About the Office of Policy and Regulatory Management
What We Do
The Office of Policy and Regulatory Management is responsible for:
- Supporting the Agency’s mission by complementing the day-to-day work of the Agency and suggesting new environmental frontiers through its governance responsibilities and through its participation in, and management of, the regulatory process.
- Serving as the focal point for regulatory analyses, policy development, and economic analyses necessary to support EPA’s regulatory development process and changes in today’s business conditions.
- Managing the regulatory development process and ensuring that the underlying policy analyses are sound.
- Strengthening the analytic foundation of the Agency’s decision-making processes and working with EPA’s Science Advisor to strengthen the integration of scientific and economic analyses.
- Helping EPA and others make the strategic policy and governance changes necessary to meet the Agency’s goals now and in the future.
- Serving as the focal point for Agency program evaluation policy, in concert with other Agency offices.
- Promoting change and Agency-wide integration of new practices that result in increased achievements in environmental protection.
- Participating in the development of Agency regulations and policies to ensure that decision processes are invested with high quality science and economic analysis and timely information, and that a range of well-conceived policy alternatives are available for senior management consideration.
- Managing the Agency’s regulation development and review process.
- Serving as the Agency's Regulatory Policy Officer, as such is involved at each stage of the regulatory process to foster the development of effective, innovative, and least burdensome regulations, and furthers the principles set forth in Executive Order 12866, "Regulatory Planning and Review".
- Serving as the Agency's Federalism Official, as such must include, for actions with federalism implications, a certification from the official to ensure compliance with Executive Order 13132, "Federalism," stating that the requirements of the order have been met in a meaningful and timely manner.
- Coordinating EPA’s review of all federal environmental impact statements prepared by other agencies under the National Environmental Policy Act. Ensures EPA’s internal compliance with NEPA. Leads and coordinates Agency-wide efforts to accelerate sound permitting decisions while protecting health and the environment.
- Serving as EPA’s Economics Advisor: ensuring that the Agency relies on sound economic science to support its activities and advises the Administrator on all economics issues as they relate to EPA policies, regulations, procedures, and decisions.
- Providing critical economic analyses to augment and support the Agency’s understanding of the financial and societal impacts of environmental policies and regulations. Conducts economic research that leads to the development of analytic tools used by Federal, State, and local governments.
- Providing procedural management and planning of Agency standards, regulations, guidelines, and information collection activities. Executes the Administrative Procedure Act and the Paperwork Reduction Act. Assures consideration of Regulatory Flexibility Act requirements in the Agency’s regulatory decisions. In particular, advocates for appropriate Small Business outreach and accommodation in EPA rulemaking and coordinates the Agency’s compliance with the Small Business Regulatory Fairness Act.
- The Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization Division is responsible for carrying out the policies and procedures that impact small or socioeconomic businesses during any direct contracting opportunities within EPA.
- Advancing small business considerations and perspectives during the EPA rule making process in support of EPA’s Section 213 Program of the Small Business Regulatory Enforcement Fairness Act (SBREFA), which is intended to support small businesses in accessing guidance, technical assistance, and advice regarding environmental regulations and compliance.
- Serving as the principal advisor to the Administrator in matters pertaining to policies and economics that promote approaches to protecting public health and the environment.
- Providing independent advice to the EPA Administrator on the technical bases for EPA’s National Ambient Air Quality Standards.
- Leading the Agency National Historic Preservation Act program.
- Coordinating the implementation of the Build America Buy America Act across 70+ programs at EPA and is the main liaison with OMB’s Made in America Office and BABA leads at other agencies.
- Serving as EPA’s Standard Executive: ensuring the Agency complies with the National Technology Transfer and Advancement Act and related policies so that Agency actions take private sector standards.
- Coordinating EPA’s mineral activities to support government efforts outlined in executive orders which have identified the need to improve the reliability of critical mineral and other mineral supply chains for economic and national security.
- Providing management support to the Deputy Administrator by staffing and organizing regularly scheduled meetings between the Agency’s senior political leadership and National Program Managers, Headquarters Programs, Regional Offices, and other meetings devoted to cross-cutting issues.
- Working to develop policies, regulations, standards, guidelines, models, tools, data, and spending priorities that support the Agency’s mission by fostering outcomes in the environment that protect environmental quality, and public health.
- Providing oversight and guidance on the Federal Advisory Committee Act and associated Agency activities.
- Coordinating communications functions in the Office, including comprehensive and integrated communications planning.
- Overseeing the implementation of all budgetary and extramural requirements, and the correspondence, personnel, and administrative responsibilities for the Office, in coordination with other AO Offices.
Leadership
Becky Keogh, Associate Administrator
Michael Hardy, Deputy Associate Administrator for Management and Federal Preservation Officer
Mallory Richardson, Senior Advisor
Claire Mullican, Senior Advisor
Please contact Angela Hackel, Chief of Staff, with questions at hackel.angela@epa.gov.
Organization
Federal Activities Division
- Email: Chumble.Prasad@epa.gov
Federal and Science Advisory Committee Division
- Email: Johnston.Khanna@epa.gov
National Center for Environmental Economics Division
- Email: Marten.Alex@epa.gov
Regulatory Policy and Management Division
- Email: Nickerson.William@epa.gov