The EPA directs environmental science, research, education, and assessment efforts in the United States.

(1) Regulation development and Enforcement: EPA develops and enforces regulations in accordance with environmental laws enacted by Congress. The EPA is responsible for researching and developing national standards for various environmental programs and delegating responsibility to state governments and Native American tribes for licensing, monitoring, and enforcement. If national standards are not met, EPA can sanction or take other measures to assist state governments and Native American tribes in meeting environmental quality requirements.

(2) Providing financial assistance: In recent days, the EPA has spent 40 to 50 percent of its Congressionally approved budget directly funding state environmental programs by applying for funds. Epa provides funds to state governments, nonprofit agencies, and educational institutions to support high-quality research, enhance the scientific basis for national environmental decision-making, and help achieve EPA's goals.

The EPA provides research funding and graduate scholarships. Epa supports environmental education programs to increase public awareness, knowledge, and skills to make the best decisions affecting environmental quality. Epa also provides information on environmental financing services and programs to state and local governments and small businesses. Epa also provides other financial assistance through a number of programs: the State Drinking Water Revolving Fund, the State Clean Water Revolving Fund, and Brown Land Cleanup and Reuse.

(3) Conducting environmental research: With research laboratories located throughout the country, EPA is committed to assessing the state of the environment in order to identify, understand, and address current and future environmental problems; Integrating the research results of scientific partners, including state institutions, private organizations, academia, and others; Lead the identification of emerging environmental issues and improve the technical level of risk assessment and risk management.

(4) Sponsoring voluntary partners and programs: Through its headquarters and field offices, EPA works with more than 10,000 factories, businesses, nonprofits, and state and local governments on more than 40 voluntary pollution prevention programs and energy conservation efforts. The partners have set voluntary pollution management targets, such as water and energy conservation, greenhouse gas reduction, significant reductions in toxic emissions, solid waste reuse, indoor air pollution control, and pesticide risk control. The EPA returns the favor with incentives, such as a voluntary partner for important public recognition projects and access to up-to-date data.

(5) Strengthening environmental education: The Ministry of Environmental Protection strives to develop education to foster public awareness and responsibility for environmental protection, and to inspire individuals to develop a sense of responsibility for protecting the environment.