A Truly Long-Range Plan For EPA

• Pages: 40-41

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Along with the rest of the federal

government, the Environmental Protection Agency is preparing its latest

strategic long-range plan, required triennially under the Government

Performance and Results Act. The plan will go through two draft reviews

before being presented in final form to Congress later this year. Its fate

there, however, is uncertain, as the election looms with possible changes

in the party in power both on Capitol Hill and in the White House.

But given the fact that this year marks the 30th anniversary of EPA’s

founding, we chose to mark the occasion by putting together a really

long-range plan — one that looks ahead not just five years but decades.

We thought it appropriate to ask not only the agency’s current Deputy

Administrator, who is in charge of the current planning process, but also

a bipartisan sample of past Deputy Administrators.

What would a truly long-range plan for EPA look like, at 10 years or

longer? What problems are relevant on that time scale? What should the

agency be doing within its existing authorities? Finally, does it need

additional legislation from Congress to attack these problems?