The Mississippi and its ecosystem have

been heavily influenced by man and his activities, navigation structures, 27 locks and dams on the

main channel, flood protection levees, and changes in land use and land cover. Within the basin

are some of the most highly productive agricultural lands in the world. Also within the basin there

are a significant numbers of species, including fish, birds, and mammals. However, the river is

experiencing significant adverse environmental impacts. 

The goal of Region 5 for the Upper Mississippi River is to assure the long-term sustainability of

the Upper Mississippi River Basin ecosystem. The subgoals are to address three areas of major

concern: sedimentation, nutrient loading contributing to the hypoxia (reduced oxygen) problem in

the Gulf of Mexico, and the loss of habitat. 

During the coming year we intend to identify and prioritize watersheds and subwatersheds that are

contributing significant amounts of sediments and nutrients. We will be working with the Natural

Resource Conservation Service, National Biological Service, and U.S. Geological Service to

identify problem watersheds and to line-up activities. We will also be working with the States to

develop Best Management Practices to address the sediment and nutrient problems. Some of

these actions will require us to work with the agricultural community. Where possible, we will

identify wetlands, forests, and prairies that can be restored or enhanced. Emphasis will be on

habitat opportunities within the Mississippi River floodplain.

Northwest Indiana

Northwest Indiana, spanning the southern shore of Lake Michigan, has experienced a century of

severe environmental degradation. This was largely because of the steel and petroleum refining

industries, because of major alteration of the natural ecosystem by filling of dunes and wetlands,

and because of overall development. Ozone and particulate nonattainment, 10 million cubic yards

of contaminated sediments in the Indiana Harbor Ship Canal and the Grand Calumet River,

millions of gallons of free-floating petroleum products in ground-water, and numerous sites

contaminated with hazardous waste - including 15 Superfund sites - are some of the many

environmental challenges facing the area. 

The goal of Region 5 for Northwest Indiana is environmental restoration of the Northwest

Indiana area and elimination of environmental stressors that affect the quality of life. The

subgoals are to implement the Northwest Indiana Environmental Action Plan, to support and

further the Region’s priorities, and to build community capacity. 

During FY 97 we will continue to implement the Northwest Indiana Environmental Initiative

Action Plan with our partner, the Indiana Department of Environmental Management. This

includes cleaning up contaminated sediments, remediating land and ground water, coordinating
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compliance and enforcement, developing a Remedial Action Plan and a Lakewide Area

Management Plan, improving air quality, and preventing pollution. Region 5 will also pursue

additional activities, outside of the Action Plan, that support our Regional priorities. In addition,

community education and outreach will include: setting up community-based risk assessment

training, establishing a Mighty Acorns project, developing interactive software on the

environmental history and current sustainable-development issues of the area, and participating in

the Northwest Indiana Sustainable Development Task Force.

Greater Chicago

In the Greater Chicago area there are numerous environmental problems, including, nonattainment of the ozone standard, large-scale ground-water and soil contamination, deterioration

of critical habitat and biodiversity, illegal dumping, and contaminated sediments. Region 5 is

working with our Federal, State, local, and other partners to develop strategies that will address

these problems. 

The goal of Region 5 for Greater Chicago is to protect and restore environmental health and

beauty in Greater Chicago. The subgoals include: reestablishment of the steering committee for

the Greater Chicago Initiative, which will continue to develop and implement an overall strategy

for the area and support the environmental priorities of Region 5; evaluating the overall strategy

based on a scientific understanding of the area’s environmental problems; addressing Region 5's

top environmental priorities. 

Activities for this year will include public outreach on the need to attain the ozone standard and

the relationship of ozone alert days to health effects, such as asthma; developing public dialogue

on dealing with large-scale contaminated ground-water and soil areas, including the need to

preserve or restore critical habitat for biodiversity; working to build State and local illegal

dumping programs; developing programs with business and the community for pollution

prevention; and collecting existing data on contaminated sediments.

Southeast Michigan

The Southeast Michigan Initiative (SEMI) area has major environmental problems, including

rivers with impaired uses, contaminated sediments, combined sewer overflows, major toxic

pollutant releases, a polluted airshed, and the continuing destruction of critical habitat. Many

SEMI areas are subject to environmental justice concerns due to high minority-low income

populations near major pollution sources and blighted urban areas. 

The goal of Region 5 for Southeast Michigan is to facilitate action to protect and improve the

environment and the natural resources of this area. The subgoals address the top regional

environmental priorities, the development of a CBEP Action Plan, and the completion of the RAP

for the area bordering Lake Erie. The Region’s community-based problem solving approach uses

partnerships with stakeholders, including those represented at SEMI’s Environmental Forum
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meetings. The forum is an open roundtable, which is the primary means of communication and

coordination with stakeholders and serves to insure that limited government resources target the

most pressing environmental issues, as defined by regional priorities and by the community. 

Specific activities for this year will address: redevelopment of brownfields, ensuring

environmental justice, preservation and restoration of critical habitat, remediation of contaminated

sediments, maintenance of the ozone standard, and the reduction of toxicants in the environment.

Activities in these areas include outreach and education, developing partnerships with local

stakeholders, building local capacity, multimedia projects, enforcement and compliance assistance,

and measuring for environmental results. A stakeholder group will be developing a scheme for

setting priority goals and developing a database of relevant environmental indicators with which

to measure environmental improvement over time.

Gateway

The Gateway Initiative encompasses the Greater East St. Louis, IL, area. Over 70 industrial

facilities - including oil refineries, chemical companies, a steel mill, a commercial hazardous waste

incinerator, five active or closed hazardous waste landfills, as well as copper, lead, and zinc

smelters - lie in this 60-square mile area on the eastern floodplain of the Mississippi River. The

area does not meet health-related air quality standards for ozone and lead, and ambient air

concentrations for cadmium are among the highest in the country. The community has expressed

great concern over the prevalence of illegal dumping, open burning, abandoned and deteriorating

houses, and flooding in largely minority or low-income neighborhoods. 

The goal of Region 5 for the Gateway community is to improve the quality of life, protect the

natural resources, and build sustainable community involvement on local environmental issues. 

The subgoals address the top regional environmental priorities, as well as other issues of concern

to the local community. 

In FY 97, Region 5 will continue to conduct tire cleanups, demolish abandoned structures, and

enhance our partnership with local watershed planning agencies to address persistent flooding. 

We will also continue to support local efforts to redevelop Brownfields. Environmental justice

remains a high priority. By offering training such as the Citizens’ Environmental Academy and

Basic Environmental Law training for local law enforcement, we will promote empowerment in

environmental justice communities and build capacity within local organizations to support efforts

at environmental stewardship. We will continue to work closely with the Illinois EPA, the Illinois

Department of Public Health and other agencies involved in the area. Finally, we will increase

our education, outreach, and community involvement, in conjunction with Region 7, to address

air-quality issues.
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Northeast Ohio

Over 4 million people live in the 15-county Northeast Ohio area. Dramatic demographic and

economic changes have occurred over the past 40 years. Historical practices and changing landuse patterns have introduced unprecedented stresses on the environment and public health. 

Traditional compartmentalized approaches need to be replaced with community-based regional

approaches to address the challenges of the next decade. 

The goal of Region 5 for Northeast Ohio is to improve protection of public health and the

environment through establishment of new partnerships and linkages. The subgoals are to

support State and local partners in achieving their goals, to achieve sustainable development,

restore the quality of the urban environment, eliminate toxicants, achieve air quality standards,

and eliminate impaired water quality uses. In addition, we will address the six Region 5

environmental priorities in Northeast Ohio, connect the EPA with the community, and further our

overall goal of protecting public health and the environment. 

For FY 97, key actions will include: providing information, experts, and financial and hands-on

assistance to stakeholders; building stakeholder capacity; continuing both general and focused

community outreach; developing a one-stop-shopping approach to respond to citizen inquiries

and complaints; and coordinating the implementation of nondelegated programs to add value to

stakeholder efforts.

Crandon Mine Project

Region 5 has dedicated resources to support a comprehensive review of the Crandon Mine

project, a proposed copper and zinc mine, near Crandon, WI. The proposed mine would be

within the environmentally sensitive and culturally rich Wolf River Watershed, near the

reservations of the Sokoagon Chippewa Community, Forest County Potawatomi Community,

Menominee Indian Tribe of Wisconsin, and the Stockbridge-Munsee Community. The proposed

mine would be an underground operation that would produce 55 million tons of ore. Half of the

44 million tons of mine tailings produced would be backfilled into the mine and half would be

secured within a 355 acre, above-ground, tailings management area to the east of the ore body. 

The tailings will be sulfide bearing, which means that the potential for acid mine drainage exists

and that proper precautions and technology must be used to protect and preserve the

environmental quality of the area. Water quality and quantity, wetland impacts, water diversion,

tribal cultural impacts, and cumulative impacts are among the issues related to this project. 

The goal of Region 5's involvement in the Crandon Mine project is to enable the Federal permit

decision process to rely on environmentally sound, culturally sensitive, and technically correct

facts and data. The subgoals are to assist the four federally recognized Native American Indian

Tribes in protecting and preserving their tribal resources and to assist other Federal agencies (of

which the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is the federal lead agency) by providing quality data,

both factual and technical, and reviews. 
22

Specifically, our activities for this year will focus on upholding the Federal trust responsibility to

the tribes. In addition, we will be working with the tribes, other Federal agencies, the State and

the mining company by contributing data and by providing quality reviews and comments on

pertinent project documents. 

Tribal Lands

Region 5 has a duty to uphold its trust responsibility to the 33 Indian tribes in the region. The

tribes do not have the necessary resources or administrative infrastructure to adequately address

environmental problems that effect their communities. 

Region 5's goal is effective stewardship and implementation of tribal trust responsibilities. The

subgoals are: recognizing each tribe’s right to be at the environmental table as a sovereign nation;

building the capacity of tribes to solve their environmental problems on their own, and, where

capable, to achieve Treatment as a State (TAS), through financial and on-site technical assistance;

direct implementation of environmental programs by EPA on reservations where necessary. 

Region 5 will take on many activities this year. The Regional Tribal Operations Council (RTOC)

will meet quarterly in Chicago to ensure frequent and open communications and resolution of

issues. We will formally establish a Regional Tribal Team, consisting of representatives from all

Divisions and Offices, that will report directly to the Senior Leadership Team. The Regional

Administrator will be the Team's sponsor. The Team will be a focal point for Regional efforts to

revise, enhance, and update the Tribal Environmental Agreements (TEA’s), which define

multiyear priorities. Each Division and Office will prepare a blueprint, which identifies activities it

will fund or undertake in the coming year to help the Tribes accomplish their goals, as described

in the TEA. The Team will develop a Region 5 tribal policy and will implement the

communications strategy. In addition, the Team will work on tribal training needs, access to

Clean Water On-Line, and enhanced grants management.
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International

Over half of the United States’ population lives in 19 States that straddle the U.S. border areas

with Canada and Mexico. Global and regional environmental threats are also local threats:

whether they are dumping of foreign species in local harbors or long-range transport of persistent

pollutants. United States cannot meet its statutory mission without international cooperation to

address stratospheric ozone depletion, global warming, maintenance of global biodiversity, and

sharing of ideas on new foreign technologies and even management techniques piloted elsewhere. 

The goals of Region 5 for our international activities are: to work with neighboring countries to

prevent transboundary pollution and resource degradation that threatens public health and shared

ecosystems in North America, the Arctic, and the wider Caribbean; to protect the global commons

as well as U. S. public health and ecosystems from global environmental threats; to strengthen

environmental management and participatory decision-making in other countries in support of

U.S. environmental, economic, foreign policy, and national security objectives; and to promote

cleaner and more cost-effective environmental practices and technologies in the U.S. and abroad

through public and private partnerships. 

In FY 97 Region 5 will work within the International Activities Framework. We will continue to

support the NAFTA environmental processes by providing staff for specific reviews and expert

panels, as appropriate. Region 5 will help EPA Headquarters prepare a response to OECD review

of U.S. environmental programs, continue coordinating the international visitor programs, and

continue supporting EPA’s Asian Environmental Partnership program for Korea and India. 

Region 5 will focus its capacity- building programs in the Baltics on development of regionally

compatible environmental monitoring programs and environmental data managements systems to

detect and control persistent organic pollutants, as per the Lithuanian FY 96 Funding Workplan. 

Region 5 will close out the Moscow water projects in partnership with the Minnesota Pollution

Control Agency and Minnesota’s Office of Water. We will also provide limited assistance with

our national experts and environmental software group to help other EPA Region leads in Russia

and Asia. Region 5, in coordination with Regions 4 and 8, will help EPA fulfill its commitments in

Ukraine to present EIA training, develop a pesticide registration program, and computerize the

Ministry of Environment, increasing its capacity to introduce newer “greener” pesticides and

reduce reliance on persistent pesticides. We will provide limited technical oversight and project

development support to EPA’s Polish and Ukrainian risk management projects. Region 5 will

serve as EPA lead to develop a model program for implementation of the Environmental Security

initiative, which focuses on military base cleanup to address POP’s and mercury, building on

previous successes with hazardous materials emergency response programs and site remediation

in the Baltics. We will continue to support an environmental literature and software repository

network as a means to disseminate information on U.S. methodology, priorities, and technology

and to minimize direct information requests to EPA.
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25

CRITICAL APPROACHES

Community-Based Environmental Protection

Common Sense Measures

Pollution Prevention

Partnerships with States, tribes, local governments, and

other Federal agencies

Enhanced Public Communication

Enforcement and Compliance Assurance

Multimedia Approaches

Risk - and Science-Based Decision Making

Measuring and Managing for Environmental Results

Internal Resource Investment for Change
26

The critical approaches represent the most important tools that Region 5 will be using to address

our environmental priorities and to find solutions to environmental problems in our principal

places. Although every approach is not applicable to each environmental priority or principal

place, our expectation is that these critical approaches will be used to the maximum extent

possible when they apply. The following narratives describe how Region 5 plans to use these

critical approaches more effectively during FY 97 and to achieve better environmental results in

the future. 

Community-Based Environmental Protection

The Community-Based Environmental Protection (CBEP) approach is one of our techniques that

helps EPA maximize environmental results by collaborating with other agencies, State and local

governments, tribes, businesses, organizations, and individuals to solve environmental problems. 

This problem solving approach provides a setting in which EPA works with communities which

are affected, involved, or interested in identifying environmental problems, ranking these

problems, developing solutions, and initiating work towards eliminating the problems. Recently,

Region 5 reorganized many of its staff and resources into geographic initiatives to focus work in

locations. The Region created a CBEP workgroup that is committed to building and developing

EPA’s capacity to work in communities. The CBEP workgroup is responsible for providing

leadership and establishing CBEP policies and guidance in the media programs and regional

teams: for mediating CBEP-related issues, for institutionalizing CBEP activities into the Region’s

daily activities and strategic planning, and for working directly with the Senior Leadership Team

on setting CBEP priorities. The CBEP workgroup will also establish linkages with the six

environmental priority managers, the Regional Teams, other principal place and critical approach

managers, as well as members of the Divisions and Offices. Linkages with the States, tribes, and

other Federal agencies is a priority so that information and data can be shared and partnerships

can be built. The success of the CBEP approach will depend on the ability of the Region’s staff

to recognize CBEP opportunities and to work effectively with other parties in resolving

environmental problems. To this goal, the CBEP workgroup is responsible for developing a

clearinghouse of tools, training, and organizational skills that will enhance and capitalize the

regional staff’s ability to work with our various publics. 

Common Sense Measures

A central part of our vision is that we will use common sense in solving all environmental

problems. The term “common sense” has caused some confusion and controversy. It simply

means using good judgement in helping solve environmental problems. The solutions should

make sense to the people in the communities most effected by the problem. There should be a

reasonable expectation that the proposed solution will solve the environmental problem without

creating additional complications. “Common sense” does not mean we throw out the rules or just

give industry what it wants. It means we apply the rules in a way that makes sense and solves the

problem.
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Pollution Prevention

As one of its national goals, EPA holds that by relying on pollution-prevention techniques and

strategies in the way we produce, consume, reuse, and recycle materials we can ensure that all

Americans will live in contaminant free, sustainable communities. Furthermore, it is Region 5's

position that environmental protection and economic prosperity are inextricably linked: Pollution

prevention is both good business and good for business. Members of the regulated community,

the general public, Region 5 employees, and other interested stakeholders seek pragmatic,

bottom-line ways to eliminate or minimize pollution at its source - be it at home, industry, or

office. To advance the widespread implementation of pollution-prevention practices within public

and private sectors, Region 5 seeks to instill and help foster a holistic and dynamic pollutionprevention ethic among Regional employees, teams, base programs, external stakeholders, and the

general public. The aim is to achieve a measurable reduction of pollution, especially in Region 5's

geographic and priority areas. Specifically, during FY 97 we will strive to reduce mercury usage

in the dental profession and chlor-alkali industry, seek further trade association opportunities and

partnerships through the Great Lakes Pollution Prevention Round table, and support interagency

and intra-agency pollution-prevention efforts to advance the pollution-prevention ethic that will

bring all Americans closer to the goal of living in contaminant-free, sustainable communities.

Partnerships

Partnerships are essential for achieving our vision of a sustainable environment in which air,

water, and land resources are restored and protect to benefit all life. Region 5's goal is to

establish effective partnerships with States, Tribes, local governments, other Federal Agencies,

communities, and environmental groups that allow all partners to capitalize on effecting

environmental results. These partnerships include the formal agreements of Environmental

Performance Partnerships Agreements with States, Tribal Environmental Agreements, and grants

to communities, to informal collaborations with individual communities and organizations. 

For FY 97, Region 5 will work with its partners to develop and incorporate new approaches for

protecting the environment. We will continue to build strong partnership through various forms

of outreach, including the use of focus groups, meetings, and the joint development and signing of

agreements. We will work with Federal partners to renew support for the Environmental Round

table. The Sustainable Development Challenge Grants provide another opportunity to work with

new and different partners as they develop and implement their vision and plan for an

environmentally sustainable future.

Federal environmental statutes have been very successful for over 25 years in positively changing

the Nation’s mind set toward protecting the environment. The success of environmental laws has

also significantly changed the perception of environmental requirements by business and industry.

EPA has adopted a sector-based approach to partnering with industry. The goal of the sectorbased approach in Region 5 is to provide greater and more efficient protection of the environment
28

through the development of new and innovative approaches to achieve and maintain compliance

with environmental statues. This will be done in partnership with Headquarters; State, tribal, and

local environmental protection agencies; trade associations; environmental activists;

environmental justice advocates; and the general public. Specifically, Region 5 will continue to

actively participate in the EPA’s Common Sense Initiative and in each of its six targeted industrial

sectors. Region 5 will also manage or participate in pilot projects to test new approaches and to

use the results of pilots and other innovative alternatives in bringing industry into the mainstream

of the Region’s programs. In addition, by working with industry on the Regulatory Reinvention

initiatives such as Project XL, Environmental Leadership Program, and compliance incentives for

small businesses and communities, we can leverage our resources and achieve more and better

environmental results for all businesses.

 

Enhanced Public Communication

Public opinion polls continue to show that the majority of American’s strongly support protecting

the environment. However, the public has a right to know what it receives for its support and to

participate in decision-making, particularly when it involves the local community. EPA has a

responsibility to provide understandable environmental information to the public, to provide

effective means for public participation and feedback, and to help the public make informed

environmental decisions. This responsibility belongs not only to employees in the Office of Public

Affairs, but to all employees. The Public Affairs staff will provide tools, training, and professional

consultation services to the whole Region, to help all employees communicate effectively with the

public.

Enforcement and Compliance Assurance

The primary objective of Region 5's Enforcement and Compliance Assurance program is to

protect human health and the environment by having all regulated parties attain, maintain - and

even go beyond - full and timely compliance with all environmental requirements. Because

pollution does not respect political boundaries, EPA must take a consistent enforcement approach

and ensure that a level playing field exists across the Nation. As methods of environmental

protection continue to develop - and new relationships are created with governments, industry,

and the public - changes in the methods for achieving, monitoring, and maintaining compliance

with environmental requirements are necessary. While strong, vigorous enforcement remains an

essential tool to assure compliance, it is not the only tool. Other tools, such as compliance

assistance, when used appropriately, can supplement and enhance enforcement, although

compliance assistance is not a substitute for enforcement. A credible enforcement presence, based

upon the assurance of a credible enforcement response, provides an incentive for regulated

parties to follow through on compliance assistance offered. EPA performs this vital function by

providing leadership when addressing environmental problems that cross State, regional, and

national borders and by ensuring that a consistent level of environmental protection is maintained

for all citizens. Enforcement activities are critical to ensuring that regulated entities who violate

environmental requirements do not gain a competitive advantage over those who comply with
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environmental laws. The collection of penalties through enforcement actions serves to level the

playing field and deter violations. Obtaining prompt and effective resolution to enforcement

actions is essential to return violators to compliance. Supplemental Environmental Projects

(SEP’s) offer an opportunity for violators to obtain penalty credits in return for undertaking

innovative approaches (such as pollution prevention) to environmental problems. In FY 97, the

goals of Region 5’s Enforcement and Compliance Assurance program are: increase compliance

with environmental statutes and regulations through the use of enforcement, compliance

incentives, and implementation of the Regional Compliance Assistance Strategy; develop

partnerships with all Region 5 States and encourage resource sharing to optimize our collective

resources; routinely use SEP’s as part of the resolution of enforcement actions in order to achieve

increased environmental benefits; and, where appropriate, include impacted communities in the

development of SEP ideas.

Multimedia Approaches

Region 5 has a long history of multimedia coordination, including the Great Lakes National

Program Office, In-Place Pollutant Task Force, Pollution Prevention Roundtable, and

Geographic Enforcement Initiatives. Since 1990, we have successfully taken a multimedia

approach to enforcement, whenever feasible. It is increasingly evident that the solution to most

complex environmental problems requires a multimedia approach. Also, many of EPA's newest

initiatives have moved away from a single-media approach. The future success of the Region

depends on our ability to address a wide range of multimedia issues. Groups of people with

diverse disciplines and skills working together can achieve better solutions. Although we have

largely retained a media-based organizational structure, we expect to expand the use of region

wide teams, committees, and workgroups in the future. Furthermore, some regional offices have

adopted an internal multimedia structure - ORC, OPA, and OSEA. This multimedia approach

will be more appropriate to address and resolve the environmental problems that will confront us

for the remainder of this decade. 

Risk - and Science-Based Decision Making

Region 5 will ensure that our environmental management decisions are clear, consistent, and

reasonable. In addition, we will ensure that they protect human health and the environment

through the generation and consideration of technically excellent, publicly accessible, risk and

scientific information in our decision-making process. This requires two key commitments: that 

EPA technical staff have the necessary tools and access to information to provide the best

available scientific information to decision-makers and that EPA management incorporate science

and risk in their decisions and communicate the basis for their decisions. For FY 97, key actions

will include: providing technical assistance and applying a risk- and science-based decisionmaking approach to the top 6 environmental priorities, as well as to the 10 critical places;

conducting risk characterization-risk management training for managers; getting training and

information to technical staff on critical science or risk issues (such as endocrine disrupters, peer

review, and ecological risk); enhancing the technical exchange mechanisms currently in-place
30

(Risk Policy Forum, Ecological Risk Forum), which are key mechanisms for communication and

collaboration throughout the Region. During FY 97, the Region will establish a Science in

Decision-Making Forum, made up of management and technical staff, to explore the integration

of the best scientific information into decisions. Region 5 has established a Regional Science

Council (RSC) which will design research needs, integrate existing research into decision-making,

and strengthen links with ORD and EPA’s internal and external research efforts.

Measuring and Managing for Environmental Results

Region 5 is committed to relying heavily on environmental data to evaluate conditions, identify

existing and emerging problems, set priorities, and make decisions to address the top hazards

facing public health and the environment. For FY 97, Region 5 will identify and further refine

environmental goals, indicators and performance measures for our top 6 environmental priorities

and our 10 critical places. We also will work with the States to develop goals, indicators, and

measures for our joint priorities. We will strengthen our partnerships with other Federal, tribal,

State, and local agencies to facilitate the sharing of environmental data and information. We will

develop a pilot state-of-the-environment report that will first focus on the Gateway geographic

initiative and the contaminated sediments priority and will use information generated by the

National accountability pilots for the Government Performance and Results Act. Finally, we will

conduct quarterly reviews against the “Agenda for Action” to evaluate progress toward achieving

our goals, and we will evaluate program performance and environmental results through our

partnership commitments with EPA HQ, States, and tribes on a regular basis.

Internal Resource Investment for Change

The most important assets of any organization are its people. Region 5 recognizes that it is the

dedication and efforts of regional employees that have enabled this organization to achieve past

successes and will continue to help meet future challenges. Therefore, Region 5 is committed to

providing an environment that fosters the recruitment, development, and retention of a highquality, diverse workforce to support the environmental priorities, principles places and critical

approaches. Several projects have been designed to address these needs and to improve career

development opportunities for all regional employees. Three of these activities were completed in

FY96 through the Region’s Human Resources Council (Environmental Leadership Advancement

Profile, Career Development Inventory, and Career Development Policy). Three other projects

(Needs Assessment, Core Curricula-Skills Inventory Database, and Multiple Career Paths) are

underway in FY 97. Region 5 will work closely with the Union to ensure that a strong

partnership is developed on these issues.
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REGION 5 MEDIA PROGRAM DIVISIONS

Waste, Pesticides, and Toxics Division

Superfund Division

Air and Radiation Division

Water Division
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Waste, Pesticides, and Toxics Division

Our mission is to insure the proper management of wastes, pesticides, toxic substances, and

petroleum products by building the capacity of states, tribes, and local governments, industry and

the public. Our primary goals are: 1. Safe homes, schools and workplaces: To ensure that

Region 5 citizens live, learn, and work in safe and healthy environments. This is accomplished

through our asbestos-in-schools, lead-based paint, and pesticide worker protection programs.

2. Toxic-Free communities: Relying on pollution prevention, reuse, and recycling in the way we

produce and consume materials, to ensure that Region 5 citizens live in communities free of toxic

hazards. This is accomplished through our toxic release, pollution prevention, waste

minimization, and solid waste management programs. 3. Safe Waste Management : Wastes

produced and handled by every person in Region 5 will be stored, treated, and disposed of in

ways that prevent harm to people and other living things. This is accomplished through our

underground storage tank, PCB, solid waste and hazardous waste programs, with an emphasis on

combustion facilities. 4. Restoration of Contaminated Sites : Places in Region 5 currently

contaminated by hazardous materials will not endanger public health and the natural environment

and will be restored to uses desired by surrounding communities. We accomplish this through our

hazardous waste, PCB, and leaking underground storage tank corrective action programs. 

5. Empowering People with Information and Education and Expanding their Right to Know :

Region 5 citizens will be informed and educated participants in improving environmental quality. 

This is accomplished through our information management systems, including the toxic release

inventory and hazardous waste biennial reporting systems. The Waste, Pesticides and Toxics’

programs also contribute to the national goals of clean air, clean waters, healthy terrestrial

ecosystems, safe drinking water, safe food, preventing accidental releases, and reducing global

and regional environmental risks.

Superfund Division

The mission of the Region 5 Superfund Division is to protect public health and the environment

by addressing releases of hazardous substances from abandoned or uncontrolled hazardous waste

sites. The long term goal of the Superfund program is to cleanup all Region 5 sites listed on the

National Priority List (NPL). For FY 97 there are five short term goals: 1. Make significant

progress in addressing NPL sites; 2. Use the Superfund removal authorities to address

emergency and short term clean-ups; 3. Support implementation of the Superfund Administrative

Reforms until such time as the law is reauthorized; 4. Respond to oil spills and prevent their

recurrence; 5. Support State and local emergency response agencies. The Superfund

Administrative Reforms specifically challenge the program to improve in these areas: make

smarter cleanup decisions that protect the public at less cost; increase fairness in the enforcement

process and reduce transaction costs; increase State, tribal, and community involvement in

cleanup decisions; and promote the economic redevelopment of Brownfields sites. Day-to-day

Superfund activities are directly linked to three of the Region's priorities: Brownfields, reduction

of toxicants, and sediments; Superfund also has a very active environmental justice program.
33

Air and Radiation Division

The mission of Region 5's Air and Radiation Division is to insure safe air for our citizens to

breathe, a healthy global atmosphere, and an environment free of undue radiation risk. We have

identified seven environmental goals to guide our efforts: 1. Attain and maintain ambient air

quality standards; 2. Prevent deterioration of the Region’s clean air; 3. Reduce air toxicant

emissions to protect public health and to reduce deposition to the Great Lakes; 4. Reduce the

emissions of acid rain precursors; 5. Reduce the emissions of stratospheric ozone depletors; 6.

Reduce the emissions of global climate change precursors; 7. Reduce exposure to indoor air

pollutants. In addition, the following program priorities have been set for FY 97: create with our

State partners a joint effort that blends compliance assistance with aggressive enforcement to

achieve our environmental goals; continue timely State rule and redesignation processing;

maintain a comprehensive and quality assured air monitoring network; begin good State operating

permit programs; fulfill our trust responsibilities to the Region's Native Americans; consider

environmental justice in our day to day activities; carry out a Great Lakes air toxicant-water

quality management plan with emphasis on early control of mercury; promote the EPA’s pollution

preventing Green Programs; employ to the fullest the emerging information technology to achieve

our program goals. 

Water Division

The Water Division envisions a world that has abundant, safe, and clean water to sustain all living

things - now and in the future. During FY 97, we will focus on these goals: 1. No net loss of

wetlands: To protect these critical resources, we will use tools such as advanced wetlands

identification projects and coordinated wetland enforcement and compliance assistance efforts in

geographic priority areas; 2. Reduce Nonpoint source (NPS) loading of sediments and nutrients

that threaten water quality locally and in the Gulf of Mexico: We will form partnerships, in

particular with the agricultural community, and focus our NPS tools on the Illinois River

watershed; 3. Reduce point-source toxic discharges that threaten water and sediment quality: 

We will focus our wastewater enforcement and compliance-technical assistance efforts to improve

pretreatment and combined sewer overflow controls in the Detroit area; 4. Protect drinking water

from nitrate-nitrite and pesticide contamination : We will build State, tribal, and local capacity,

especially in small rural communities, using tools such as the State Revolving Funds program for

drinking water and Clean Water On-Line for information sharing. We will also promote Wellhead

Protection Programs, underground injection Class 5 Well technical assistance, and State pesticide

management plans to prevent source-water contamination; 

5. Promote water quality improvement in our lakes and rivers : We will provide technical

assistance to States and tribes toward completion of total maximum daily load lists by 1-1-97 and

adoption of the Great Lakes Water Quality Initiative by each State by 3-23-97.
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Conclusion

We have set a very ambitious “Agenda for Action” for ourselves. Anything less would not be true

to our tradition of being an action based organization. There are many serious problems that need

our attention and the attention of our partners. There is an urgent need to sharpen our focus and

to change our approaches so that we can meet the challenges of the future. To deliver the quality

of life that the people of the Midwest and the entire country want and deserve, we must get on

with the task at hand. Together, we can solve the problems and bring about a sustainable

environment for future generations.
MISSION

Our mission is to:

Protect human health and preserve natural resources

Prevent and abate pollution to improve the environment

Serve the public with education, innovation, action, and results

Lead the way in restoring and protecting the Great Lakes and

all Midwestern ecosystems

VALUES

Region 5 aspires to be a Region which respects all people,

personally and professionally, and which demonstrates integrity and

honesty in all of our dealings. We strive to communicate

effectively in our work and to listen to the people we serve,

with a preference for action to solve problems and achieve results.

In doing so, we hope to provide effective leadership and build

strong partnerships with State, Tribal, and local governments

and other Agencies in protecting the environment, and

ensuring a future where air, water, and land resources

are restored and protected to benefit all life.