Message to EPA Employees - Our Commitment to Ethics June 2, 2022

Dear Colleagues,

One of my first actions upon being sworn in as Administrator was to sign President Biden’s ethics pledge. I am proud to take on this ethics commitment, in addition to my legal obligations under ethics statutes and the Hatch Act.  Not only is it the right thing to do, following these requirements helps protect the integrity of EPA programs and helps ensure the public, our stakeholders and regulated entities have confidence in our actions.

I want to remind all of us at EPA about the importance of keeping ethics at the forefront and meeting our ethics and Hatch Act requirements, including performing our duties with impartiality. Together, we establish a culture where we model sound ethical conduct by incorporating ethics in all our decision-making. This includes timely completion of new employee and annual ethics trainings and meeting financial disclosure reporting obligations, especially as these reports help identity and address potential conflicts of interest before they have any adverse effect. Our headquarters and regional ethics officials are available to assist us in navigating our ethics responsibilities and I encourage you to consult with them early and often. To contact your ethics officials and for more information on requirements, see these available ethics resources.

Thank you for your unwavering commitment to the mission of protecting human health and the environment while upholding high ethical standards. I look forward to working with you to meet and exceed these obligations and maintain a culture of the highest ethical conduct.

Michael S. Regan
Administrator