The Environmental Protection Agency

Introduction

President Richard Nixon established The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in 1970, and its mission is to protect human health and the environment. The EPA provides leadership in the national effort to improve air quality, manage waste, and reduce pollution by enforcing federal laws that address these issues.

What is the Environmental Protection Agency?

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is an agency of the United States federal government. Its mission, as described in its enabling legislation and implemented by Congress, is to protect human health and the environment.

The EPA works with state, tribal, and local governments to find technological solutions for environmental problems nationwide or globally. The agency’s activities include:

• Research into causes and effects of pollution.
• Enforcement of federal air, smoke, water, sewage, and land use regulations.
• Disposal of toxic substances such as radioactive waste.
• Management of interstate waters, including wetlands.
• Prevention & control of pollution caused by industrial chemicals & pesticides.
• Protection against radiological hazards through regulation & licensing practices.
• Development & enforcement standards related to drinking water quality.
• Review & analysis of policies affecting new technologies associated with these areas.
• Providing information about how consumers can reduce consumption patterns that contribute negatively to global climate change issues.

Three Main Goals of the Agency

• Protect human health and well-being through good stewardship of public lands and resources.
• Ensure a healthy environment for all Americans by protecting against polluters who harm our ecosystems by polluting land, water, or air.
• Prevent damage from industrial accidents such as oil spills that may occur when transporting hazardous materials across land or sea corridors like rivers or oceans.

Established by Executive Order

The Environmental Protection Agency was proposed by President Richard Nixon and established on December 2, 1970, by executive order. The House and Senate ratified the agency by committee hearings and began operating under interim director William Ruckelshaus.

In 1971 Congress passed the Clean Air Act to regulate air pollution from stationary sources like power plants, factories, and refineries; the act also created EPA’s Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards (OAQPS). In 1977 OAQPS became a separate organization called the Office of Mobile Sources (OMS), responsible for regulating air pollution from mobile sources such as cars, trucks, and buses.

William Ruckelshaus, first Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency

The Agency Administrator

The President of the United States appoints the Environmental Protection Agency administrator, and Congress approves. An individual must be employed with the EPA for five years before taking office as an Administrator. The EPA is not a Cabinet department, but the Administrator is given a cabinet rank.

Conclusion

These are just a few ways that The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) works to protect people and the environment. The EPA’s work touches virtually every aspect of our lives, from clean air and water to safe food and chemicals in products we use daily. The EPA is a critical agency in the United States, and its role will continue to grow as climate change, and other environmental challenges become more severe.