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About the Mid-Atlantic Region
The Mid-Atlantic regional office of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, is responsible for programs in Delaware, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia and the District of Columbia. Headquartered in Philadelphia, the region has field operations and laboratories in Wheeling, W.Va., Annapolis and Ft. George G. Meade, Md., and Pittsburgh, Pa.
Federal environmental programs include air and water pollution control; toxic substances, pesticides and drinking water regulation; wetlands protection; hazardous waste management; hazardous waste site cleanup; and some regulation of radioactive materials. Activities include compliance and enforcement, inspection, engineering reviews, ambient monitoring, analysis of environmental trends, environmental planning, pollution prevention, risk assessment, and education and outreach.
The regional office and its partner state pollution control agencies are responsible for regulating more than 21,000 air pollution sources; 12,000 water pollution sources; and 425 hazardous waste treatment, storage and disposal facilities. Together, the agencies are responsible for the investigation of 1,500 potential hazardous waste dump sites and the cleanup of 165 sites that have been included or proposed to be on the Superfund National Priorities List.
The regional administrator is responsible for all of EPA's programs throughout the region. As the region's "CEO," this individual proposes, develops, and implements programs in coordination with the states that are designed to achieve national and regional environmental goals. The regional administrator manages a staff of over 950 and an annual regional budget of $700 million.
The region's major program divisions are: Air Protection, Environmental Assessment and Innovation, Hazardous Site Cleanup, Waste and Chemicals Management, Water Protection, and the Chesapeake Bay Program.
Four offices provide support services: Communications and Government Relations, Enforcement, Compliance and Environmental Justice, Policy and Management, and Regional Counsel.
- Land and Chemicals Division (LCD)
- Air Protection Division (APD)
- Hazardous Site Cleanup Division (HSCD)
- Environmental Assessment and Innovation Division (EAID)
- Water Protection Division (WPD)
- Office of Communications and Government Relations (OCGR)
- Office of Enforcement, Compliance and Environmental Justice (OECEJ)
- Office of Policy and Management (OPM)
- Office of Regional Counsel (ORC)
- Chesapeake Bay Program Office (CBPO)
Land and Chemicals Division (LCD-Homepage)
LCD administers environmental statutes that protect our air, water and land environments, as well as the public's right-to-know about hazardous chemicals in their community. It protects the air from asbestos emissions and water and land from inefficient hazardous waste practices; conserves energy and natural resources through recycling and recovery; protects the public from pesticide misuse or contaminants; protects children from the hazards of lead-based paint and other environmental contaminants; and regulates underground storage tanks containing petroleum or hazardous substances.
Air Protection
Division (APD-Homepage)
APD is responsible for planning, monitoring, compliance and enforcement under the Clean Air Act, and recommends the goals, priorities, and objectives of regional air quality and compliance programs. It is also responsible for the implementation and coordination of non-statutory programs and priorities such as energy conservation and global climate change, pollution prevention, geographic initiatives and education/outreach programs designed to reduce pollution to the environment.
Hazardous
Site Cleanup Division (HSCD-Homepage)
All activities regarding the Oil Pollution Act and Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act, commonly known as Superfund, are the responsibility of HSCD. It determines goals, priorities and objectives for the Superfund and oil programs and oversees the work of Federal responsible party cleanups and concurs on military base closure property transfers. This division coordinates discovery, assessment, remediation, removal and enforcement of abandoned hazardous waste sites, develops strategy to reuse Superfund sites, supports the redevelopment of Brownfields, and also responds to emergency - including terrorism - situations which pose an immediate threat to human health and the environment.
Environmental Assessment and Innovation Division (EAID)
EAID is a multidisciplinary organization with a broad range of regulatory and non-regulatory environmental responsibility. Working with EPA's environmental partners, this division has regulatory responsibilities for the National Environmental Policy Act; the Clean Water Act's wetlands program; the Marine Protection, Research and Sanctuaries Act; the Ocean Dumping Ban Act; and the Rivers and Harbors Act. The division also has leadership responsibilities for environmental planning; analysis of environmental data for better understanding of conditions and trends; geographic information system (GIS) mapping; business assistance center for small- and medium-size business; performance partnership agreements with states; mountaintop mining/valley fill initiative; the Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century; the dredging program; Green Communities; federal facilities coordination; the children's health program; sector-based strategic goals; environmental management systems (EMS); pollution prevention; and Project XL.
The Environmental Assessment and Innovation Division is home to the Freshwater Biology Center at Wheeling, W.Va., and the Environmental Science Center at Ft. Meade, Md. Both facilities provide a broad range of laboratory services, including the collection, analysis and evaluation of environmental data. These services support various regulatory activities including enforcement.
Water
Protection Division (WPD-Homepage)
WPD manages and implements programs authorized by the Clean Water Act and the Safe Drinking Water Act to protect, preserve, and enhance water resources and works closely with states and local communities to protect drinking water sources and to ensure that estuaries, rivers, streams, and lakes are healthy, vital resources for communities. They accomplish this through monitoring and the use of water quality standards, pollution load allocations to streams, permits for stream discharges, public health standards and required testing for drinking water safety, and by providing financial and technical assistance to states and localities. When violations of the laws governing water resources occur, the division ensures that the laws are enforced, either directly or in partnership with states. WPD also encourages citizen involvement in developing and carrying out major estuary, local watershed, and drinking water protection plans.
Office of Communication and Government Relations(OCGR)
OCGR serves as the key focal point between the region and Congress, state and local governments, environmental groups, industry, educators, the media, and the general public. Using a variety of outreach tools, information is provided about the agency's programs and activities. The office also encourages and facilitates the public's active involvement in EPA's decision-making process. In addition to government relations and external communications, the office is responsible for the region's customer service hotline (1-800-438-2474 or "Contact Us" e-mail from the Mid-Atlantic Region homepage), web site content, environmental education and the Public Information Center that is available to the public.
Office
of Enforcement, Compliance and Environmental Justice (OECEJ-Homepage)
OECEJ directs and coordinates the inspections, monitoring, enforcement and compliance assistance among regional programs and the states and initiates enforcement actions against violators of more than one environmental law. As part of this role, the office participates with states and other regional programs in developing enforcement and compliance goals, strategies and policies. This office also promotes equal public health, environmental protection and environmental justice for all persons in the mid-Atlantic states.
Office of Policy and Management (OPM)
OPM assists the regional administrator in managing the regional office. It is responsible for human resources, equal employment opportunity, special emphasis programs which include the diversity program, administrative and financial management, strategic planning, policy and regulatory development, contracting and procurement, information systems, facilities, telecommunications, and grants and audit management.
Office of Regional Counsel (ORC)
ORC represents the region in a wide variety of legal matters including civil and administrative cases, regulatory and permit actions, government contracts, and employment matters. Often working with the Justice Department, EPA Headquarters, and state environmental agency lawyers, this office enforces federal air, water, hazardous waste, toxics and pesticides laws throughout the region. Criminal enforcement counsel assist US Attorneys Offices in prosecuting environmental crimes.
Chesapeake
Bay Program Office (CBPO-Homepage)
The Chesapeake Bay Program office is located in Annapolis, Maryland, and provides core scientific and management support to the Chesapeake Bay Program. The Bay Program is the unique, regional partnership leading and directing the protection and restoration of the Bay. Formed in 1983, the Bay Program coordinates efforts among the states of Maryland, Pennsylvania, and Virginia; the District of Columbia; the Chesapeake Bay Commission, a tri-state legislative body; and the US Environmental Protection Agency which represents the federal government. The partnership recently welcomed Delaware, New York, and West Virginia as "headwater state" partners to better coordinate efforts in all parts of the Bay watershed. In the Chesapeake 2000 agreement, Bay Program partners outlined some 100 commitments that will guide Bay restoration well into the 21st Century. Chesapeake 2000 aims to protect and restore the Bay and its rivers by addressing five key areas: 1) protecting living resources; 2) restoring vital habitat; 3) improving water quality; 4) encouraging sound land use; and 5) expanding community and individual stewardship.
