Environmental protection is a long-term process that requires the involvement of all levels of government. It includes preventing releases of pollutants, cleaning up contamination, and restoring degraded ecosystems. It also includes promoting sustainable, resilient, and livable communities. EPA’s priorities for the future are outlined in the Agency’s FY 2014-2018 Strategic Plan and cross-agency strategy action plans.

Providing Safe Drinking Water and Basic Sanitation for Tribal Communities

About 12 percent of American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) homes lack access to safe drinking water and basic sanitation services. EPA works with tribal governments and organizations to address these issues and tailor reduction strategies to meet unique local environmental and health challenges.

Taking Action to Reduce Air Pollution

EPA enforcement reduces air pollution that harms human health, especially in low-income and minority communities. These actions also result in companies investing in the equipment and actions needed to reduce pollution, mitigating harm from past violations, and undertaking additional projects that benefit the environment and communities (known as supplemental environmental projects).

Protecting Our Nation’s Waters

EPA’s national water programs address complex and inter-related challenges across states, major river basins, and ocean areas. These include addressing the ecological, recreational, and economic importance of the Chesapeake Bay, Great Lakes, Gulf of Mexico, Pacific Islands, Rio Grande Basin, and Puget Sound Ecosystems.

EPA’s hazardous waste programs are designed to provide permanent solutions for contamination at sites, saving federal dollars for more urgent needs and making contaminated properties available for reuse. The Agency aggressively pursues responsible parties to clean up sites to restore them to reasonably anticipated unimpaired (RAU) status.