U.S. EPA Administrator Michael Regan Reaffirms State-Federal Partnership and Landmark Agreement on Environmental Health
WASHINGTON (March 16, 2021) — Today, in one of his first public appearances as Administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Michael S. Regan reaffirmed the Agency’s commitment to working collaboratively and cooperatively with the states to protect public health and the environment. He delivered the keynote address to the Environmental Council of the States (ECOS) during the organization’s Spring Meeting. The event marked the start of a strong state-federal relationship under the new EPA leadership, highlighted by the extension of a formal Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) reaffirming a partnership between EPA, ECOS, and the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials (ASTHO) to advance cooperative initiatives in pursuit of environmental health.
“The strength of the federal-state relationship will determine whether we rise to meet the challenges of today and those that lie ahead. EPA is committed to building on the values of transparency, respect, and an open dialogue that are the cornerstone of a successful partnership with the states,” said Administrator Michael Regan. “This agreement will help ensure that we remain closely coordinated in supporting our underserved communities, protecting Americans from environmental hazard and harm, and developing solutions to our most pressing challenges. The partnership we reaffirm today serves a model for how to get things done.”
The ECOS Spring Meeting, held virtually this year because of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, is set to showcase how ECOS member agencies navigate environmental and public health challenges through strategic alliances, the creative use of technology, and the sharing of best practices for protecting air, water, and land.
Under the MOA, which extends the formal partnership between EPA, ECOS and ASTHO for five years, the partners agree to collaborate in developing tools, reports, workshops, meetings, communications pathways, and other initiatives that will leverage resources and advance a mutually shared mission of protecting the public’s health from environmental threats and hazards and advancing health and environmental equity for all Americans.
"ECOS values the relationships that we have built over the past five years with ASTHO and EPA as we have worked to address issues such as PFAS, lead, COVID-19, and wildfire smoke,” said ECOS President Patrick McDonnell, Secretary of the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection. “With this amendment, we look forward to another five years of working towards our shared interests in advancing environmental and health equity for all citizens."
“ASTHO is pleased to continue this important partnership, recognizing that our nation’s environmental policies have a direct impact on public health and equity. The collaboration supports ASTHO’s challenge to build healthy and resilient communities through a multiyear, national effort to promote community-led, place-based, cross-sector approaches to achieve better health. Working closely with our state and federal environmental allies is paramount to helping meet this challenge,” said Dr. Meredith Allen, Vice President, Health Security, ASTHO.
During the past five years, the MOA has served as a catalyst for EPA to work directly with environmental health experts in the states to identify emerging environmental challenges, strategically design projects aimed directly at those challenges, and deliver the tools, models, and other research results that state environmental and health agencies need to reduce risks and improve public health.