Skip to main content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Here’s how you know

Dot gov

Official websites use .gov
A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.

HTTPS

Secure .gov websites use HTTPS
A lock (LockA locked padlock) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

    • Environmental Topics
    • Air
    • Bed Bugs
    • Chemicals and Toxics
    • Climate Change
    • Emergency Response
    • Environmental Information by Location
    • Environmental Justice
    • Greener Living
    • Health
    • Land, Waste, and Cleanup
    • Lead
    • Mold
    • Pesticides
    • Radon
    • Science Topics
    • Water Topics
    • A-Z Topic Index
    • Laws & Regulations
    • By Business Sector
    • By Topic
    • Compliance
    • Enforcement
    • Guidance
    • Laws and Executive Orders
    • Regulations
    • Report a Violation
    • Environmental Violations
    • Fraud, Waste or Abuse
    • About EPA
    • Our Mission and What We Do
    • EPA Administrator
    • Headquarters Offices
    • Regional Offices
    • Labs and Research Centers
    • Planning, Budget, and Results
    • Organization Chart
    • EPA History
    • Staff Directory
Related Topics:
  • Web Policies and Procedures
Contact Us

Plain Writing Act: 2016 Annual Report

I. Senior Agency Official for Plain Writing

Eric E. Wachter
Director
Office of the Executive Secretariat
wachter.eric@epa.gov
(202) 564-7960

II. Training

  1. EPA has an online training for all employees who produce documents for the public and for any employee who would like to be trained in plain writing.

  2. The EPA’s Leadership Development Institute annually holds agencywide plain-writing courses. The course is designed for employees at all levels of the agency. Participants engage in exercises to improve their written communication, decrease muddy language and slang, and eliminate information clutter. This exercise-based workshop focuses on setting quality writing standards with an overall objective to increase productivity, identify problem areas, improve clarity of message and enhance one’s ability to share information to a broad audience.

III. Ongoing compliance/sustaining change

  1. The national-program and regional offices have designated officials for plain writing who work in collaboration with the senior official. See appendix for a list of the designated officials.

  2. With institutional knowledge of the unique processes and various documents produced in their offices, these designated officials have implemented processes for ongoing compliance.

  3. These processes include communications officials’ approval of documents; multi-level managerial review for plain writing; designating plain-writing coordinators in individual offices; and refresher training courses.

  4. Offices continue to follow plain-writing procedures to satisfy the executive order and administrative orders that predate the Plain Writing Act.

IV. Agency's plain-writing website

  1. The EPA’s plain-writing website is www.epa.gov/home/plain-writing.

  2. The site is linked from epa.gov/data.

Appendix: EPA Plain Writing Designated Officials

Office of Administration and Resource Management

  • Joanne Oxley

Office of the Administrator

  • Eric Wachter

Office of Air and Radiation

  • Wanda Farrar

Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance

  • Keith Bartlett

Office of Environmental Information

  • Jonda Byrd

Office of the Chief Financial Officer

  • Gene Pontillo

Office of the General Counsel

  • Aditi Prabhu

Office of the Inspector General

  • vacant

Office of International and Tribal Affairs

  • Chris Hoff

Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention

  • vacant

Office of Research and Development

  • Dayna Gibbons

Office of Land and Emergency Management (formerly "Office of Solid Waste and Emergency Response")

  • Nancy Cohen

Office of Water

  • Travis Loop

Region 1

  • Nancy Grantham

Region 2

  • Michael McGowan

Region 3

  • Terry White

Region 4

  • Bryan Myers

Region 5

  • John Peterson

Region 6

  • David Gray

Region 7

  • vacant

Region 8

  • Wendy Dew

Region 9

  • Kelly Zito

Region 10

  • Charles Bert

Related Information

  • Plain Writing at the EPA
  • 2022 Annual Report
  • 2021 Annual Report
  • 2016 Annual Report
  • 2015 Annual Report
  • 2014 Annual Report
  • 2013 Annual Report
  • 2012 Annual Report
  • Initial Report
Contact Us to ask a question, provide feedback, or report a problem.
Last updated on May 5, 2021
United States Environmental Protection Agency

Discover.

  • Accessibility Statement
  • Budget & Performance
  • Contracting
  • EPA www Web Snapshot
  • Grants
  • No FEAR Act Data
  • Plain Writing
  • Privacy
  • Privacy and Security Notice

Connect.

  • Data.gov
  • Inspector General
  • Jobs
  • Newsroom
  • Open Government
  • Regulations.gov
  • Subscribe
  • USA.gov
  • White House

Ask.

  • Contact EPA
  • EPA Disclaimers
  • Hotlines
  • FOIA Requests
  • Frequent Questions

Follow.