Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is a government agency charged with protecting human health and the environment, specifically the air, water, and land. It was originally established by the president and the U.S. Congress in 1970 to promote greater coordination between environmental agencies involved in enforcing the nation's environmental laws. It addressed cleanup and restoration issues that had arisen from decades of uncontrolled and harmful pollution. It was also chartered to develop and enforce policy to ensure future environmental protection and human health. In addition, the EPA was instituted to serve as a funding agency for support of external research to state environmental programs, nonprofit organizations, and educational institutions.

As of 2007, the EPA employs 18,000 individuals. It is headquartered in Washington, D.C., and has ...