UNITED
STATES
ENVIRONMENTAL
PROTECTION
AGENCY
WASHINGTON,
D.
C.
20460
OFFICE
OF
PREVENTION,
PESTICIDES
AND
TOXIC
SUBSTANCES
October
8,
2002
Dear
Colleagues
and
Citizens:

I
would
like
to
take
this
opportunity
to
invite
you
to
provide
input
to
EPA's
Strategic
Plan,
which
will
guide
resource
and
program
decisions
over
the
next
five
years.
EPA
developed
its
first
Strategic
Plan
in
1997
and
revised
it
in
2000.
EPA's
next
Strategic
Plan
will
cover
resource
and
program
directions
from
FY2003
through
FY2008.

As
we
establish
our
strategic
goals
for
the
next
5
years
and
develop
the
strategies
we
will
employ
to
achieve
our
objectives,
we
want
to
be
sure
that
we
have
reached
a
broad
range
of
interested
and
affected
parties,
benefitted
from
their
input
and
advice,
and
prepared
a
sound,
practical
Plan
that
addresses
national
priorities
for
protecting
the
environment
and
human
health
and
will
achieve
results.
In
particular,
we
are
interested
in
your
views
on
the
following
questions:

1.
What
are
the
most
important
human
health
and
environmental
challenges
related
to
pesticides,
industrial
chemicals
and
pollution
prevention
that
EPA
should
address
in
the
next
10
years?

2.
What
specific
strategies
and
activities
should
EPA
strengthen
or
initiate
to
address
those
challenges?

3.
What
specific
accomplishments
should
EPA
commit
to
achieve
by
FY2008
or
beyond
related
to
pesticides
and
industrial
chemicals?
Please
be
as
quantitative
and
outcome­
oriented
as
possible
in
your
suggestions.

4.
What
do
you
think
are
the
most
important
changes
EPA
could
make
to
become
more
effective
and
efficient
in
the
pesticide,
industrial
chemicals
and
pollution
prevention
program
areas?

5.
What
other
suggestions
do
you
have
regarding
future
challenges,
accomplishments,
strategies,
activities,
effectiveness
and
efficiency
of
other
EPA
programs
(e.
g.,
water,
air,
waste,
research,
enforcement,
etc.)?

6.
What
organizational
challenges
are
you
currently
facing
that
impact
your
organization's
ability
to
carry
out
its
mission?
You
can
provide
comments
to
us
through
EPA's
E­
Docket
at
http://
www.
epa.
gov/
edocket.
On
this
site,
you
will
be
able
to
access
EPA's
current
Strategic
Plan,
including
OPPTS'
current
priorities
under
Goal
3
(Safe
Food),
Goal
4
(Preventing
Pollution
and
Reducing
Risk
in
Communities,
Homes,
Workplaces
and
Ecosystems)
and
Goal
6
(Reduction
of
Global
and
Cross­
Border
Environmental
Risks).
In
order
to
ensure
that
we
can
consider
your
input
for
the
first
draft
of
the
next
strategic
plan,
we
ask
that
you
provide
input
by
November
11,
2002.

Over
the
years,
we
have
achieved
many
environmental
successes
by
working
together.
While
we
have
many
challenges
ahead,
I
am
confident
that
by
continuing
our
work
together,
we
can
continue
this
record
of
achievement.
Sincerely,

Stephen
L.
Johnson
Assistant
Administrator
Office
of
Prevention,
Pesticides
and
Toxic
Substances
Goals,
Objectives
and
Subobjectives
in
Current
(FY2000)
EPA
Strategic
Plan
Goal
3:
Safe
Food
The
foods
Americans
eat
will
be
free
from
unsafe
pesticide
residues.
Particular
attention
will
be
given
to
protecting
sub­
populations
that
may
be
more
susceptible
to
adverse
effects
of
pesticides
or
have
higher
dietary
exposures
to
pesticide
residues.
These
include
children
and
people
whose
diets
include
large
amounts
of
noncommercial
foods.

Objectives
By
2006,
reduce
public
health
risk
from
pesticide
residues
in
food
from
pre­
Food
Quality
Protection
Act
(FQPA)
levels
(pre­
1996).

By
2008,
use
on
food
of
current
pesticides
that
do
not
meet
the
new
statutory
standard
of
"reasonable
certainty
of
no
harm"
will
be
eliminated.

By
2006,
at
least
7
percent
of
agricultural
pesticide
acre
treatments
will
use
reduced­
risk
pesticides.

Subobjectives
By
2006,
residues
of
carcinogenic
and
cholinesterase
inhibiting
neurotoxic
pesticides
on
the
foods
most
frequently
eaten
by
children
will
be
reduced
by
50
percent
from
baseline
levels
determined
using
data
from
1994
through
1996.

Through
2006,
all
registration
activities
(including
registration
of
new
conventional
chemicals,
new
uses,
"me­
toos,"
antimicrobials,
etc.)
will
meet
the
applicable
standards
mandated
by
law.

By
2008,
active
ingredient
and
product
reregistration
will
be
completed
for
all
pesticides
subject
to
reregistration
under
the
Federal
Insecticide,
Fungicide,
and
Rodenticide
Act
(FIFRA)­
88.

By
2006,
100
percent
of
the
reassessments
of
pesticide
residue
tolerances
mandated
by
FQPA
will
be
completed.

By
2006,
Registration
Review
will
be
fully
established
and
operational.

Through
2008,
provide
research
results
to
support
the
new
FQPA
regulatory
standard
of
"reasonable
certainty
of
no
harm"
for
pesticides
used
on
food.
Goal
4
Risk
in
Communities,
Homes,
Workplaces,
and
Ecosystems
Pollution
prevention
and
risk
management
strategies
aimed
at
eliminating,
reducing,
or
minimizing
emissions
and
contamination
will
result
in
cleaner
and
safer
environments
in
which
all
Americans
can
reside,
work,
and
enjoy
life.
EPA
will
safeguard
ecosystems
and
promote
the
health
of
natural
communities
that
are
integral
to
the
quality
of
life
in
this
nation.

Objectives
By
2005,
public
and
ecosystem
risk
from
pesticides
will
be
reduced
through
migration
to
lowerrisk
pesticides
and
pesticide
management
practices,
improving
education
of
the
public
and
at­
risk
workers,
and
forming
"pesticide
environmental
partnerships"
with
pesticide
user
groups.

By
2007,
significantly
reduce
the
incidence
of
childhood
lead
poisoning
and
reduce
risks
associated
with
polychlorinated
biphenyls
(PCBs),
mercury,
dioxin,
and
other
toxic
chemicals
of
national
concern.

By
2007,
prevent
or
restrict
introduction
into
commerce
of
chemicals
that
pose
risks
to
workers,
consumers,
or
the
environment
and
continue
screening
and
evaluating
chemicals
already
in
commerce
for
potential
risk.

By
2005,
facilitate
the
prevention,
reduction,
and
recycling
of
toxic
chemicals
and
municipal
solid
wastes,
including
PBTs.
In
particular,
reduce
by
20
percent
the
actual
(from
1992
levels)
and
by
30
percent
the
production­
adjusted
(from
1998
levels)
quantity
of
Toxic
Release
Inventory
(TRI)
reported
toxic
pollutants
which
are
released,
disposed
of,
treated,
or
combusted
for
energy
recovery,
half
through
source
reduction.

Subobjectives
By
2010,
reduce
by
at
least
10
percent
(from
the
average
1993
to
1995
levels)
the
incidence
of
adverse
health
effects
from
pesticide
exposures
for
which
individuals
required
health
care.
By
2008,
reduce
potential
exposure
(as
indicated
by
sales
or
use
volume)
to
carcinogenic
and
cholinesterase
inhibiting
neurotoxic
pesticides
used
in
or
around
residential
areas
by
50
percent
each
from
1995
levels
for
both
consumer­
and
restricted­
use
pesticides.

By
2005,
reduce
by
50
percent
from
1995
levels
the
number
of
incidents
and
amount
of
mortality
to
terrestrial
and
aquatic
wildlife
caused
by
the
15
pesticides
currently
responsible
for
the
greatest
mortality
to
such
wildlife.
Each
year,
none
of
the
top
15
species
on
the
Office
of
Pesticide
Programs/
Fish
and
Wildlife
Service/
U.
S.
Department
of
Agriculture
priority
list
of
threatened
or
endangered
species
will
be
jeopardized
by
exposure
to
pesticides.
By
2005,
implement
stewardship
strategies
to
reduce
pesticide
risk
by
the
use
of
Integrated
Pest
Management
(IPM)
through
agreements
with
80
pesticide
user
groups.

By
2010,
detections
of
the
15
pesticides
most
frequently
found
in
surface
water
in
the
U.
S.
Geological
Survey
(USGS)
1994
National
Water
Quality
Assessment
(NAWQA)
data
will
be
reduced
by
50
percent.
Any
new
pesticide
registered
since
1996
found
in
USGS
2010
NAWQA
data
for
surface
water
will
have
a
detection
frequency
no
greater
than
30
percent.
By
2010,
50
percent
of
all
pesticides
with
the
potential
to
leach
to
groundwater
will
be
managed
through
labeling
or
other
methods
to
prevent
groundwater
contamination.

By
2007,
EPA
will
reduce
the
incidence
of
blood
lead
levels
at
or
above
10g/
dL
in
children
between
the
ages
of
1
and
5
years
from
approximately
900,000
children
in
1991
through
1994
to
fewer
than
200,000.

By
2007,
EPA
will
achieve
continued
reductions
in
remaining
uses
of
PCBs
at
concentrations
above
500
ppm
in
transformers
and
capacitors,
retiring
from
service
and
safely
disposing
of
120,000
transformer
units
and
210,000
capacitor
units
cumulatively
from
2002
through
2007.
EPA
will
also
achieve
significant
reductions
in
exposures
to
toxic
fibers,
mercury,
and
dioxin.

By
2007,
EPA
will
allow
no
new
chemicals
for
which
it
receives
Pre­
Manufacture
Notifications
to
be
introduced
into
commerce
that
pose
significant
unmanaged
risks
to
workers,
consumers,
or
the
environment.

By
2007,
inform
the
public
about
potential
chemical
hazards
and
risks
associated
with
High
Production
Volume
(HPV)
chemicals
in
commerce
by
making
screening
level
hazard,
as
well
as
limited
exposure,
data
sets
publicly
available
for
90
percent
of
the
approximately
2,
800
HPV
chemicals.
In
addition,
EPA,
in
cooperation
with
the
Organization
for
Economic
Cooperation
and
Development
(OECD),
will
make
publicly
available
internationally
recognized
hazard
classification
determinations
for
at
least
one
human
health
and
one
ecological
endpoint
for
500
HPV
chemicals
for
which
hazard
data
sets
are
available.
EPA
will
also
make
publicly
available
basic
screening
level
information
on
endocrine
disruption
potential
for
at
least
50
HPV
chemicals
by
2007.

By
2007,
EPA
will
promote
the
use
of
pollution
prevention
(P2)
for
meeting
environmental
goals
by
(1)
increasing
the
purchase
of
environmentally
preferable
products
by
the
federal
government;
(2)
increasing
adoption
of
environmentally
protective
business
practices
such
as
environmental
accounting
practices
and
P2
opportunity
assessments;
(3)
increasing
integration
of
P2
into
EPA's
regulatory,
enforcement,
and
compliance
programs;
and
(4)
reducing
the
generation
of
pollutants
by
facilities
assisted
by
state
and
tribal
P2
programs
supported
by
EPA.

By
2007,
Design
for
the
Environment
(DfE)
voluntary
partnership
risk­
reduction
efforts
since
1992
will
cumulatively
lower
exposure
for
more
than
4
million
workers,
and
toxic
chemical
use
and
wastes
in
more
than
400,000
businesses
using
more
than
750
chemical
substances.

By
2007,
accomplish
the
following
cumulative
results
through
commercialization
of
green
chemistry
approaches
[as
evidenced
in
nominations
submitted
for
EPA's
Green
Chemistry
Challenge
Awards
from
1996
(year
awards
program
initiated)
through
2007]:
elimination
of
250
million
pounds
of
hazardous
substances
from
new
and
existing
chemical
products
and
processes;
elimination
of
25
million
gallons
of
hazardous
solvents;
savings
of
2
billion
gallons
of
water;
and
savings
of
25
billion
Btu
of
energy.
By
2005,
EPA
will
utilize
multiple
tools
to
reduce
use
and
releases
of
priority
PBTs
by
preventing
the
entry
of
new
PBTs
into
commerce;
achieve
through
voluntary
efforts
a
net
reduction
of
50
percent
(from
1991
levels)
in
the
volume
of
priority
PBTs
in
hazardous
waste
streams;
and
reduce
by
50
percent
from
1990
levels
releases
of
mercury
to
air
nationwide
and
to
water
within
the
Great
Lakes
Basin.

Goal
6:
Reduction
of
Global
and
Cross­
Border
Environmental
Risks
The
United
States
will
lead
other
nations
in
successful,
multilateral
efforts
to
reduce
significant
risks
to
human
health
and
ecosystems
from
climate
change,
stratospheric
ozone
depletion,
and
other
hazards
of
international
concern.

Objectives
By
2006,
reduce
the
risks
to
ecosystems
and
human
health,
particularly
in
tribal
and
other
subsistence­
based
communities,
from
persistent,
bioaccumulative
toxicants
(PBTs)
and
other
selected
toxins
which
circulate
in
the
environment
on
global
and
regional
scales.

Subobjectives
By
2006,
substantially
reduce
the
global
release
and
long­
range,
transboundary
movement
of
PBTs
and
other
selected
toxics
by
characterizing
baseline
conditions
and
transport
patterns,
negotiating
key
international
treaties
and
initiatives,
and
engaging
in
the
information
exchange
and
capacity
building
needed
to
facilitate
the
implementation
of
these
treaties
and
initiatives,
especially
in
key
identified
source
countries.
In
so
doing,
reduce
the
worldwide
use
of
lead
in
gasoline
to
below
1993
levels,
reduce
domestic
mercury
releases
to
the
air
and
water
from
human
activities
in
the
United
States
by
50
percent
from
1990
levels,
and
reduce
domestic
mercury
use
by
50
percent
from
1995
levels.

By
2006,
EPA
will
develop
and
standardize
chemical
testing
methods,
hazard
characterization,
exposure
characterization
(including
monitoring
instrumentation
and
methods),
risk
assessment,
and
good
laboratory
practices;
collect
release
data
through
use
of
pollution
release
and
transfer
registers;
and
share
the
technical
and
financial
burden
of
testing
and
assessing
specific
chemicals.
