In this capacity, Nigel will take on the management of our rapidly expanding Remediation Services group. Nigel has over 18 years of experience dealing with environmental remediation in the United States, Asia Pacific, and Europe and has been integral to the rapid growth we have experienced in 2010 and 2011. Our remediation staff has more than tripled in the last year and a half to meet our clients’ requests and we are focusing on hiring industry technical leaders who are client-focused to continue the quality and level of service that you have come to expect from EHS Support. Nigel’s inclusion in the management team will be used to ensure our continued focus on development of the Remediation Services group as a market leader which provides quality, value, and a level of service unparalleled in the market.“2010-2011 has been an exciting year and a half working with our clients on a variety of challenging projects. EHS Support is truly blessed with both great clients and staff and our growth in 2010-2011 and key hires should ensure that 2012 is as equally memorable.”-Nigel Goulding, Chief Technical Officer, EHS Support Inc.
[/slide]
[slide name=”January 2011 -EPA Releases FY 2011-2015 Strategic Plan”]
The plan is intended to provide a blueprint for accomplishing priorities over the next five years. It identifies five strategic goals that sets the Agency’s direction, advances the Administrator’s priorities, and will be used routinely by the Agency’s senior leadership as a management tool.
How Will These Goals Impact My Company?
Various industries may see increased enforcement, particularly with air, water, cleanup activities, and chemical management, which were all areas highlighted in the plan. The impact will be realized as each of the strategic goals is implemented. Some of the components for each goal have already become legislation and are now underway, such as the GHG Rule, which was part of EPA’s efforts in 2010 to cut carbon emissions. Some goals or objectives may prompt new legislation, such as developing new drinking water standards, or promote EPA-sponsored resources such as the ToxRefDB, a web-based chemicals database, which was developed earlier this year to allow anyone to search and download toxicity testing results on hundreds of chemicals in an effort to support EPA’s policy of increasing the transparency of chemical information.
EPA’s 5 Strategic Goals:
The five goals are listed below with the objectives for each goal and an example of how the EPA plans to implement each goal.
Goal 1: Taking Action on Climate Change and Improving Air Quality
Objectives:
- Address Climate Change. Reduce the threats posed by climate change by reducing greenhouse gas emissions and taking actions that help communities and ecosystems become more resilient to the effects of climate change.
- Improve Air Quality. Achieve and maintain health-based air pollution standards and reduce risk from toxic air pollutants and indoor air contaminants.
- Restore the Ozone Layer. Restore the earth’s stratospheric ozone layer and protect the public from the harmful effects of ultraviolet (UV) radiation.
- Reduce Unnecessary Exposure to Radiation. Minimize unnecessary releases of radiation and be prepared to minimize impacts should unwanted releases occur.
Example:
- Reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) Emissions and Develop Adaptation Strategies to Address Climate Change.
Goal 2: Protecting America’s Waters
Objectives:
- Protect Human Health. Reduce human exposure to contaminants in drinking water, fish and shellfish, and recreational waters, including protecting source waters.
- Protect and Restore Watersheds and Aquatic Ecosystems. Protect the quality of rivers, lakes, streams, and wetlands on a watershed basis, and protect urban, coastal, and ocean waters.
Exmaple:
- EPA has established two Priority Goals for the revision of drinking water standards to strengthen public health protection and the development of state watershed implementation plans in support of the Chesapeake Bay total maximum daily load (TMDL) called for in the Chesapeake Bay Protection and Restoration Executive Order.
Goal 3: Cleaning Up Communities and Advancing Sustainable Development
Objectives
- Promote Sustainable and Livable Communities. Support sustainable, resilient, and livable communities by working with local, state, tribal, and federal partners to promote smart growth, emergency preparedness and recovery planning, brownfield redevelopment, and the equitable distribution of environmental benefits.
- Preserve Land. Conserve resources and prevent land contamination by reducing waste generation, increasing recycling, and ensuring proper management of waste and petroleum products.
- Restore Land. Prepare for and respond to accidental or intentional releases of contaminants and clean up and restore polluted sites.
- Strengthen Human Health and Environmental Protection in Indian Country. Support federally-recognized tribes to build environmental management capacity, assess environmental conditions and measure results, and implement environmental programs in Indian country.
Example:
- To reduce the risk posed by underground storage tanks (USTs) located at nearly a quarter of a million facilities throughout the country, EPA and states are working to ensure that every UST system is inspected at least once every three years.
Goal 4: Ensuring the Safety of Chemicals and Preventing Pollution
Objectives:
- Ensure Chemical Safety. Reduce the risk of chemicals that enter our products, our environment, and our bodies.
Promote Pollution Prevention. Conserve and protect natural resources by promoting pollution prevention and the adoption of other stewardship practices by companies, communities, governmental organizations, and individuals.
Example:
- In 2009, the Administration announced principles for modernizing the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) to help inform efforts underway in Congress to reauthorize and significantly strengthen EPA’s ability to assess the safety of industrial chemicals and adequately protect against unreasonable environmental or public health risks.
Goal 5: Enforcing Environmental Laws
Objective:
- Enforce Environmental Laws. Pursue vigorous civil and criminal enforcement that targets the most serious water, air, and chemical hazards in communities. Assure strong, consistent, and effective enforcement of federal environmental laws nationwide.
Example:
- EPA is revamping enforcement and working with state permitting authorities under the Clean Water Act Action Plan to make progress on the most important water pollution problems. This work includes, as a Priority Goal, increasing enforcement actions in waters that do not meet water quality standards.
The progress of the five goals will be tracked through annual performance measures, which are presented in EPA’s Annual Performance Plans and Budgets. The plan also includes five “cross-cutting fundamental strategies” aimed to focus EPA’s work over the next five years, which are listed below:
- Expanding the Conversation on Environmentalism.
- Working for Environmental Justice and Children’s Health.
- Advancing Science, Research, and Technological Innovation.
- Strengthening State, Tribal, and International Partnerships.
- Strengthening EPA’s Workforce and Capabilities.
If you have any questions regarding the EPA Released FY 2011-2015 Strategic Plan, please contact Amy Bauer at 251-533-5949 and amy.bauer@ehs-support.com
For more information, go to http://www.epa.gov/ocfo/plan/plan.htm
