United States Environmental Protection Agency - Region 9

EPA’s Pacific Southwest Office of Regional Counsel (ORC) provides legal advice to the Pacific Southwest regional office, located in San Francisco, California. The Pacific Southwest region is one of 10 EPA regional offices and covers the states of California, Nevada, Arizona, Hawaii, the Pacific Islands, and over 140 Tribal Nations.

EPA has primary responsibility for implementing the nation’s environmental laws, including the Clean Air Act; the Clean Water Act; the Safe Drinking Water Act; the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act; the Toxic Substances Control Act; the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act; and the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act. ORC attorneys provide legal support to all levels of management on rules, regulations, policies, permits, grants, and oversight of state and tribal environmental programs under these laws. ORC attorneys, sometimes working with the Department of Justice, represent EPA in federal administrative, judicial, and criminal environmental enforcement matters. ORC attorneys also represent EPA in court challenges to agency actions (such as standards and permits) and appeals of enforcement cases.