ENCYCLOPEDIA OF Espionage, Intelligence, and Security Volume ...

Epidemiologyand regulations to control the quality of the environment.The chief officer of the EPA is the administrator who isappointed by the president. EPA employs 18,000 peopleand operates 17 laboratories across the United States. Thecountry is divided into ten regions, each with its ownregional EPA office. The total annual budget for the EPA isnearly $8 billion.The EPA plays a leadership role in various aspects ofenvironmental science including research, education andenvironmental evaluation and assessment. EPA worksclosely with other federal, state and local agencies as wellas Native American tribal governments to develop environmentalprograms and regulations and to enforce existinglaws pertaining to air, water, and land quality andpurity. There are also a number of voluntary programsadministered by the EPA that go beyond laws and regulationsto encourage individuals and organizations to preventpollution and conserve energy.Research in environmental science is conducted directlyby laboratories within the EPA. In addition, EPAserves as a funding source and planning resource for stategovernments and researchers outside of the agency. Over$1 billion from the overall EPA budget goes to categoricalgrants to state and local governments. Grants are alsomade for the purposes of enforcement, response preparedness,information exchange networks, assistance withNative American environmental issues, and counterterrorism.Cleanup of existing toxic waste facilities remains oneof the largest and most difficult tasks for the EPA. Thenation’s biggest and most technically complex propertiesaffected by toxic waste are prioritized on the NationalPriorities List to reverse, minimize, or prevent environmentaldisasters related to toxic waste. These includeprivate and federal properties many of which have beenabandoned by their owners. The Superfund was createdto fund these complicated and expensive cleanup activities.EPA provides outreach and educational activities forcommunities surrounding the toxic waste sites to raiseawareness of risks, prevention and avoidance strategies,and to promote direct involvement in cleanup activities.EPA and the Federal Counter-Terrorism program. The EPAsupports the federal counter-terrorism program by helpingstate and local agencies plan for emergencies, trainingfirst responders, providing necessary resources in theevent of terrorist actions, and coordinating with key federalagencies. Three offices within the EPA participate inthe counter-terrorist Program: the Chemical EmergencyPreparedness and Prevention Office (CEPPO), the Office ofEmergency and Remedial Response (OERR), and the Officeof Air and Radiation (OAR).Following the World Trade Center terrorist attacks inSeptember, 2001, the EPA assumed responsibility for monitoringair and water purity at ground zero, provided decontaminationoperations for on-site workers, monitoredEncyclopedia of Espionage, Intelligence, and Securitykey pollutants at the Staten Island landfill site, and participatedin clean up of sidewalks, streets, and buildings in thesurrounding area.❚ FURTHER READING:BOOKS:Binns, Tristan Boyer. The Environmental Protection Agency.Woburn, MA: Heineman Publishers, 2002.ELECTRONIC:United States Environmental Protection Agency. “EPA’sRole and Authority in Counter Terrorism” ChemicalEmergency Preparedness and Prevention (February 15, 2003).———. “Protecting Human Health, Safeguarding the NaturalEnvironment” Home Page(February 15, 2003).SEE ALSOAir and Water Purification, Security IssuesChemical WarfareEmergency Response TeamsEnvironmental Issues Impact on SecurityFEMA (United States Federal Emergency ManagementAgency)Radiological Emergency Response Plan, United StatesFederalSeptember 11 Terrorist Attacks on the United StatesToxicologyToxinsWater Supply: Counter-TerrorismEpidemiology❚ ANTONIO FARINA/BRIAN D. HOYLEEpidemiology is the study of the various factors thatinfluence the occurrence, distribution, prevention, andcontrol of disease, injury, and other health-related eventsin a defined human population. By the application ofvarious analytical techniques including mathematical analysisof the data, the probable cause of an infectious outbreakcan be pinpointed. This connection between epidemiologyand infection makes microorganisms animportant facet of epidemiology, and gives epidemiologistsa vital link in emergency planning for public healthresponse to a biological attack.Molecular epidemiology has been used to trace thecause of bacterial, viral, and parasitic diseases. This knowledgeis valuable in developing a strategy to prevent furtheroutbreaks of the microbial illness, since the probablesource of a disease can be identified.411