Reproduced from the UnclassifiedlDecIassified Holdings of the National Archives I- I I vv-mv-I-wwn ENVIKUHMENIAL AGENCY I, . E0040 AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION . OF HEALTH. EDUCATION AND WELFARE. OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION DEPARTMENT OF LABOR 3, AB IIQTT MEMORANDUM SUBJECT: Interagency Cooperation 1th EPA Regional Administrators OSHA Regional Administrators CPSC Area Office Directors FDA Regional Food Drug Directors On July 22, 1977 we met to discuss commonalities among our respective legislative mandates protecting the people and the environment from the adverse effects of toxic and hazardous substances. We agreed that the recent joint effort of several agencies on chlorofluorocarbons and the forthcoming program to limit benzene exposure are steps in the right direction. We are currently determining the full extent of an: uresent inte:ag;ncy efforts as well as identifying new initiaLiVes to lessen the administrative burden on our agencies, on industry, an? on the public. There are many things we can do among the four agencies and the states to reform the regulatory process and to improve the protection of public health. We recognize that cooperative efforts among agencies often can be worked out in the field offices much more readily than in Washington. Moreover, we know that many of you have already been c00perating in several areas. For example, under one interagency agreement, inspectors for EPA and FDA currently exchange information? inspectors for the one agency report possible violations to the other agency. We are asking you now to upgra?e and expand your existing contacts with your counterparts in the other three agencies. For example, the information exchange of reported violations could be expanded to include possible OSHA ani CPSC violations, so that inspectors from all fOUr agencies would routinely exchange information about suspected violations. On this and on any other initiatives, we exoect you to move from communication to action; and we expect you to begin immedi? ately. You are directed to contact your counterparts and prepare a common action plan for us in 30 days. The plan should include creative and iuaginative initiatives you prepose to undertake together in the next Reproduced from the Unclassified Declassi?ed Holdings of the National Archives 2 a year. Your action plan should consider sharing facilities, laboratories, computers, vehicles, libraries, and other resources. Consider increasing your cooperation in compliance and enforcement. Also, consider alternative ways to reduce the bunden on the regulated industries. We expect in all of your initiatives to see examples of cost savings that will result from your joint programs without reducing the effectiveness of our activities to protect public health. It's results that count. Be bold. If it is at all possible, your work plan should be agreed upon by the field representatives of all four agencies before it is submitted to us. Since CPSC does not share common geographic boundaries for their field operations with the other agencies you will have to be especially creative in coming to a working agreement with your counterparts. We are also establishing work groups to examine common: standards and guidelines for testing and epidemiology risk and safety assessment information sharing regulation development compliance/enforcement research planning communication with the public. 0000000 Each or these work groups, Which has our fullest suppoit, is enqudj wiLn .building a strategy to implement one of these initiatives. We will be seeking your input to these work groups as soon as they are fully organized. We expect each of you to give this matter your immediate personal attention. Action plans should be submitted to your respective agency heads. ohn Byingtoh, Chairman oasis. .8. Consumer Products Safety U.S. vironmental Protection Commission (agency tr I - 5 k~?~49r Donald Kennedy, Commissigher Eula Bingham, Assistant SEEretary Food and Drug Administration of Labor, Occupational Safety and Health Administration