Urban, Great Waters
and Regional Programs

The Clean Air Act requires a number of risk studies to help EPA better characterize risks to human health and the environment from air toxics. These studies will provide information for rulemaking in some cases but will also provide information to support national and local efforts to address risks through other voluntary and pollution prevention programs. These risk initiatives include:

Air Toxics Strategy, which EPA published in July 1999, has risk-based goals for addressing risks in urban areas. The Strategy includes local and community-based initiatives which EPA envisions will involve partnerships between EPA and State, local and tribal governments.
Great Waters Program has activities to investigate and reduce the deposition of toxic air pollutants to the "Great Waters," which include the Chesapeake Bay, Lake Champlain, the Great Lakes, National Estuary Program areas, and National Estuarine Research Reserves.
Mercury Initiatives to identify and address risks. This effort builds on EPA's December 1997 Report to Congress on the sources and impacts of mercury emissions.
Other coordination activities to identify and address risks from specific types of pollutants. This includes the Persistent Bioaccumulative Toxics (PBT) initiative.

Urban, Great Waters and Regional Programs

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Urban, Great Waters
and Regional Programs