On this page:

• Definitions
• Required steps
• Examples
• Rationale
• Exemptions
• Full metadata about this standard

Definitions

EPA’s primary domain name is epa.gov. Epa.gov refers to the EPA’s primary public access website that provides publicly accessible data and information.

Subdomain is a domain that is a part of a larger domain. Examples include echo.epa.gov and archive.epa.gov.

EPA Web environment includes the servers that provides unrestricted access to EPA’s public information. The Agency central server cluster, hosted by the National Computer Center (NCC), is the official server domain location for Agency public communications via the Web.

Required Steps

1. Consult with the Office of Mission Support (OMS) Office of Information Management (OIM) and the Office of Public Affairs (OPA) Office of Web Communications (OWC) to determine if it will be feasible or appropriate to obtain a new EPA.GOV subdomain. You will be expected to provide a rationale over email or in a meeting setting for why your content cannot be located at www.epa.gov/yournamehere. 
2. Request permission for the EPA subdomain from OMS and OPA using the Subdomain Request Memo Template(2 pp, 36 K, 9/2/2020) . 
   1. First, fill out the subdomain request memo template with your subdomain's information and send it to the subdomain manager.
   2. The subdomain manager will review your request and go through any questions they may have with you.
   3. After the subdomain manager has completed review, you will then be asked to obtain the requester's and Web Council Representative's signatures. Hand or esignatures are fine. 
   4. After the request memo has been reviewed by the subdomain manager, and signed by the requester and Web Council Representative, the memo will next be routed through the National Infrastructure Manager. OIM will review the request. 
   5. Finally, you will receive a subdomain request letter of approval. 
   6. Once you have the subdomain request letter of approval, you may submit a ticket to EISD Enterprise DNS/DHCP/IPAM to establish or revise the subdomain. 
3. Fill out the subdomain request memo with:
   1. Two Points of Contact. These POCs control the content and manage or backup the operations of the subdomain.
   2. The Subdomain owner is expected to keep its POCs up-to-date. 
   3. The IP address where this subdomain will be pointed. Note you must comply with the Procedure: Ensuring EPA Public Content in the EPA Web Environment or provide information about your separate ATO.
   4. Check the certifications boxes at the end of the request to certify that your office will comply with federal subdomain requirements.
4. The requesting office should allow a minimum of 5-10 days for the entire process of requesting and obtaining a dot gov subdomain. This time includes working with OIM and OPA, the requesting office obtaining signature from their Web Council Represetative on the memo request, OIM to review, as well as working with the NCC to set up the subdomain.
5. After OIM & OPA have approved the request and the technical review has been performed, an electronic version of the memo will be emailed to you and uploaded to the Domain Management SharePoint site. 
6. It is the requesting office's responsibility to respond to OMS or the NCC to establish the new EPA subdomain.
7. It is the requesting office's responsibility to comply with all of the appropriate directives, such as OMB Memorandum M-17-06 and DHS BOD 18-01.
8. To request the removal of an existing subdomain, email the OMS/OIM/WCSD Division Director. 

Top of Page

Examples

Examples of EPA dot gov subdomains include: echo.epa.gov and archive.epa.gov.

Top of Page

Rationale

OMB Memorandum M-17-06, which rescinded and replaced M-05-04, requires compliance of all Federal Agency Public Websites and Digital Services across 17 items. GSA regularly reports on their DotGov Dashboard how agencies are implementing the policies in this Memorandum. Since EPA.GOV must comply with this memorandum, any subdomain residing on epa.gov must also comply.

Federal agencies are also required to comply with DHS developed binding operational directives on security issues. Since EPA.GOV must comply with these directives, any subdomain residing on epa.gov must also comply.

Top of Page

Exemptions

There are no exemptions from these requirements.

Top of Page

Full Metadata about this standard

Name Obtaining an EPA.gov subdomain
Type Procedure
Required or Recommended Required 
Effective date 05/11/2018
Date approved 
Category Area Setup
Web Council review by 5/11/2021 (or earlier if deemed necessary by the Web Council) 
Governing Policy Web Governance and Management

Top of Page