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National Information |
State Partnerships
Region 8 of the Environmental Protection Agency is composed of six states -- Colorado, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah and Wyoming. Each of these states works in partnership with the EPA to carry out the requirements of various environmental statutes for which the US Congress has charged the EPA with implementation.Through delegation of these programs from EPA to the states, our states help us to dedicate significantly more resources to the business of protecting the environment than EPA alone could provide.
States are vital partners in achieving EPA’s mission. A large percentage of EPA’s programs are delegated to Region 8 states, which also carry out other environmental work through cooperative agreements, contracts and other arrangements. In 2004, EPA provided more than $166 million to environmental health, protection and agriculture agencies in Region 8 states, including $100 million for clean water and drinking water revolving loan funds.
To maintain and improve the effectiveness of the programs that we delegate to states, EPA continues to build strong, collaborative relationships with state agencies that leverage respective authorities and responsibilities. EPA plays an oversight role in these situations, and focuses on providing states with adequate resources and technical support.
Region 8 and the states have agreed to add a new State Capacity Enhancement priority to the Region 8 Strategic Plan. This priority is intended to further improve the federal-state working relationship and to identify opportunities to enhance state capacity to deliver environmental program services. The elements of the priority include: ensuring adequate resources and staff; partnering and work-sharing; technical assistance; training opportunities; and, innovations and flexibility.
Another focus area in our partnership with states is improving the ability to focus limited resources on priorities. In Region 8, EPA and states are collaborating on a priority-driven resource allocation process that makes sure that resources are deployed to the most critical environmental problems.
Below are links to our state partner environmental & agricultural agencies´ web sites.
Colorado
- Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment
- Colorado Department of Agriculture
- Colorado Hazardous Materials and Waste Management Division
- Montana Department of Environmental Quality
- Montana Department of Agriculture
- Montana Hazardous Waste Program
- North Dakota Department of Public Health: Environmental Health Section
- North Dakota Department of Agriculture
- North Dakota Division of Waste Management
- South Dakota Department of Environment and Natural Resources
- South Dakota Department of Agriculture
- South Dakota Hazardous Waste Program
- Utah Department of Environmental Quality
- Utah Department of Agriculture & Food
- Utah Division of Solid and Hazardous Waste
- Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality
- Wyoming Department of Agriculture
- Wyoming Hazardous Waste Permitting and Corrective Action Program
For more information on the State Assistance Program of the Office of Partnerships and Regulatory Assistance, please contact Jack Hidinger at (303) 312-6387, or by email at hidinger.jack@epa.gov
