a. Analyzes, formulates, and recommends departmental policies, plans, and guidelines to the Assistant Secretary for Transportation Policy and the Secretary regarding public policy on safety including hazardous materials, environmental including environmental health, and energy issues affecting the transportation sector.

b. Provides support and policy advice on all matters and initiatives related to energy and transportation, including global climate change and related environmental impacts, energy conservation, energy-efficiency, alternative fuels and energy security.

c. Formulates and recommends departmental policies, plans and guidelines related to the natural and human environment. These responsibilities include but are not limited to, policy advice and activities on air quality, water quality, ecosystem management, noise, emissions, sustainability and quality of life of states and communities, historic preservation, and bicycle and pedestrian transportation.

d. Provides leadership and guidance and serves as the Departmental focal point for safety, energy and environmental initiatives, domestic and international, from within or outside the Department.

e. Provides a source of technical expertise for the Department’s legislative, regulatory, and research programs and technical reviews involving such issues. Ensures that all proposed policies and regulations coincide with the Secretary's intent.

f. Develops and proposes policies in cooperation with other OST offices, operating administrations, and other affected parties as appropriate. Proposes and/or comments on proposals for transportation-related legislation involving safety, energy and environmental concerns.

g. Formulates and recommends departmental policies, plans, budgets, resources, and guidelines related to the safe and secure cross-modal transportation of hazardous materials. These responsibilities include, but are not limited to: monitoring all departmental hazardous materials activities; in coordination with the Assistant Secretary for Budget and Programs, focusing departmental resources on specific cross-modal initiatives; coordinating hazmat outreach and data activities; resolving operating administration disputes on hazardous materials issues; and acting as the departmental focal point for Federal hazardous materials priorities and objectives.

h. Monitors compliance with DOT Order 2000.1D by working with the OA's and NTSB to ensure the procedures for handling NTSB recommendations are properly met.

Major Policy Areas

Provides the Secretary and senior Department officials with a source of informed, rigorous, independent policy advice and leadership, to assure that the Department is responding to its safety and health responsibilities and that key national and organizational safety goals are being met efficiently, consistently and effectively.
Provides executive leadership for safety and health projects that are cross modal to promote safer and user-friendlier transportation services.
Provides leadership and supports individual modal administrations in high profile air, rail, motor, pipeline, hazardous materials transportation and maritime safety issues of special importance to the Secretary to fulfill the Secretary’s commitment that safety is the Department’s first priority.
Planning and Preparation for An Aging Population.