EPA Roles and Responsibilities
EPA Homeland Security
Programs by Topic
- Criminal Enforcement & Forensics
- Decontamination, Cleanup, and Recovery
- Disposal
- Emergency Preparedness & Response
- Food and Agriculture Protection
- Homeland Security Research & Science
- Pandemic Flu Preparedness
- Water Security
- Regional Programs
On this page you can find a list of EPA program offices that are involved with homeland security and a brief description of their homeland security taskings.
- Administrator's Office of Homeland Security
- Office of Administration and Resource Management
- Office of Air and Radiation
- Office of the Chief Financial Officer
- Office of Congressional and Intergovernmental Relations
- Office of Enforcement & Compliance Assurance
- Office of Environmental Information
- Office of General Counsel
- Office of International Affairs
- Office of Inspector General
- Office of Prevention, Pesticides, and Toxic Substances
- Office of Public Affairs
- Office of Research and Development
- Office of Solid Waste and Emergency Response
- Office of Water
- Regional Programs
- Science Advisory Board
Administrator’s Office of Homeland Security
- Coordination of homeland security policy and budget development
- Primary liaison with White House, Department of Homeland Security, and other Federal agencies
- Homeland Security Presidential Directives implementation – tracking and accountability
- Intelligence collection, analysis, and dissemination
- Pandemic Flu Planning
Office of Administration and Resource Management
- Facility and employee security
- Physical critical infrastructure protection
- National Security Information – custodian and secure systems
- Design and construction of Sensitive, Classified Information Facilities and Secured Access Facilities
- Monitoring of Homeland Security Advisory System threat conditions
Office of Air and Radiation
- Radiation emergency preparedness and response
- Radiological Emergency Response Team
- Ambient air monitoring
- Building air protection
Read more about EPA’s Radiation Emergency Response program.
Office of the Chief Financial Officer
- Agency homeland security budget oversight
- Congressional interaction on budget
Office of Congressional and Intergovernmental Relations
- Review of homeland security legislation, testimony, reports
- Congressional interaction
- Regional coordination
Office of Enforcement & Compliance Assurance
- Civil & criminal enforcement
- Incident response
- Counterterrorism support
- Forensic evidence collection and laboratory analysis
Read more about EPA's Criminal Enforcement and Compliance Programs.
Office of Environmental Information
- Information protection and access policy
- Information infrastructure and cyber protection
- Information technology
- Data management
Office of General Council
- Authorities and policy review
Office of International Affairs
- Coordination with Department of State and international partners
Office of Inspector General
- Homeland security program evaluations/audits
Office of Prevention, Pesticides, and Toxic Substances
- Registration of pesticides to protect crops, animals, and humans from harmful biological organisms
- Emergency exemptions of pesticides
- Food and agriculture security
- Development of antimicrobial pesticide efficacy test methods and analytical chemistry
- Acute Exposure Guideline Limits
- Scientific data/expertise on pesticides and industrial chemicals
- Licensing authority for pesticides intended to inactivate microbiological organisms
Read more about EPA's Food and Agriculture Programs.
Office of Public Affairs
- Communications
- Media relations
Office of Research and Development
- Water infrastructure protection research
- Building and outdoor decontamination research
- Threat and consequence assessment research
- Lab capability – methods development
Read more about EPA’s Homeland Security Research and Science Programs.
Office of Solid Waste and Emergency Response
- Emergency preparedness and response
- National Response Team and coordination with the 13 Regional Response Teams
- National Response Plan
- National Incident Management System implementation
- Regional Incident Management Team coordination
- Environmental Response Teams
- National Response Support Corps
- Building and critical infra-structure decontamination
- National Decontamination Team
- Disposal
- Chemical industry infrastructure support
- Lab capacity and capabilities
- Continuity of Operations Plan/Continuity of Government
- Superfund
Read more about EPA’s Emergency Preparedness and Response Programs.
Office of Water
- Drinking water and wastewater infrastructure protection
- Water security best practices
- Financial assistance to states and tribes
- Vulnerability assessments and Emergency Response Plans
- Tools for preparedness and emergency response
- Monitoring/surveillance network pilot (Water Security Initiative)
- Financial assistance to states and tribes
- Information sharing with sector and partners
Read more information on EPA’s Water Security Programs.
Regional Homeland Security Programs
- Ongoing efforts in each of the 10 EPA Regional Offices related to homeland security
Science Advisory Board