Cal/EPA Strategic Vision July 2000

Strategic Objectives

Healthy food	Clean air
Sound Science	Recycled content material
Brownfields Cleanup	Clean water

Following are the key objectives associated with each goal of Cal/EPA’s Strategic Vision. These objectives form the primary focus of the Agency’s boards, departments, and office strategic plans and program strategies.

GOAL 1 Air that is healthy to breathe, sustains and improves our ecosystems, and preserves natural and cultural resources.

Objectives:

• Meet the federal and State standards for all criteria pollutants by the required deadlines.
• Maintain air quality in the areas already meeting health standards.
• Identify and reduce emissions and public health risk of non-criteria toxic pollutants.
• Reduce air pollution loading to land and water.
• Reduce emissions of greenhouse gases.
• Reduce ozone depleting gases.
• Reduce the public health risk of indoor air pollution.
• Reduce regional haze to improve visibility.

GOAL 2 Rivers, lakes, estuaries, and marine waters that are fishable, swimmable, support healthy ecosystems and other beneficial uses.

Objectives:

• Restore impaired surface waters to standards that protect the public health and environment.
• Maintain and restore all beneficial uses of water.
• Eliminate or reduce and control adverse public health and environmental impacts associated with the use of toxic and non-toxic pollutants in surface waters.
• Maintain and restore sediment and water quality such that fish and shellfish are safe to consume.
• Restore and maintain inland riparian corridors and associated buffers for water quality, biological health, wildlife habitat, flood control, public safety, and bank stability.
• Restore and maintain the functional integrity of the marine and estuarine systems for water quality, biological health, wildlife habitat, storm protection, public safety and shoreline stability.

GOAL 3 Groundwater that is safe for drinking and other beneficial uses.

Objectives:

• Eliminate or reduce and control adverse public health and environmental impacts associated with the use of toxic and non-toxic pollutants in groundwater.
• Restore impaired groundwater to standards that protect the public health and environment.
• Prevent subsidence of groundwater aquifers.
• Prevent seawater intrusion of groundwater aquifers.
• Protect groundwater aquifers from pollution at well-head and water recharge areas.

GOAL 4 Communities that are free from unacceptable human health and ecological risks due to exposure from hazardous substances and other potential harmful agents.

Objectives:

• Reduce the use of persistent bioaccumulative toxic chemicals.
• Reduce hazardous waste generation.
• Reduce solid wastes.
• Minimize and assure safe land disposal of solid and hazardous wastes.
• Minimize the risk to public health and the environment from contaminated sites.
• Minimize the public health and environment impacts of industrial facilities and chemical releases.
• Ensure that hazardous materials handlers and facilities are in full compliance with all operating standards.
• Ensure that inactive solid and hazardous waste facilities are safely closed and maintained.

GOAL 5 Reduce or eliminate the disproportionate impacts of pollution on low-income and minority populations.

Objectives:

• Minimize the public health and environmental impacts of existing facilities.
• Assist the Governor’s Office of Planning and Research and local land use agencies in developing model land use ordinances which address siting of future hazardous materials, waste, transportation or handling facilities and activities.
• Reduce the impacts of pollution from existing hazardous materials, waste, transportation and handling facilities or activities.
• Assist the Department of Education in developing model school siting policies to avoid exposing children to pollution.

GOAL 6 Ensure the efficient use of natural resources.

Objectives:

• Increase the use of reclaimed water.
• Ensure a fair and stable allocation of the state’s surface water resources.
• Increase the role of water markets and the water transfer process in the allocation of water.
• Effectuate reduction, reuse, and recycling of raw materials.
• Increase conservation of water.
• Decrease the use of energy and increase the proportion of renewable energy.
• Maximize the redevelopment and productive use of brownfields.

GOAL 7 Continuous improvement and application of science and technology.

Objectives:

• Promote the development, commercialization and use of effective environmental techniques and technologies.
• Ensure all actions taken under California’s environmental protection programs are based on sound science.
• Establish consistent agency-wide risk assessment and risk management protocols using objective, scientific evaluations.
• Ensure environmental impacts for all media are considered in environ-mental policy and management decisions.
• Identify and assess the health and environmental risks associated with high-volume chemicals.
• Recruit and retain qualified scientists.

GOAL 8 An efficient and effective Cal/EPA in pursuit of its mission.

Objectives:

Lead by Example

• Promote a "green" Cal/EPA.
• Lead the effort to "green" California State government.
• Ensure the California Environmental Quality Act is appropriately utilized in making project decisions.
• Engage the public and business community in taking personal and corporate responsibility for environmental improvement through education and outreach.
• Coordinate agency programs for children’s health.
• Increase cross-border and tribal environmental initiatives and programs.

Innovation

• Create a Plan for a Sustainable California.
• Promote the implementation of Environmental Management Systems.
• Promote integrated permitting, inspection and enforcement programs.
• Develop and use meaningful environmental and performance indicators.
• Create an Internet-based, agency-wide, integrated information management system that is accessible to the public.

Management

• Expand and improve cross-media communications, collaboration, and training.
• Establish agency-wide enforcement policy, standards and reporting.
• Coordinate emergency response roles and responsibilities, and provide adequate funding.
• Conduct continuous evaluations of program effectiveness.

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