PART 1—STATEMENT OF ORGANIZATION AND GENERAL INFORMATION Authority: 5 U.S.C. 552; Reorganization Plan No. 3 of 1970, 84 Stat. 2086 (July 9, 1970). Source: 50 FR 26721, June 28, 1985, unless otherwise noted. Subpart A—Introduction § 1.1 Creation and authority. Reorganization Plan 3 of 1970, established the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in the Executive branch as an independent Agency, effective December 2, 1970. § 1.3 Purpose and functions. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency permits coordinated and effective governmental action to assure the protection of the environment by abating and controlling pollution on a systematic basis. Reorganization Plan 3 of 1970 transferred to EPA a variety of research, monitoring, standard setting, and enforcement activities related to pollution abatement and control to provide for the treatment of the environment as a single interrelated system. Complementary to these activities are the Agency's coordination and support of research and antipollution activities carried out by State and local governments, private and public groups, individuals, and educational institutions. EPA reinforces efforts among other Federal agencies with respect to the impact of their operations on the environment. § 1.5 Organization and general information. (a) The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's basic organization consists of Headquarters and 10 Regional Offices. EPA Headquarters in Washington, DC maintains overall planning, coordination and control of EPA programs. Regional Administrators head the Regional Offices and are responsible directly to the Administrator for the execution of the Agency's programs within the boundaries of their Regions. (b) EPA's Directives System contains definitive statements of EPA's organization, policies, procedures, assignments of responsibility, and delegations of authority. Copies are available for public inspection and copying at the Management and Organization Division, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW., Washington, DC 20460. Information can be obtained from the Office of Public Affairs at all Regional Offices. (c) EPA conducts procurement pursuant to the Federal Property and Administrative Services Act, the Federal Procurement Regulations, and implementing EPA regulations. § 1.7 Location of principal offices. (a) The EPA Headquarters is in Washington, DC. The mailing address is 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW., Washington, DC 20460. (b) The address of (and States served by) the EPA Regional Offices (see § 1.61) are: (1) Region I, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 5 Post Office Square—Suite 100, Boston, MA 02109-3912. (Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont.) (2) Region II, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Room 900, 26 Federal Plaza, New York, NY 10278. (New Jersey, New York, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands.) (3) Region III, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 841 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia, PA 19107. (Delaware, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia.) (4) Region IV, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 61 Forsyth Street SW, Atlanta, Georgia 30303-8960. (Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee.) (5) Region V, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 77 West Jackson Boulevard, Chicago, IL 60604. (Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio and Wisconsin.) (6) EPA Region 6, 1201 Elm Street, Suite 500, Dallas, Texas 75270-2102. (Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas.) (7) Region 7, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 11201 Renner Boulevard, Lenexa, Kansas 66219. (Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, and Nebraska.) (8) Region VIII, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 999 18th street, One Denver Place, Denver, CO 80202. (Colorado, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah, and Wyoming.) (9) Region IX, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 75 Hawthorne Street, San Francisco, California 94105. (Arizona, California, Hawaii, Nevada; the territories of American Samoa and Guam; the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands; the territories of Baker Island, Howland Island, Jarvis Island, Johnston Atoll, Kingman Reef, Midway Atoll, Palmyra Atoll, and Wake Islands; and certain U.S. Government activities in the freely associated states of the Republic of the Marshall Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia, and the Republic of Palau.) (10) Region X, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 Sixth Avenue, Seattle, WA 98101. (Alaska, Idaho, Oregon, and Washington.) [50 FR 26721, June 28, 1985, as amended at 62 FR 1833, Jan. 14, 1997; 75 FR 69349, Nov. 12, 2010; 76 FR 49670, Aug. 11, 2011; 78 FR 37975, June 25, 2013; 84 FR 44226, Aug. 23, 2019; 89 FR 86744, Oct. 31, 2024] Subpart B—Headquarters § 1.21 General. EPA Headquarters is comprised of: (a) The Office of the Administrator; (b) Two Associate Administrators and four staff offices which advise the Administrator on cross-cutting Agency headquarters and regional issues and conduct programs with respect to EPA's interface with other national and international governmental organizations; (c) The Office of Inspector General; (d) The Office of General Counsel; and (e) Nine operational offices, each headed by an Assistant Administrator, responsible for carrying out EPA's major environmental and administrative programs. § 1.23 Office of the Administrator. The Environmental Protection Agency is headed by an Administrator who is appointed by the President, by and with the consent of the Senate. The Administrator is responsible to the President for providing overall supervision to the Agency, and is assisted by a Deputy Administrator also appointed by the President, by and with the consent of the Senate. The Deputy Administrator assists the Administrator in the discharge of Agency duties and responsibilities and serves as Acting Administrator in the absence of the Administrator. § 1.25 Staff offices. (a) Office of Administrative Law Judges. (b) Office of Civil Rights. (1) Maximum participation of minority business enterprises under EPA contracts and grants; (2) Equal employment opportunity under Agency service contracts, construction contracts, and grants; (3) Compliance with the Davis-Bacon Act and related acts; (4) Compliance with the provisions of laws affecting Agency programs requiring nondiscrimination on account of age and physical handicap and; (5) Services or benefits are dispensed under any program or activity receiving Agency financial assistance on a nondiscrimination basis. (c) Science Advisory Board. (d) Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization. (e)(1) Environmental Appeals Board. (2) Functions. ex parte (3) Qualifications. [50 FR 26721, June 28, 1985, as amended at 57 FR 5323, Feb. 13, 1992; 63 FR 67780, Dec. 9, 1998; 85 FR 51655, Aug. 21, 2020; 86 FR 31176, June 11, 2021] § 1.27 Offices of the Associate Administrators. (a) Office of International Activities. (b) Office of Regional Operations. § 1.29 Office of Inspector General. The Office of Inspector General assumes overall responsibility for audits and investigations relating to EPA programs and operations. The Office provides leadership and coordination and recommends policies for other Agency activities designed to promote economy and efficiency and to prevent and detect fraud and abuse is such programs and operations. The Office of the Inspector General informs the Administrator, Deputy Administrator, and Congress of serious problems, abuses and deficiencies relating to EPA programs and operations, and of the necessity for and progress of corrective action; and reviews existing and proposed legislation and regulations to assess the impact on the administration of EPA's programs and operations. The Office recommends policies for, and conducts or coordinates relationships between, the Agency and other Federal, State and local government agencies, and nongovernmental entities on all matters relating to the promotion of economy and efficiency in the administration of, or the prevention and detection of fraud and abuse in, programs and operations administered by the Agency. § 1.31 Office of General Counsel. The Office of General Counsel is under the supervision of the General Counsel who serves as the primary legal adviser to the Administrator. The office provides legal services to all organizational elements of the Agency with respect to all Agency programs and activities and also provides legal opinions, legal counsel, and litigation support; and assists in the formulation and administration of the Agency's policies and programs as legal adviser. § 1.33 Office of Administration and Resources Management. The Office of Administration and Resources Management is under the supervision of the Assistance Administrator for Administration and Resources Management who provides services to all of the programs and activities of the Agency, except as may be specifically noted. In addition, the Assistant Administrator has primary responsibility Agencywide for policy and procedures governing the functional areas outlined below. The major functions of the Office include resources management and systems (including budget and financial management), personnel services, occupational health and safety, administrative services, organization and management analysis and systems development, information management and services, automated data processing systems, procurement through contracts and grants, and human resources management. This Office is the primary point of contact and manages Agencywide internal controls, audit resolution and follow up, and government-wide management improvement initiatives. In the performance of the above functions and responsibilities, the Assistant Administrator for Administration and Resources Management represents the Administrator in communications with the Office of Management and Budget, Office of Personnel Management, General Accounting Office, General Services Administration, Department of the Treasury, and other Federal agencies prescribing requirements for the conduct of Government budget, fiscal management and administrative activities. (a) Office of Administration and Resources Management, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, (RTP). (b) Office of Administration, Cincinnati, Ohio. (c) Office of the Comptroller. (d) Office of Administration. (e) Office of Information Resources Management. (f) The Office of Human Resources Management. § 1.35 Office of Enforcement and Compliance Monitoring. The Office of Enforcement and Compliance Monitoring, under the supervision of the Assistant Administrator for Enforcement and Compliance Monitoring, serves as the principal adviser to the Administrator in matters concerning enforcement and compliance; and provides the principal direction and review of civil enforcement activities for air, water, waste, pesticides, toxics, and radiation. The Assistant Administrator reviews the efforts of each Assistant and Regional Administrator to assure that EPA develops and conducts a strong and consistent enforcement and compliance monitoring program. The Office manages the national criminal enforcement program; ensures coordination of media office administrative compliance programs, and civil and criminal enforcement activities; and provides technical expertise for enforcement activities. § 1.37 Office of External Affairs. (a) Office of Federal Activities. (1) The review of other agency environmental impact statements and other major actions under the authority of Section 309 of the Clean Air Act; (2) EPA compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and related laws, directives, and Executive policies concerning special environmental areas and cultural resources; (3) Compliance with Executive policy on American Indian affairs and the development of programs for environmental protection on Indian lands; and (4) The development and oversight of national programs and internal policies, strategies, and procedures for implementing Executive Order 12088 and other administrative or statutory provisions concerning compliance with environmental requirements by Federal facilities. The Director chairs the Standing Committee on Implementation of Executive Order 12088. The Office serves as the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) principal point of contact and liaison with other Federal agencies and provides consultation and technical assistance to those agencies relating to EPA's areas of expertise and responsibility. The Office administers the filing and information system for all Federal Environmental Impact Statements under agreement with the Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) and provides liaison with CEQ on this function and related matters of NEPA program administration. The Office provides a central point of information for EPA and the public on environmental impact assessment techniques and methodologies. (b) Office of Public Affairs. (c) Office of Legislative Analysis. (d) Office of Congressional Liaison. (e) Office of Community and Intergovernmental Relations. [50 FR 26721, June 28, 1985, as amended at 52 FR 30359, Aug. 14, 1987] § 1.39 Office of Policy, Planning and Evaluation. The Assistant Administrator for Policy, Planning and Evaluation services as principal adviser to the Administrator on Agency policy and planning issues and as such is responsible for supervision and management of the following: Policy analysis; standards and regulations; and management strategy and evaluation. The Assistant Administrator represents the Administrator with Congress and the Office of Management and Budget, and other Federal agencies prescribing requirements for conduct for Government management activities. (a) Office of Policy Analysis. (b) Office of Standards and Regulations. (c) Office of Management Systems and Evaluation. § 1.41 Office of Air and Radiation. The Office of Air and Radiation is under supervision of the Assistant Administrator for Air and Radiation who serves as principal adviser to the Administrator in matters pertaining to air and radiation programs, and is responsible for the management of these EPA programs: Program policy development and evaluation; environmental and pollution sources' standards development; enforcement of standards; program policy guidance and overview, technical support or conduct of compliance activities and evaluation of Regional air and radiation program activities; development of programs for technical assistance and technology transfer; and selected demonstration programs. (a) Office of Mobile Sources. (b) Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards. (c) Office of Radiation Programs. § 1.43 Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention. The Assistant Administrator, Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention (OCSPP), serves as the principal adviser to the Administrator in matters pertaining to assessment and regulation of pesticides and toxic substances and is responsible for managing the Agency's pesticides and toxic substances programs under the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA); the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FFDCA); the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA); the Pollution Prevention Act (PPA); and portions of several other statutes. The Assistant Administrator has responsibility for establishing Agency strategies for implementation and integration of the pesticides and the toxic substances programs under applicable Federal statutes; developing and operating Agency programs and policies for assessment and control of pesticides and toxic substances; developing recommendations for Agency priorities for research, monitoring, regulatory, and information-gathering activities relating to pesticides and toxic substances; developing scientific, technical, economic, and social databases for the conduct of hazard assessments and evaluations in support of toxic substances and pesticides activities; providing toxic substances and pesticides program guidance to EPA Regional Offices and monitoring, evaluating, and assessing pesticides and toxic substances program operations in EPA Headquarters and Regional Offices. (a) Office of Pesticide Programs. (b) Office of Pollution Prevention and Toxics. (c) Office of Science Coordination and Policy. [77 FR 46290, Aug. 3, 2012] § 1.45 Office of Research and Development. The Office of Research and Development is under the supervision of the Assistant Administrator for Research and Development who serves as the principal science adviser to the Administrator, and is responsible for the development, direction, and conduct of a national research, development and demonstration program in: Pollution sources, fate, and health and welfare effects; pollution prevention and control, and waste management and utilization technology; environmental sciences; and monitoring systems. The Office participates in the development of Agency policy, standards, and regulations and provides for dissemination of scientific and technical knowledge, including analytical methods, monitoring techniques, and modeling methodologies. The Office serves as coordinator for the Agency's policies and programs concerning carcinogenesis and related problems and assures appropriate quality control and standardization of analytical measurement and monitoring techniques utilized by the Agency. The Office exercises review and concurrence responsibilities on an Agencywide basis in all budgeting and planning actions involving monitoring which require Heardquarters approval. (a) Office of Acid Deposition, Environmental Monitoring and Quality Assurance. (1) Monitoring the cause and effects of acid deposition; (2) Research and development on the causes, effects and corrective steps for the acid deposition phenomenon; (3) Research with respect to the transport and fate of pollutants which are released into the atmosphere; (4) Development and demonstration of techniques and methods to measure exposure and to relate ambient concentrations to exposure by critical receptors; (5) Research, development and demonstration of new monitoring methods, systems, techniques and equipment for detection, identification and characterization of pollutants at the source and in the ambient environment and for use as reference or standard monitoring methods; (6) Establishment, direction and coordination of Agencywide Quality Assurance Program; and (7) Development and provision of quality assurance methods, techniques and material including validation and standardization of analytical methods, sampling techniques, quality control methods, standard reference materials, and techniques for data collection, evaluation and interpretation. The Office identifies specific research, development, demonstration and service needs and priorities; establishes program policies and guidelines; develops program plans including objectives and estimates of resources required to accomplish objectives; administers the approved program and activities; assigns program responsibility and resources to the laboratories assigned by the Assistant Administrator; directs and supervises assigned laboratories in program administration; and conducts reviews of program progress and takes action as necessary to assure timeliness, quality and responsiveness of outputs. (b) Office of Environmental Engineering and Technology Demonstration. (1) Control Environmental impacts associated with the extraction, processing, conversion, and transportation of energy, minerals, and other resources, and with industrial processing and manufacturing facilities; (2) Control environmental impacts of public sector activities including publicly-owned waste water and solid waste facilities; (3) Control and manage hazardous waste generation, storage, treatment, and disposal; (4) Provide innovative technologies for response actions under Superfund and technologies for control of emergency spills of oils and hazardous waste; (5) Improve drinking water supply and system operations, including improved understanding of water supply technology and water supply criteria; (6) Characterize, reduce, and mitigate indoor air pollutants including radon; and (7) Characterize, reduce, and mitigate acid rain precursors from stationary sources. Development of engineering data needed by the Agency in reviewing premanufacturing notices relative to assessing potential release and exposure to chemicals, treatability by waste treatment systems, containment and control of genetically engineered organisms, and development of alternatives to mitigate the likelihood of release and exposure to existing chemicals. In carrying out these responsibilities, the Office develops program plans and manages the resources assigned to it; implements the approved programs and activities; assigns objectives and resources to the OEETD laboratories; conducts appropriate reviews to assure the quality, timeliness, and responsiveness of outputs; and conducts analyses of the relative environmental and socioeconomic impacts of engineering methods and control technologies and strategies. The Office of Environmental Engineering and Technology Demonstration is the focal point within the Office of Research and Development for providing liaison with the rest of the Agency and with the Department of Energy on issues associated with energy development. The Office is also the focal point within the Office of Research and Development for liaison with the rest of the Agency on issues related to engineering reseach and development and the control of pollution discharges. (c) Office of Environmental Processes and Effects Research. (1) The development of organism and ecosystem level effect data needed for the establishment of standards, criteria or guidelines for the protection of nonhuman components of the environment and ecosystems integrity and the prevention of harmful human exposure to pollutants; (2) The development of methods to determine and predict the fate, transport, and environmental levels which may result in human exposure and exposure of nonhuman components of the environment, resulting from the discharge of pollutants, singly or in combination into the environment, including development of source criteria for protection of environmental quality; (3) The development and demonstration of methods for the control or management of adverse environmental impacts from agriculture and other rural nonprofit sources; (4) The development and demonstration of integrated pest management strategies for the management of agriculture and urban pests which utilize alternative biological, cultural and chemical controls; (5) The development of a laboratory and fieldscale screening tests to provide data that can be used to predict the behavior of pollutants in terms of movement in the environmental, accumulation in the food chain, effects on organisms, and broad escosystem impacts; (6) Coordination of interagency research activities associated with the health and environmental impacts of energy production and use; and (7) development and demonstration of methods for restoring degraded ecosystem by means other than source control. (d) Office of Health Research. (e) Office of Health and Environmental Assessment (OHEA). (f) Office of Exploratory Research. [50 FR 26721, June 28, 1985, as amended at 52 FR 30360, Aug. 14, 1987] § 1.47 Office of Land and Emergency Management. The Office of Land and Emergency Management (OLEM), also referred to as the Office of Solid Waste, or the Office of Solid Waste and Emergency Response, under the supervision of the Assistant Administrator for Land and Emergency Management, also referred to as the Assistant Administrator of the Office of Solid Waste, provides Agencywide policy, guidance, and direction for the Agency's solid and hazardous wastes and emergency response programs. This Office has primary responsibility for implementing the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA); the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA—“Superfund”), as amended by the Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization Act (SARA); the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act; the Oil Pollution Act; Clean Water Act section 311; and the Mercury-Containing and Rechargeable Battery Management Act; among other laws. In addition to managing those programs, the Assistant Administrator serves as principal adviser to the Administrator in matters pertaining to them. The Assistant Administrator's responsibilities include: Program policy development and evaluation; development of appropriate hazardous waste standards and regulations; ensuring compliance with applicable laws and regulations; program policy guidance and overview, technical support, and evaluation of Regional solid and hazardous wastes and emergency response activities; development of programs for technical, programmatic, and compliance assistance to States and local governments; development of guidelines and standards for the land disposal of hazardous wastes; analyses of the recovery of useful energy from solid waste; development and implementation of a program to respond to uncontrolled hazardous waste sites and spills (including oil spills); long-term strategic planning and special studies; economic and long-term environmental analyses; economic impact assessment of regulations under RCRA, CERCLA, and other relevant statutes; analyses of alternative technologies and trends; and cost-benefit analyses and development of OLEM environmental criteria. For purposes of 42 U.S.C. 6911(a), OLEM carries out the functions of the Office of Solid Waste. For purposes of 42 U.S.C. 6911a, the functions and duties of the Assistant Administrator of the Office of Solid Waste are carried out by the Assistant Administrator for the Office of Land and Emergency Management. [80 FR 77577, Dec. 15, 2015] § 1.49 Office of Water. The Office of Water, under the supervision of the Assistant Administrator for Water who serves as the principal adviser to the Administrator in matters pertaining to water programs, is responsible for management of EPA's water programs. Functions of the Office include program policy development and evaluation; environmental and pollution source standards development; program policy guidance and overview; technical support; and evaluation of Regional water activities; the conduct of compliance and permitting activities as they relate to drinking water and water programs; development of programs for technical assistance and technology transfer; development of selected demonstration programs; economic and long-term environmental analysis; and marine and estuarine protection. (a) Office of Water Enforcement and Permits. (b) Office of Water Regulations and Standards. (c) Office of Municipal Pollution Control. (d) Office of Drinking Water. (e) Office of Ground-Water Protection. (f) Office of Marine and Estuarine Protection. (g) Office of Wetlands Protection. [50 FR 26721, June 28, 1985, as amended at 52 FR 30360, Aug. 14, 1987] Subpart C—Field Installations § 1.61 Regional Offices. Regional Administrators are responsible to the Administrator, within the boundaries of their Regions, for the execution of the Regional Programs of the Agency and such other responsibilities as may be assigned. They serve as the Administrator's prinicipal representatives in their Regions in contacts and relationships with Federal, State, interstate and local agencies, industry, academic institutions, and other public and private groups. Regional Administrators are responsible for: (a) Accomplishing national program objectives within the Regions as established by the Administrator, Deputy Administrator, Assistant Administrators, Associate Administrators, and Heads of Headquarters Staff Offices; (b) Developing, proposing, and implementing approved Regional programs for comprehensive and integrated environmental protection activities; (c) Total resource management in their Regions within guidelines provided by Headquarters; (d) Conducting effective Regional enforcement and compliance programs; (e) Translating technical program direction and evaluation provided by the various Assistant Administrators, Associate Administrators and Heads of Headquarters Staff Offices, into effective operating programs at the Regional level, and assuring that such programs are executed efficiently; (f) Exercising approval authority for proposed State standards and implementation plans; and (g) Providing for overall and specific evaluations of Regional programs, both internal Agency and State activities.