EPA Sector Initiative

Sector Strategies Program

The Environmental Protection Agency's Sector Strategies program seeks industry-wide environmental gains through innovative actions. The Office of Policy, Economics and Innovation (OPEI) works with partnering associations, EPA regions, states, and other groups to find sensible solutions to sector specific problems.  

On May 1, 2003, Colleges and Universities was selected as a partner in EPA's Sector Strategies Program. This partnership is an exciting opportunity for colleges and universities to work together with EPA to achieve sector-wide environmental gains through innovative actions. NACUBO is working together with the American Council on Education (ACE), APPA: the Association of Higher Education Facilities Officers, the Campus Consortium for Environmental Excellence (C2E2), the Campus Safety Health and Environmental Management Association (CSHEMA) and Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) to develop sector-specific approaches to assist colleges and universities advance the use of environmental management systems, reduce regulatory performance barriers, and measure environmental progress.

To learn more about EPA's Sector Strategy Program for Colleges and Universities, visit the EPA Web site.

News from the Sector

Sector Sends Letter to College Presidents

December 12, 2004 -- The College and University Sector sent a letter to presidents at all institutions encouraging them to review their institution's role in promoting excellence in environmental stewardship as an intergrap part of its broad mission of teaching, research, and service. The letter specifically encourages consideration of developing an Environmental Management System, or EMS. An EMS can integrate compliance, education, and resarch and promote individual environmental responsibility. To learn more about developing an EMS at all types of campuses, visit the CampusEMS website.

Sector Strategies Performance Report

October 1, 2004 -- A new Environmental Protection Agency report establishes a performance baseline for tracking future environmental progress in a number of key industrial and service sectors. The report from EPA’s Sector Strategies Program marks the first time that the Agency has assembled available data in this format, as a way to help the public better understand the environmental progress that is being made in a given sector.

Proposed Regulatory Language and FAQ

October 1, 2004 -- In response to the 2003 U.S. EPA Office of Solid Waste (OSW) Laboratory Initiative, the Colleges and Universities (C&U) Sector Coordinating Committee (CC) is proposing specific regulatory language changes to the OSW.  The purpose of the proposed regulatory language is to address the difficulties colleges and universities continue to experience in applying the industrial-oriented RCRA regulations of hazardous wastes generated on their campuses. To learn more about the Coordinating Committee's proposed regulatory proposal, and to obtain a copy of the proposed regulatory language, see the Frequently Asked Questions. 

March 18, 2004 -- The EPA Sector Update describes Sector activities in the last few months, particularly in regards to the  three Work Groups: Performance Measurement, EMS, and Regulatory Innovation.