The EPA of the Future: The Project

The Project:
Looking Decades Ahead, Stimulating Public Dialogue

Over a span of nearly five decades the environment and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency have evolved significantly. The environment has improved in important ways and new challenges have emerged. EPA has become an enormously consequential institution, often leading the world in promoting environmental progress. As EPA’s 50^th anniversary approaches in 2020, the country can celebrate much progress. It is also a very appropriate time to consider the challenges of the future.

This project looks decades ahead from EPA’s 50^th anniversary -- past today’s contentious issues, past EPA’s current capacity and strengths/weaknesses, past incremental changes and past the current legislative framework -- to a future time in which we hope that many points of view can come together around a shared vision for the environment. The history of EPA shows that the agency has always been changing. How it changes in the future is important. The environment affects everyone, meaning that it is a shared interest, not a special interest. If we look sufficiently ahead it should be possible to articulate widely shared interests in future directions for environmental progress and EPA’s role and thereby contribute to public dialogue.

The project is being conducted by the American University's Center for Environmental Policy in partnership with the EPA Alumni Association. These groups are working together to tap the vast experience and expertise of the Association’s 1700+ members, especially on what works and what doesn’t.

After brainstorming with several groups of alumni, the Board of the EPA Alumni Association established a project committee to direct the Association’s work on this project with American University.

The project includes:

• Five Focus Groups and Their Reports: A Rich Set of Ideas
• Survey of EPA Alumni Association Members:
• Conference on Future Directions for Environmental Progress and EPA’s Role: April 2019