Resource Spotlight
EPA’s Office of Solid Waste and Emergency Response
The Office of Solid Waste and Emergency Response (OSWER) provides policy, guidance and direction for the EPA’s emergency response and waste programs. They develop guidelines for the land disposal of hazardous waste and underground storage tanks. They provide technical assistance to all levels of government to establish safe practices in waste management and administer the Brownfields program which supports state and local governments in redeveloping and reusing potentially contaminated sites. OSWER also manages the Superfund program, which responds to abandoned and active hazardous waste sites and accidental oil and chemical releases. Finally, the office encourages innovative technologies to address contaminated soil and groundwater.
Office of Superfund Remediation and Technology Innovation (OSRTI)
OSRTI administers Superfund, the federal government’s program to clean up the nation’s uncontrolled hazardous waste sites. They are committed to ensuring that remaining National Priorities List hazardous waste sites are cleaned up to protect the environment and the health of all Americans. OSRTI implements the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act.Programs and projects managed by OSRTI include:
Office of Resource Conservation and Recovery (ORCR)
ORCR’s mission is to protect human health and the environment by ensuring responsible national management of hazardous and nonhazardous waste. ORCR implements the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act.
The goals are to:
Conserve resources by reducing waste
Prevent future waste disposal problems by enforcing regulations
Clean up areas where waste may have spilled, leaked, or been improperly disposed
Programs and projects managed by the Office of Resource Conservation and Recovery are:
Office of Underground Storage Tanks (OUST)
OUST carries out a Congressional mandate to develop and implement a regulatory program for underground storage tank systems. An underground storage tank system is a tank and any underground piping connected to the tank that has at least 10 percent of its combined volume underground. OUST implements provisions of the Energy Policy Act of 2005. Programs and projects managed by OUST include:
Office of Brownfields and Land Revitalization (OBLR)
The Brownfields program empowers states, communities, and other stakeholders in economic redevelopment to work together in a timely manner to prevent, assess, safely clean up, and sustainably reuse brownfields. A brownfield is a property, the expansion, redevelopment, or reuse of which may be complicated by the presence or potential presence of a hazardous substance, pollutant, or contaminant. OBLR implements the Small Business Liability Relief and Brownfields Revitalization Act. Programs and projects managed by OBLR include:
Office of Emergency Management (OEM)
OEM works with other federal partners to prevent accidents as well as to maintain superior response capabilities. One of our roles is to provide information about response efforts, regulations, tools, and research that will help the regulated community, government entities, and concerned citizens prevent, prepare for, and respond to emergencies. OEM administers the Oil Pollution Act and several other environmental statutes. Programs and projects managed by OEM include:
Federal Facilities Reuse and Restoration Office (FFRRO)
FFRRO works with the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD), Department of Energy (DOE), and other federal entities to develop creative, cost-effective solutions to their environmental problems. FFRRO’s overall mission is to facilitate faster, more effective and less costly cleanup and reuse of federal facilities. By focusing on partnering and public involvement, FFRRO, and its counterpart offices in the EPA Regions, have made great strides in improving federal facilities cleanup. Programs and projects managed by FFRRO include:
For more information and further contact information for each office, visit www.epa.gov/aboutepa/oswer.html.