Sustainability and the U.S. EPA (2011) / Chapter Skim
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1 Introduction
1 Introduction
Pages 7-14
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From page 7... ...
Second, sophisticated tools are increasingly available to address the complex and chal lenging issues that go beyond current risk management of major threats. Third, sustainability is being used as a common approach to address broader social, environmental, and economic issues by international bodies in which the United States is an active participant.
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From page 8... ...
Many of the statutes administered by the new agency were intended to protect both human health and the environment from the adverse effects of pollution.1 In spite of its name, EPA has never focused only on environmental protection. Today, the agency's primary goals set forth in its 2011–2015 strategic plan (EPA 2010)
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From page 9... ...
Indeed, the committee understands part of its task as providing guidance to EPA on how it might implement its existing statutory authority to contribute more fully to a more sustainable-development trajectory for the United States. Each agency or department of the federal government has distinct responsi bilities for various social, environmental, and economic aspects of sustainability.
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From page 10... ...
The USGS, for example, is implementing a series of six science directions chosen to build on existing strengths: "understanding ecosystems and predicting ecosystem change; climate variability and change; energy and minerals for America's future; a national hazards, risk, and resilience assessment program; the role of environment and wildlife in human health; and a water census of the United States" (USGS 2007)
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From page 11... ...
, and former EPA officials who provided a business perspective on sustainable development and environmental stewardship and the perspectives of various environmental groups. The committee reviewed a large body of written material on sustainability, including literature that informed the committee on how EPA could further strengthen its sustainability efforts as applicable to human health and environmental protection within the agency's decision-making process.
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From page 12... ...
. The committee recognized that many state and local agencies already were actively involved in advancing sustainability, and that there is also a broad range of sustainability activities in other federal agencies.
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From page 13... ...
The committee addressed its task by providing guidance to EPA on the processes necessary to incorporate sustainability into the agency's work but not on the specific direction EPA should take to accomplish this task. In a presentation to the committee at the first meeting, the Office of Research and Development's assistant administrator, Paul Anastas, suggested that the committee draft its rec ommendations in a manner following the 1983 NRC report Risk Assessment in the Federal Government, otherwise known as the "Red Book." The Red Book provided the agency with a framework for risk assessment and risk management (NRC 1983)
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From page 14... ...
EPA (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency)
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