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EPA Continues to Make Progress In Meeting Annual Performance Goals

Release Date: 11/16/2006
Contact Information: Enesta Jones, (202) 564-4355 / jones.enesta@epa.gov

(11/16/06) EPA has made improvements across-the-board in protecting the American public from environmental risks over the past year, according to the agency's annual Performance and Accountability Report. The report highlights the agency's accomplishments under its five strategic goals: Clean Air and Global Climate Change; Clean and Safe Water; Land Preservation and Restoration; Healthy Communities and Ecosystems; and Compliance and Environmental Stewardship.

For example, EPA:

• Exceeded its Superfund target by controlling site contamination at an additional 34 sites and the spread of groundwater contamination at 21 other sites.
• Leveraged more than $8.2 billion in private investment, more than 37,500 jobs, and more than 8,300 properties assessed for potential redevelopment by encouraging cleanup and redevelopment of America's abandoned and contaminated waste sites (brownfields).
• Prevented the discharge of 31 billion pounds of pollutants through its water quality permits issued under the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System.
• Produced more than 400,000 analyses of water, air, floodwater, and residual sediment samples, assessed more than 1,600 chemical facilities and refineries, and handled the disposal of more than 4 million containers of household hazardous waste to support recovery from hurricanes Katrina and Rita.
• Obtained commitments from industry, governments and other regulated entities to reduce pollution by nearly 900 million pounds.