The Assistant Administrator serves as the principal adviser to the Administrator in matters pertaining to assessment and regulation of pesticides and toxic substances and is responsible for managing the Agency's pesticides and toxic substances programs under the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA); the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act; the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA); and for promoting coordination of all Agency programs engaged in toxic substances activities. The Assistant Administrator has responsibility for establishing Agency strategies for implementation and integration of the pesticides and the toxic substances programs under applicable Federal statutes; developing and operating Agency programs and policies for assessment and control of pesticides and toxic substances; developing recommendations for Agency priorities for research, monitoring, regulatory, and information-gathering activities relating to pesticides and toxic substances; developing scientific, technical, economic, and social data bases for the conduct of hazard assessments and evaluations in support of toxic substances and pesticides activities; directing pesticides and toxic substances compliance programs; providing toxic substances and pesticides program guidance to EPA Regional Offices; and monitoring, evaluating, and assessing pesticides and toxic substances program operations in EPA Headquarters and Regional Offices.

(a) Office of Pesticide Programs. The Office of Pesticide Programs, under the management of a Director and Deputy Director are responsible to the Assistant Administrator for leadership of the overall pesticide activities of the Agency under the authority of the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act and several provisions of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, including the development of strategic plans for the control of the national environmental pesticide situation. Such plans are implemented by the Office of Pesticide Programs, other EPA components, other Federal agencies, or by State, local, and private sectors. The Office is also responsible for establishment of tolerance levels for pesticide residues which occur in or on food; registration and reregistration of pesticides; special review of pesticides suspected of posing unreasonable risks to human health or the environment; monitoring of pesticide residue levels in food, humans, and nontarget fish and wildlife; preparation of pesticide registration guidelines; development of standards for the registration and reregistration of pesticide products; provision of program policy direction to technical and manpower training activities in the pesticides area; development of research needs and monitoring requirements for the pesticide program and related areas; review of impact statements dealing with pesticides; and carrying out of assigned international activities.

(b) Office of Pollution Prevention and Toxics. The Office of Pollution Prevention and Toxics (OPPT), under the management of a Director and Deputy Director is responsible to the Assistant Administrator for those activities of the Agency mandated by the Toxic Substances Control Act. The Director is responsible for developing and operating Agency programs and policies for new and existing chemicals. In each of these areas, the Director is responsible for information collection and coordination; data development; health, environmental and economic assessment; and negotiated or regulatory control actions. The Director provides operational guidance to EPA Regional Offices, reviews and evaluates toxic substances activities at EPA Headquarters and Regional Offices; coordinates TSCA activities with other EPA offices and Federal and State agencies, and conducts the export notification required by TSCA and provides information to importers. The Director is responsible for developing policies and procedures for the coordination and integration of Agency and Federal activities concerning toxic substances. The Director is also responsible for coordinating communication with the in-dustrial community, environmental groups, and other interested parties on matters relating to the implementation of TSCA; providing technical support to international activities managed by the Office of International Activities; and managing the joint planning of toxic research and development under the auspices of the Pesticides/Toxic Substances Research Committee.

(c) Office of Compliance Monitoring. The Office of Compliance Monitoring, under the supervision of a Director, plans, directs, and coordinates the pesticides and toxic substances compliance programs of the Agency. More specifically, the Office provides a national pesticides and toxic substances compliance overview and program policy direction to the Regional Offices and the States, prepares guidance and policy on compliance issues, establishes compliance priorities, provides technical support for litigation activity, concurs on enforcement actions, maintains liaison with the National Enforcement Investigations Center, develops annual fiscal budgets for the national programs, and manages fiscal and personnel resources for the Headquarters programs. The Office directs and manages the Office of Prevention, Pesticides and Toxic Substances' laboratory data integrity program which conducts laboratory inspections and audits of testing data. The Office issues civil administrative complaints and other administrative orders in cases of first impression, overriding national significance, or violations by any entity located in more than one Region. The office coordinates with the Office of General Counsel and the Office of Enforcement and Compliance Monitoring in an attorney-client relationship, with those Offices providing legal support for informal and formal administrative resolutions of violations; for conducting litigation; for interpreting statutes, regulations and other legal precedents covering EPA's activities; and for advising program managers on the legal implications of alternative courses of action. The Office of Compliance Monitoring coordinates with the Office of Pesticide Programs in the conduct of pesticide enforcement compliance and registration programs under the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act and participates in decisions involving the cancellation or suspension of registration. The Office establishes policy and operating procedures for pesticide compliance activities including sampling programs, export certification, monitoring programs to assure compliance with experimental use permits, pesticide use restrictions, and recordkeeping requirements, and determines when and whether compliance actions are appropriate. The Office establishes policy and guidance for the State cooperative enforcement agreement program and the applicator training and certification program. The Office of Compliance Monitoring also coordinates with the Office of Pollution Prevention and Toxics in the conduct of regulatory and compliance programs under the Toxic Substances Control Act and participates in regulation development for TSCA. The Office participates in the control of imminent hazards under TSCA, inspects facilities subject to TSCA regulation as a part of investigations which are national in scope or which require specialized expertise, and samples and analyzes chemicals to determine compliance with TSCA. The Office coordinates and provides guidance to other TSCA compliance activities, including the State cooperative enforcement agreement program and the preparation of administrative suits.