A pivotal shift in American awareness toward the environment came with the publication of Rachel Carson's groundbreaking work, Silent Spring, in 1962. This pivotal publication was accompanied by significant events, including a major oil spill impacting California's beaches and the infamous combustion of Ohio's heavily polluted Cuyahoga River in 1969. Furthermore, the visual perspective of Earth from space, as captured by astronauts, heightened the realization of the planet's finite resources.
In 1969, the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) was signed into law by President Nixon on January 1, 1970, as a reflection of the 1959 RCA bill. This legislative move paved the way for establishing the Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) within the Executive Office of the President.
Following the council's recommendations, the President submitted a proposal to Congress with the aim of consolidating the diverse environmental responsibilities of the federal government under one agency – the newly envisioned Environmental Protection Agency.
On July 9, 1970, President Richard Nixon proposed the concept of the EPA, and it commenced its operations on December 2, 1970, after the President's executive order was issued. The agency is overseen by an administrator designated by the President and ratified by the Senate. Presently, Michael S. Regan holds the position of administrator. While not formally designated as a cabinet department, administrators traditionally carry the rank of a cabinet minister.
Initially entrusted with the administration of the 1970 Clean Air Act, which was designed to alleviate air pollution primarily from industrial and vehicular sources, the EPA's scope has since grown significantly.
By the mid-1990s, the EPA was charged with enforcing 12 major statutes, encompassing regulations addressing uranium mill tailings, ocean dumping, safe drinking water, insecticides, fungicides, rodenticides, and asbestos hazards in educational institutions.
The EPA's authority extends to regulating the manufacturing, processing, distribution, and utilization of chemicals and other pollutants. Moreover, the agency is tasked with establishing permissible levels of chemicals and pollutants in food, animal feed, and water, ensuring public safety.
EPA Formation History
