**GAO-09-434**                      Published: Mar 04, 2009. Publicly Released: Mar 04, 2009.                  

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## Highlights

The Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) overarching mission is to protect human health and the environment by implementing and enforcing environmental laws intended to improve the quality of the nation's air and water and to protect its land. EPA's policies and programs affect virtually all segments of the economy, society, and government. As such, it operates in a highly complex and controversial regulatory arena. In recent years, GAO has identified several key challenges EPA faces and corrective actions that would enable the agency to more effectively accomplish its mission. GAO was asked to identify challenges at EPA that hinder its ability to implement its programs effectively, based on prior GAO work. These challenges include (1) improving agencywide management, (2) transforming EPA's processes for assessing and controlling toxic chemicals, (3) improving implementation of the Clean Air Act, (4) reducing pollution in the nation's waters, (5) speeding the pace of cleanup at Superfund and other hazardous waste sites, and (6) addressing emerging climate change issues.

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## Topics

Natural Resources and Environment

Agency evaluationAgency missionsAir pollution controlChemicalsClimate changeEnvironmental cleanupsEnvironmental lawEnvironmental monitoringEnvironmental policiesEnvironmental protectionFederal regulationsHuman capital managementInternal controlsLaw enforcementPollution controlProgram evaluationProgram managementRegulatory agenciesRisk assessmentRisk managementStrategic planningToxic substancesWater pollution controlCorrective actionPolicies and proceduresProgram goals or objectivesProgram implementation