One of the primary responsibilities of the Environmental
Contaminants program is the identification of environmental contaminant
problems affecting National Wildlife Refuge lands, migratory birds, and
threatened and endangered species. When problems are identified,
appropriate actions are pursued to eliminate the contaminant threat and
restore affected resources.
Equally important, the program provides technical
assistance to other Service programs, to state and federal agencies, and to
the public. For example, Environmental Contaminants Specialists provide
technical assistance to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA)
Superfund program. The EPA, through Superfund, seeks to clean up sites
where toxic and hazardous wastes have been released. The Service assists
in this effort by providing information, data, and recommendations to the EPA
to ensure that the cleanup efforts protect biological resources, particularly
migratory birds, threatened and endangered species, and their habitats. We
also advise federal agencies on pesticide registration and use, hazardous
waste sites, water quality standards, and oil or hazardous chemical spills
affecting fish and wildlife and their habitats.
Environmental Contaminants
Related Links:
USFWS Division of
Environmental Quality Website
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
EPA's Superfund Program
