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Environmental Management Division

NASA’s Environmental Management Division (EMD) provides leadership and guidance on environmental issues at NASA. As part of the Office of Strategic Infrastructure, EMD manages NASA programmatic and institutional requirements to advance environmental stewardship and sustainability. Additionally, EMD develops and disseminates policies for environmental planning, compliance, restoration, pollution prevention, energy and water conservation; as well as natural, cultural, and historic resource preservation. These policies enable compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA) and other federal regulations and executive orders.

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EMD Focus Areas and Capabilities

Close-up view of sea ice flows at 79 N from 500 feet from NASA's DC-8 Research aircraft. The dark features on the ice are melt ponds, and the dark areas of between the floes are open water of the Arctic Ocean.

Environmental Cleanup/Restoration

NASA's Environmental Compliance and Restoration (ECR) Program cleans up chemicals that have been released into the environment during past activities to ensure that human health is protected, natural resources are preserved, and the overall well-being of the environment be maintained. Funding is managed through the ECR Program within Construction and Environmental Compliance and Restoration Appropriations. ECR projects include both Restoration projects and Environmental Management Investment projects.

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Environmental Management Systems/Risk Management

Environmental Management Systems is an overall agency approach to managing environmental activities by focusing on improved environmental performance that complies with legislation and regulations.

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National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA)

NASA NEPA Program seeks to avoid, minimize, and mitigate the adverse effect of its proposed programs and projects that enable NASA to implement its mission. Any mitigation measures needed are monitored during the implementation of the mission.

Waterfall, wind turbine and solar panels

Energy and Water Management

NASA’s Environmental Management Division leads the Agency in energy and water management policy and planning to ensure we successfully accomplish our mission while using energy and water resources as efficiently as possible.

Climate Control Heat Map

Greenhouse Gas Management

NASA implements a Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Program in order to better understand the GHG emissions associated with the operation of its facilities. The Program includes NASA Centers working with environmental, energy, procurement and logistics staff to gain a holistic view of GHG emissions at NASA sites.

Photo of people working at Mission Control Center

Cultural Resource Management

The purpose of NASA's CRM program is to manage cultural assets that are owned by NASA. NASA manages those assets that are considered historically significant to the local community, to the state or to the entire country and deemed worthy of preserving.

Northern lights

Environmental Compliance

Environmental Compliance contributes directly to the NASA mission by improving mission performance. This improvement is accomplished through analysis of the changing environmental regulatory environment and providing alternative materials and processes to ensure compliance. 

Ap photo of a caterpillar on some red flowers

Natural Resource Management

Across the Nation, NASA strives to conserve and protect natural resources through world class habitat and species management programs.

A view of a blue ocean from space

EMD Sustainability

NASA's Sustainability Base is both a working office space and an evolving exemplar of sustainable design. It showcases how technology and the environment can thrive together in harmony.

photo collage of international patches on space suites

International Programs

In developing partnerships with researches overseas, NASA scientists and engineers need to remember NASA's global commitment to environmental stewardship. We are not only conducting cutting edge R&D, we need to ensure that we are doing field activities that are environmentally sound.

International Space Station soars above a cloudy Atlantic Ocean

EMD Resources

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Blue Marble Awards

NASA’s robotics technology has allowNASA’s Environment and Energy “Blue Marble” Awards recognizes groups and individuals demonstrating exceptional environmental leadership in support of NASA’s missions and goals.ed us to send robotic orbiters, landers, and rovers ahead of us to study other planets and identify potential signs for life. On the International Space Station, NASA and their partners have used robotic technology extensively, to lorem and ipsum the dolor sit amets and more.

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Center Environmental Offices

Find the environmental offices at these NASA centers and facilities.

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