In 1969, the Cuyahoga River near Cleveland, Ohio was so polluted that it caught fire on June 29. Shortly after that, Congress enacted the Clean Water Act. Other pollution prevention acts followed.
Agency established by executive order
The Environmental Protection Agency was established during President Richard Nixon’s administration to “consolidate federal research, monitoring and enforcement in a single agency. EPA’s mission is to protect human health by safeguarding the air we breathe, water we drink and land on which we live.” (EPA)
EPA, under first administrator William D. Ruckelshaus, immediately set out to ban DDT, an insecticide that was featured in the 1962 book by environmentalist Rachel Carson, Silent Spring. DDT is a carcinogen and was a major contributor to the near extinction of the bald eagle and other species.
1970s a busy decade
By December 31, 1970, amendments to the Clean Air Act set in place policies that led to catalytic converters on cars, limits to growth of pollution rates by industry and reduction in the rates of lead, sulfur dioxide and other harmful pollutants.
EPA continued to build regulations by tackling the problem of lead in paint, which was found to be accumulating in the blood of children exposed to it. Eventually, leaded gasoline was phased out as well. Regulations to reduce lead emissions from coal burning boilers are currently being enacted.
In 1976, the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) was signed into law making chemical manufacturers and users responsible under EPA for hazardous chemicals from cradle-to-grave. Under RCRA, responsible disposal of hazardous waste became the letter of the law.
Love Canal, New York residents discovered in 1978 that their community was sitting on leaking barrels of toxic waste. In response, Congress enacted the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA). This act, sometimes known as the Superfund Act, authorizes the government to identify, find and seek remediation from the responsible parties where cleanup is required.
1980s and onward
EPA continued in the 1980s to write regulations to reduce pollution, to investigate pollution events and to work with global partners, such as China and the former Soviet Union to develop worldwide pollution control information sharing.
In the 1990s, EPA began to focus more on pollution reduction areas like recycling, energy efficiency and reduction at the purchasing or design level. New regulations included more acid rain prevention rules, the Title V permitting program for air pollution emitters and oil pollution control measures.
EPA's history is strewn with law suits filed by both environmentalists and industry, each seeking to move policy and regulation in their favor. Enforcement proceedings are by turn popular or unpopular depending on how blatant the offense. Regulations are often judged by the amount of restriction the regulations place on economic growth. However, by EPA's count, over 200,000 lives were saved by the reforms and safeguards put in place by Congress and EPA in its first 20 years. Whatever critics may say, such achievements are recognized worldwide as not just valuable, but essential. EPA won a Noble Prize in 2007 for its work on greenhouse gas with a world committee.
The last decade has seen EPA increase research efforts and focus the reporting and monitoring efforts of industry to make them more useful and less onerous. Greenhouse gas regulations are under the collective pen of EPA at present. Future projects will focus on smog reduction, alternative energy sources and further improvement in water quality for drinking, recreation and for fish and wildlife.
EPA’s website has a wealth of information on the forty year history of the agency. Timelines, educational tools and activities and useful information for the citizen can be found there, along with a special message from current Administrator Lisa P. Jackson.
Eilene Toppin Ording - Eilene Toppin Ording comes from a wide industrial and educational background. A farmer's daughter from Minnesota, Eilene is an active ...
