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| EPA Region 6 | |
|---|---|
| Name | Environmental Protection Agency Region 6 |
| Formed | 1970 |
| Headquarters | Dallas, Texas |
| Chief1 name | Regional Administrator |
| Chief1 position | Regional Administrator |
| Parent agency | United States Environmental Protection Agency |
EPA Region 6
EPA Region 6 is one of ten regional offices of the United States Environmental Protection Agency created to implement federal Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act, and Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act programs across a multi-state area. Serving a diverse territory that includes major metropolitan centers, strategic industrial hubs, and extensive rangeland, the region coordinates with federal partners such as the Department of the Interior, state environmental agencies including the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality and the Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality, tribal governments like the Jicarilla Apache Nation, and local stakeholders including the City of Dallas and the Port of Houston Authority.
Region 6 administers environmental protection activities tailored to the biophysical and socio-economic conditions of the southern United States and adjacent coastal waters. Responsibilities include permitting under the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System, oversight of hazardous waste under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act, and enforcement of the Safe Drinking Water Act. The region interacts with national programs at EPA headquarters in Washington, D.C. and with federal land managers such as the National Park Service at sites like Big Bend National Park and the Palo Duro Canyon State Park.
Region 6’s primary jurisdiction covers the states of Texas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Arkansas, along with thirty-three federally recognized tribes including the Navajo Nation and the Apache Nation. The region also engages with coastal waters of the Gulf of Mexico and ports such as the Port of New Orleans and the Port of Corpus Christi. Interstate coordination occurs with entities like the Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Council and the Interstate Oil and Gas Compact Commission.
The regional office is led by a Regional Administrator appointed by the President of the United States and confirmed by the United States Senate. Divisions within the region include Air, Water, Waste, Superfund, Enforcement, and Regional Counsel, which collaborate with program offices in Washington and with state counterparts such as the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality and the Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality. Leadership has historically included figures who previously worked at agencies like the Environmental Defense Fund and academic institutions such as the University of Texas at Austin and Tulane University.
Region 6 implements national initiatives adapted locally, including the National Clean Diesel Campaign, Brownfields Program, and the Environmental Justice initiatives emerging from the Executive Order 12898. The region administers grant programs tied to the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund and the Clean Water State Revolving Fund, partnering with municipal water utilities like the San Antonio Water System and industrial operators including ExxonMobil and Shell Oil Company refineries. Collaborative projects include watershed protection efforts in the Mississippi River Basin and coastal resilience planning with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the United States Army Corps of Engineers.
Major environmental issues in the region encompass air quality challenges in metropolitan areas such as Houston and Dallas–Fort Worth, hypoxia and algal blooms in the Gulf of Mexico, oil and gas-related contamination in the Permian Basin near Midland, Texas, and legacy contamination at Superfund sites like Tar Creek Superfund Site and the Weeks Island Salt Dome. Significant projects include remediation at the Ship Channel, habitat restoration on the Chenier Plain, and urban brownfield redevelopment in cities such as Little Rock and Baton Rouge. The region also addresses cross-border environmental concerns involving the Rio Grande and international coordination with Mexico under agreements with the International Boundary and Water Commission.
Region 6 enforces federal statutes through administrative orders, civil penalties, and consent decrees involving entities such as petrochemical facilities in the Chemical Corridor and utilities like Entergy Corporation. Enforcement actions have involved violations of New Source Review provisions under the Clean Air Act, breaches of NPDES permits at municipal wastewater plants such as those serving Lake Charles, and hazardous waste mismanagement cases under RCRA. The region litigates in coordination with the United States Department of Justice and works with state attorneys general offices in multistate settlements.
Since its establishment in 1970, the region has overseen landmark responses and programs including Superfund cleanups at sites like Huggins Hospital-era contamination, response to oil spills such as the Deepwater Horizon oil spill (in coordination with BP and federal partners), and recovery efforts after natural disasters including Hurricane Katrina and Hurricane Harvey. Milestones include expansion of the Brownfields Program in urban centers, implementation of cross-border water quality programs with Comisión Internacional de Límites y Aguas counterparts, and advancements in emissions monitoring technologies adopted from collaborations with universities including Rice University and Louisiana State University.
Category:United States Environmental Protection Agency regional offices