Pima Association of Governments > Committees > Environment/EPAC

I. Mission Statement
To provide information to and coordinate among jurisdictional and other members, in order to advise the PAG Regional Council, Management Committee and Executive Director on regional environmental planning issues.

II. Historical Background and Stakeholders
In November 1970, Pima Association of Governments (PAG) was formed voluntarily as a non-profit corporation by the units of local government in Pima County. PAG was formed for a number of purposes, including providing a forum for studying regional problems, ensuring cooperation, pooling of resources, planning for solutions to regional problems, and facilitating agreements and adoption of common policies. PAG was designated as the lead agency in Pima County for Section 208 water quality planning in March 1974, for air quality planning in February 1978, and for solid waste planning in September 1978. US EPA regulations (40CFR25) were requiring citizen participation in all these programs.

The PAG Regional Council created the Environmental Planning Advisory Committee (EPAC) in September 1978, through a Memorandum of Agreement for Regional Environmental Planning among PAG and its member jurisdictions. The Regional Council’s adoption of the Section 208 Areawide Wastewater Management Plan in June 1978 prompted the creation of EPAC, which was formed, in part, to consolidate the various pre-existing advisory committees with the 208 advisory committee.

The Regional Council ratified EPAC’s membership in October 1978. It included senior officials or department heads from the local jurisdictions, and representatives of various public and economic interests. In response to subsequent EPA Citizen Participation regulations, the committee structure was changed in October 1979 with the addition of citizen representatives for each of the local jurisdictions. The committee structure has not changed significantly since that time, and the principal stakeholders continue to be the local jurisdictions; water, air quality, solid waste, and wastewater management agencies; water providers; local business, economic development, public interest, environmental, natural resources, and industry groups; and any citizens interested in representing their local governments in air quality and water quality planning.

III. EPAC’s Role

Informing

Inform the jurisdictions, members, attendees and the general public about environmental concerns and regional environmental issues.
Inform local jurisdictions and other members about changes in state and federal regulations to ensure regional compliance with environmental laws/regulations.
Inform local jurisdictions and other members about proposed and recently enacted legislation.
Inform local jurisdictions and other members about grants and other funding opportunities for, or changes to, environmental programs.
Provide a forum for state, federal and other jurisdictions and PAG to share and disseminate environmental program information and data.
Fulfill public participation requirements for Section 208 of the Clean Water Act.

Coordinating

Encourage uniformity in planning by providing a means to coordinate jurisdictions on environmental issues.
Provide a forum for inter-jurisdictional discussions to help the region anticipate environmental problem areas.
Provide an avenue for coordinated regional responses and recommendations based on review and analysis of local environmental issues or State and Federal legislation, rules and regulations.
Provide a forum for members to make and maintain contacts with other environmental professionals or concerned citizens.
Reduce duplication of efforts among jurisdictions through information sharing and issue resolution about environmental programs.

Advising

Provide a coordinated assessment of regional environmental issues and provide recommendations on these issues to PAG staff, Management Committee and Regional Council.
Review and make recommendations on regional environmental programs or plans, when appropriate.
Review and make recommendations on State and Federal environmental legislation, rules, regulations, and actions.
Provide supportive action for selected local initiatives and funding requests.
Review and make recommendations, at the request of jurisdiction representatives, on jurisdictional environmental plans.
Provide input on PAG’s Overall Work Program for its Environmental Planning Division.

IV. EPAC’s Mandate
Provide recommendations on environmental issues to PAG’s Regional Council, Management Committee, and Executive Director.

Required Recommendations

Clean Water Act Section 208 areawide water quality management plan updates and amendments. {40CFR §25.7; Environmental Planning MOA 5/26/99}
Nonattainment area plans and maintenance plans under the Clean Air Act including air quality contingency measures, as required by the Carbon Monoxide Limited Maintenance Plan amendments. {Air Quality MOA 2000}.
Clean Air Act conformity determination on the regional transportation plan and the transportation improvement program {Air Quality MOA 2000}.
PAG’s annual budget and overall work program amendments. {Environmental Planning MOA 5/26/99}.

Requested Recommendations

Local environmental ordinances, codes, plans, policies, projects and programs as requested by the sponsoring organization.
Technical environmental studies.
Grant applications by local organizations.
State and federal legislative and rulemaking proposals.

V. EPAC’s Implementation Strategy

Responsiveness to the Regional Council

Seek confirmation of EPAC’s direction from the Regional Council through the annual submission of a proposed strategic plan of operations.
Accommodate Regional Council’s requests for advice, or other input, on regional issues that are within the purview of PAG’s environmental program areas.
Identify and list environmental priority issues facing the PAG region and submit the list to Management Committee and Regional Council as an addendum to the strategic plan.

Informing on Priority Issues

Host presentations on environmental topics that pertain to EPAC’s mandated tasks or PAG’s environmental program areas.
Distribute announcement lists and meeting minutes to members and stakeholders.
Utilize subcommittees to identify priority issues.

Coordinating on Priority Issues

Maintain a standing agenda item to allow jurisdictional representatives to provide updates and to solicit input from citizen representatives and interest groups.
Select and focus on topics that would benefit from regional action.
Select and focus on topics that provide the best possibilities for consensus-based action by EPAC.
Facilitate discussions on topics where local consensus is lacking and identify areas of agreement.
Solicit input from EPAC’s subcommittees, which provide an added opportunity for members to work cooperatively.

Advising on Priority Issues

Develop letters of recommendation and transmit them to Management Committee and Regional Council.
If time constraints prohibit Management Committee or Regional Council review, EPAC’s positions may be transmitted to PAG’s Executive Director for action.
Apprise the Regional Council and Management Committee of topics that might necessitate future regional action.

Ensuring Mission Success

Focus on the tasks for which EPAC has authority, and on the issues that are a high priority for PAG’s member jurisdictions, and are most likely to benefit from regional action.
Review and propose updates as needed to EPAC’s governing documents in order to ensure they are consistent with each other and with the needs of the Regional Council.
Maintain PAG’s commitment of staff and resources to EPAC operations by ensuring that these resources be included as a work element in PAG’s Overall Work Program.
Request jurisdictional staff to regularly attend EPAC meetings and to bring the necessary authority and background to participate and vote at the meetings.
Review meeting attendance and report results annually to comply with EPA-mandated public participation requirements and to have recommendations reflect regional views.