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OSWER Center for Program Analysis
The Office of Solid Waste and Emergency Response (OSWER) Center for Program Analysis (OCPA) addresses high priority, cross-program policy issues within OSWER. Through its activities, OCPA enhances OSWER's ability to measure and evaluate progress in its cleanup programs, analyze non-regulatory benefits, and conduct analyses to help align OSWER with Agency-wide priorities and policies.
The four functions of OCPA are:
Benefits Analysis
OCPA supports OSWER programs by exploring emerging methods to value the
benefits of land revitalization. This analysis may include examining
local and state policy innovations and their implications for EPA
programs, and conducting research in areas such as the valuation of
ecological services and the benefits of waste and accident "prevention."
Performance Measurement
OCPA helps OSWER programs conduct strategic review of existing
performance measurement systems and identifies opportunities to
streamline and enhance existing measures. OCPA supports the development
of new measures to strengthen OSWER's ability to communicate its
accomplishments and meet the Agency's strategic goals.
Program Evaluation
OCPA provides third-party evaluation services to OSWER programs to help
them assess the effectiveness of their programs relative to strategic
goals.
Sustainability and Climate Change
OCPA coordinates across EPA's solid waste, land cleanup, and emergency
response programs to promote sustainability and the development of
strategies for addressing climate change through materials and land
management.
Resources
Renewable Energy on Contaminated Land and Mining Sites
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The goal of this Initiative is to encourage, facilitate, and support renewable energy development
on contaminated lands and mining sites across the country. Rising energy prices, energy independence
and security, and an increasing demand for all types of energy are leading our nation to a more
diversified energy portfolio. The growing demand for renewable energy will require large areas of
land on which to place wind and solar farms and biomass facilities throughout the country, and where
renewable energy resources are abundant. In partnership with the
National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), EPA created
renewable energy maps, which provide
this link between urban and rural brownfields and contaminated lands and high quality renewable energy resources.
Incentive sheets for renewable energy development
and land redevelopment, which include funding, tax, technical, and legal incentives, have also been developed for each state. Other
tools,
guidance, and
liability relief resources are
useful when considering redevelopment with renewable energy facilitites.
Renewable Energy Development on Contaminated Lands: Example Sites
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Links to other information:
- EPA's Region 3 Renewable Energy Development on Former Coal Mines Mapping
- EPA's Region 9 Cleanup-Clean Air Initiative - The goal of Cleanup - Clean Air is to encourage, facilitate, and support diesel emissions and greenhouse gas reductions technologies and practices at Superfund cleanup and redevelopment sites.
- Association of States and Territorial Solid Waste Management Officials (ASTSWMO) Sustainability Subcommittee - A partnership of States and their stakeholders working to develop and influence policies resulting in practical changes that accelerate a shift in thinking from waste to resource.
- State of Illinois Environmental Protection Agency - Greener Cleanups focuses on more efficient and less polluting cleanup practices and redevelopment designed to reduce environmental impacts of future land use.
- National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL): The Department of Energy's renewable energy research and development laboratory.
For further information regarding Renewable Energy on Contaminated Lands and Mining Sites, please contact: cleanenergy@epa.gov.