Environmental Protection Agency Region 9

Environmental Protection Agency Region 9
Agency name	Environmental Protection Agency Region 9
Formed	1970
Jurisdiction	Western United States and Pacific Islands
Headquarters	San Francisco, California

Environmental Protection Agency Region 9 is the southwest regional office of the United States Environmental Protection Agency serving Arizona, California, Nevada, Hawaiʻi, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, the Territory of Guam, and six Pacific Island nations and jurisdictions. The office coordinates federal implementation of major statutes such as the Clean Air Act, the Clean Water Act, the Safe Drinking Water Act, and the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act while interacting with state agencies like the California Environmental Protection Agency, the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality, and the Nevada Division of Environmental Protection. Region 9 collaborates with tribal authorities including the Yuma Proving Ground-adjacent tribes and entities affiliated with the Native American Rights Fund and public stakeholders like the Sierra Club and the Natural Resources Defense Council.

Overview

Region 9 operates from a headquarters in San Francisco and regional offices in locations including Los Angeles, Phoenix, San Diego, and Honolulu, coordinating programs across continental states and Pacific territories such as Guam and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. It administers federal responsibilities under statutes like the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act, the Toxic Substances Control Act, and the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act, while interacting with federal partners including the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, and the National Park Service. Region 9 engages with academic institutions such as the University of California, Berkeley, the University of Arizona, and the University of Hawaiʻi on research concerning issues like air quality in Los Angeles Basin, water rights disputes involving the Colorado River Compact, and contamination at sites related to the Manhattan Project-era activities at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory.

Jurisdiction and Organizational Structure

Region 9’s jurisdiction covers multi-state and insular areas including California, Arizona, Nevada, Hawaiʻi, Guam, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, plus freely associated states such as the Federated States of Micronesia, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, and the Republic of Palau under compacts like the Compact of Free Association. The organizational structure comprises divisions for Air and Radiation regulation, Water Permits and Enforcement, Superfund remediation, and Tribal Affairs, working with entities such as the California Air Resources Board, the Nevada Division of Environmental Protection, and the Arizona State Mine Inspector. Leadership liaises with senators including members of committees such as the United States Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works and representatives involved in districts spanning Los Angeles County and Maricopa County.

Programs and Initiatives

Region 9 administers programs addressing air pollution via implementation of National Ambient Air Quality Standards and coordination with plans like the California State Implementation Plan and regional initiatives such as the South Coast Air Quality Management District programs. Water protection efforts involve approval of Total Maximum Daily Load plans, oversight of permits under the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System, and work on drinking water compliance tied to cases like Flint water crisis lessons adapted for small systems in the Marshall Islands. Hazardous waste and cleanup priorities include Superfund sites listed with ties to cases such as Chevron Refinery contamination and legacy military contamination at Naval Base San Diego and former Naval Air Station Alameda. Climate-related initiatives coordinate with programs like the State of California Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006 and federal efforts under the Presidential Climate Action Plan engaging partners including the United States Department of Energy and non-profits such as the Nature Conservancy.

Enforcement and Regulatory Actions

Region 9 enforces federal statutes through administrative orders, consent decrees, and civil penalties, pursuing actions against companies like petroleum refiners formerly operating at sites similar to ExxonMobil facilities and municipalities for violations of the Clean Water Act and the Clean Air Act. The office issues Notices of Violation and coordinates settlements alongside the United States Department of Justice and state attorney generals such as the California Attorney General in matters involving pesticide restrictions under the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act and hazardous waste mismanagement under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act. Enforcement actions have targeted fugitive dust in the Imperial Valley, wastewater discharges affecting the San Francisco Bay, and lead in drinking water affecting communities tied to tribal authorities represented by organizations such as the Native American Rights Fund.

Regional Environmental Challenges

Region 9 confronts challenges including chronic air pollution in the Los Angeles Basin, wildfire smoke events impacting Hawaiʻi and California, drought and water allocation crises influenced by the Colorado River Compact and Central Valley Project, and contamination from legacy military testing at sites like Enewetak Atoll and Bikini Atoll within the Marshall Islands. Coastal and marine issues involve coral reef degradation in Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands, harmful algal blooms affecting San Diego Bay, and sea level rise threats to low-lying atolls associated with the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change dialogues. The region also addresses environmental justice concerns raised by community groups such as the Environmental Justice Coalition for Water and cases involving industrial facilities in Richmond, California and Toxic Substances Control Act-related chemical exposures.

History and Notable Actions

Since its establishment following the creation of the United States Environmental Protection Agency in 1970, Region 9 has been active in major actions such as Superfund cleanups at sites connected to industrial actors like Kaiser Steel and military remediation at bases linked to the Department of Defense’s Formerly Used Defense Sites program. Notable actions include settlement agreements with utilities over Clean Air Act nonattainment in urban centers like Los Angeles, enforcement against municipal sewer systems implicated in Clean Water Act violations in the San Francisco Bay Area, and coordination of emergency responses to oil spills similar to incidents like the Exxon Valdez to protect coastal resources near Santa Barbara. Region 9’s collaborations with tribal governments, international partners under the Compact of Free Association, and state agencies have shaped policy responses to cross-jurisdictional challenges such as transboundary air pollution and transpacific marine debris.

Category:United States Environmental Protection Agency regional offices