Effective Date: 8/23/02

Series: Organization

Part 112: Policy, Management and Budget

Chapter 4: Office of Environmental Policy and Compliance

Originating Office: Office of Environmental Policy and Compliance

4.1 Office of Environmental Policy and Compliance. This Office is responsible for providing National and Regional leadership and direction in the coordination and development of environmental policy and program evaluation. It provides for a coordinated and unified approach and response to environmental issues that affect multiple bureaus to ensure that the Department speaks as one entity with respect to those issues. It provides guidance for the Department's compliance with the full range of existing environmental statutes, Executive orders, regulations and other requirements.

4.2 Program Authorities.

A. National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, as amended (NEPA)

B. Executive Order 11514 (Protection and Enhancement of Environmental Quality), as amended by Executive Order 11991 (Relating to Protection and Enhancement of Environmental Quality)

C. Executive Order 11593 (Protection and Enhancement of the Cultural Environment)

D. Executive Order 11988 (Floodplain Management)

E. Executive Order 11990 (Wetlands Protection)

F. Executive Order 12114 (Environmental Effects Abroad of Major Federal Actions)

G. Executive Order 12088 (Federal Compliance with Pollution Control Standards)

H. Executive Order 12580 (Superfund Implementation), as amended by Executive Order 12777 (Federal Water Pollution Control and Oil Pollution Act Implementation)

I. Executive Order 13101 (Greening the Government Through Waste Prevention, Recycling and Federal Acquisition)

J. Executive Order 13148 (Greening the Government Through Leadership in Environmental Management)

K. Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA, also known as Superfund), as amended

L. Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA)

M. Federal Water Pollution Control Act (FWPCA), as amended by the Oil Pollution Act (OPA)

4.3 Functions. The Office serves as the Departmental focal point for environmental matters and in doing so performs the following functions:

A. Advises and assists the Assistant Secretary - Policy, Management and Budget on policies, programs, and activities affecting natural resources and environmental quality.

C. Coordinates Departmental activities on environmental quality matters with other Federal agencies, State and local governments, private interests, and citizens when more than one program Assistant Secretary is affected.

D. Oversees and coordinates the Department's NEPA compliance program. This includes issuing policy, technical, and procedural guidance; providing technical assistance; determining technical and procedural adequacy of certain environmental documents (see 516 DM 6); resolving intra-Departmental differences that involve more than one program Assistant Secretary and interagency differences; conducting ongoing evaluation of compliance; and identifying problems, recommending solutions and implementing changes for improving Departmental compliance programs.

E. Manages and coordinates the Department's environmental review of non-Interior proposals, such as regulations, applications, plans, reports, and environmental documents, which affect the interests of the Department, and ensures that bureaus have programs and procedures for conducting reviews. This includes providing review guidance; establishing interagency coordination procedures; resolving intra-Departmental differences that involve more than one program Assistant Secretary and interagency differences; preparing and recommending Departmental positions for unsatisfactory proposals; conducting ongoing evaluations of review effectiveness; and identifying problems, recommending solutions, and implementing changes for improving Departmental relations with non-Interior interests.

F. Oversees Departmental compliance with Federal, State, and local environmental laws, directives, and requirements for pollution control, and ensures that bureaus and offices have compliance programs and procedures. This includes requirements pertaining to pollution from air emissions, water effluents, solid and hazardous waste disposal, noise, radiation, oil, pesticides, and toxic and hazardous substances, as well as the protection of such natural and cultural resources as air, water, land, floodplains, wetlands, energy, minerals, forests, vegetation, fish and wildlife, recreation, archeological sites, heritage areas, and natural beauty.

G. Provides leadership, coordinates, and promotes consistency in carrying out the Department's roles and responsibilities under the National Oil and Hazardous Substances Pollution Contingency Plan. This includes oil discharge and hazardous substance release contingency planning, emergency and remedial response activities, technical assistance, training, and exercises, in addition to representing the Department on the National, International, and Regional Response Teams.

I. Oversees, coordinates, and reviews all aspects of the Department's involvement with CERCLA and RCRA hazardous material sites, including: tracking bureau and office site activities; providing a centralized methodology for the prioritization of sites across bureaus and offices; providing recommendations on site cleanup alternatives to the Assistant Secretary - Policy, Management and Budget; reviewing and commenting on bureau hazardous materials budgets; and oversight of the implementation of bureau and office hazardous materials surveys prior to the acquisition of an interest in lands. In carrying out the hazardous material site duties, the Office may be guided by any recommendations from the Advisory Group on Environmental Policy and Compliance (Advisory Group). The Advisory Group consists of a Deputy Assistant Secretary from each Office of the Assistant Secretary and the Deputy Solicitor. The Chairperson of the Advisory Group is the Deputy Assistant Secretary - Policy and International Affairs.

K. Chairs the committee to select the annual Departmental Environmental Achievement Awards.

L. Sponsors the biennial DOI Conference on the Environment.

M. Recommends, and, in certain cases, provides training of supervisory or other personnel responsible for complying with environmental laws, directives and standards, and for preparing and reviewing environmental and related documents.

N. Participates in and reviews research related to pollution control and environmental quality.

O. Maintains continuing oversight of Departmental programs affecting environmental quality and identifies problems and recommends solutions that fully consider the Department's responsibilities, as custodian for present and future generations, for managing the Nation's natural and cultural resources.

P. In Alaska, this Office provides Departmental coordination and leadership for preparedness and response to natural and technological disasters.

4.4 Organization.

A. Director. The Director reports to the Deputy Assistant Secretary - Policy and International Affairs and directs and supervises all functions and activities of the Office of Environmental Policy and Compliance.

B. Deputy Director. The Deputy Director reports to the Director of the Office of Environmental Policy and Compliance and assists the Director in all aspects of the Office activity, including the management and direction of the Office's professional and administrative staff.

C. Headquarters Staff. This staff is grouped into interdisciplinary teams and carries out the Office's responsibilities at the headquarters level. The Teams are: Natural Resources Management; Solid and Hazardous Materials Management; and Natural Resources Trust and Response. Each Team Leader reports to the Director.

D. Regional Staff. Each regional office is headed by a Regional Environmental Officer who reports to the Director. Regional office staff carry out the Office's responsibilities at the regional level. Offices are located in the following cities:

(1) Boston, Massachusetts (covering: CT, MA, ME, NH, NJ, NY, RI, VT);

(2) Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (covering: DC, DE, IL, IN, MD, MI, MN, OH, PA, VA, WI, WV);

(3) Atlanta, Georgia (covering: AL, FL, GA, KY, MS, NC, PR, TN, SC, VI);

(4) Albuquerque, New Mexico (covering: AR, LA, NM, OK, TX);

(5) Denver, Colorado (covering: CO, IA, KS, MO, MT, NE, ND, SD, UT, WY);

(6) Oakland, California (covering: AS, AZ, CA, CM, GU, HI, NV);

(7) Portland, Oregon (covering: ID, OR, WA); and

(8) Anchorage, Alaska (covering: AK).

8/23/02 #3521

Replaces 11/24/89 #2877