Environmental Protection Agency Region 4

Environmental Protection Agency Region 4
Agency name	Environmental Protection Agency Region 4
Formed	1970
Jurisdiction	Alabama; Florida; Georgia; Kentucky; Mississippi; North Carolina; South Carolina; Tennessee; six Caribbean territories
Headquarters	Atlanta, Georgia
Parent agency	Environmental Protection Agency

Contents

Environmental Protection Agency Region 4 is the southeastern regional office of the Environmental Protection Agency, headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia. The office administers Clean Air Act and Clean Water Act programs across states including Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee, as well as territories in the U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico. Region 4 works with federal partners such as the Department of Justice, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and the Federal Emergency Management Agency to implement federal environmental statutes and policies.

Overview

Region 4 oversees implementation of statutes like the Safe Drinking Water Act, the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act, and the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act across a geographic area that includes major metropolitan centers such as Atlanta, Miami, Charlotte, North Carolina, and Nashville, Tennessee. The region addresses environmental challenges tied to coastal systems like the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Ocean seaboard, as well as inland waters such as the Tennessee River and the Apalachicola River. Region 4 engages with national programs including National Ambient Air Quality Standards, Total Maximum Daily Load planning, and the Brownfields Program.

Region 4’s jurisdiction spans nine states and multiple territories, coordinating with state agencies such as the Georgia Environmental Protection Division, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, the Alabama Department of Environmental Management, and the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality. The regional office is organized into program offices that align with national offices like the Office of Air and Radiation, the Office of Water, the Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance, and the Office of Land and Emergency Management. Regional leadership liaises with the White House and congressional delegations from districts represented by members of the United States House of Representatives and the United States Senate to advance regional priorities.

Region 4 administers initiatives such as state implementation plans under the Clean Air Act, coastal resilience projects supported by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Coastal Services Center, and watershed restoration efforts tied to the Chattahoochee River and the Savannah River. The region implements pollution prevention programs informed by standards from the American Society of Civil Engineers and collaborates on climate-related planning with the Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate & Energy. Region 4 manages grant programs including Brownfields Program grants, Diesel Emissions Reduction Act funding, and Underserved Communities outreach tied to the Environmental Justice Executive Order. Collaborative projects have involved partners like the Southeastern Power Administration, the Tennessee Valley Authority, and the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council.

Region 4 enforces federal statutes through administrative orders, civil litigation coordination with the Department of Justice, and compliance assurance actions involving entities such as industrial facilities regulated under New Source Review and municipal systems subject to National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permits. High-profile enforcement matters in the region have intersected with litigation precedents set in courts like the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit and the United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida. The region works with state attorneys general offices, for example the Georgia Attorney General and the Florida Attorney General, to pursue injunctive relief and penalties under federal law.

Region 4 coordinates oil spill response under frameworks informed by the Oil Pollution Act of 1990 and works with the National Response Team and the United States Coast Guard during incidents affecting the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea. The office plays a role in recovery from hurricanes such as Hurricane Katrina, Hurricane Michael, and Hurricane Maria through debris management, Superfund site stabilization under the Superfund program, and drinking water protection in territories including Puerto Rico. Region 4 partners with the Federal Emergency Management Agency on disaster response planning and with the American Red Cross and local emergency management agencies in affected municipalities like New Orleans and San Juan, Puerto Rico.

Region 4 engages with academic institutions such as the University of Georgia, University of Florida, Duke University, and Emory University on research, monitoring, and technical assistance. The regional office collaborates with non-governmental organizations including the Sierra Club, the Audubon Society, and the Nature Conservancy on conservation and outreach initiatives. Community engagement includes work with tribal entities, historically Black colleges and universities like Howard University partners in regional projects, and municipal governments from Savannah, Georgia to Tallahassee, Florida. Public participation processes draw stakeholders from industry groups like the Chamber of Commerce and labor organizations such as the United Steelworkers.