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For over 30 years, EPA and its partners have made great progress toward a cleaner, healthier environment for the American people. Following the terrorist events of September 11, 2001, EPA's mission expanded beyond safeguarding the natural environment (i.e., air, water, and land) from traditional sources of pollution. On September 24, 2002, EPA announced the formation of the National Homeland Security Research Center (NHSRC) to research answers to science questions related to homeland security.
With the nation under continuing threat from those who seek to harm it, EPA now also has the important responsibility of protecting human health and the environment from the effects of terrorist acts. EPA is the lead federal agency in charge of preparing the water sector for terrorist attacks and the lead agency for decontaminating indoor and outdoor areas following an attack. These areas include buildings, large public spaces such as airports, and wide outdoor areas such as stadiums. Terrorist acts may involve biological, chemical, and radiological agents not previously encountered as environmental pollutants. A thorough understanding of the nature of these agents and their effects on human health is needed. EPA's expanded role is to provide the critical scientific research necessary to ensure national security in consideration of these new threats.
Recent major disasters such as the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in 2010, Hurricane Sandy in 2012, and the Oklahoma tornados in 2013 have shown the need to prepare for and recover from all types of hazards. The all hazards approach provides a framework for dealing with incidents, regardless of their cause or the type of contamination.
All emergencies share certain features in common. However, incidents that involve the release or potential release of hazardous chemicals, microbial pathogens, or radiological materials contribute additional complexities to disaster scenarios, requiring specialized expertise during all phases of response and recovery.
As part of an all hazards approach, EPA and partner agencies work to foster resilience in communities with training and technical assistance for community-based organizations responsible for response and recovery. The goal is to develop strategies that minimize the risk of hazards and strengthen the ability to withstand and recover from future disasters.
Learn more about homeland security research at EPA
Brownfield sites are abandoned, idled, or under-used industrial and commercial facilities where expansion or redevelopment is complicated by real or perceived environmental contamination.

The goal of this program is to support environmental education (EE) projects which enhance the public's awareness, knowledge, and skills to make informed and responsible decisions that affect environmental quality.

The purpose of the Environmental Justice Grant Program is for EPA to provide financial assistance to support community-based organizations to collaborate and partner with other stakeholders (e.g., industry, government, academia, etc.) to develop and implement solutions that will significantly address environmental and/or public health issue(s) at the local level.

The Environmental Justice through Pollution Prevention (EJP2) grant program supports community-based groups across the nation develop collaborative approaches to achieve environmental justice through pollution prevention.

EPA’s National Center for Environmental Research (NCER) supports funding for high-quality research by the nation's leading scientists and engineers that will improve the scientific basis for decisions on national environmental issues. NCER supports leading edge extramural research in exposure, effects, risk assessment and risk management by managing funding competitions through the agency’s Science to Achieve Results (STAR), People, Prosperity and the Planet (P3), STAR and Greater Research Opportunities (GRO) Fellowships, and Small Business Innovative Research (SBIR) Programs.