Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)

History

The EPA was established on December 2, 1970, under the direction of President Richard Nixon. It was formed following a merger of smaller government agencies and departments involved in environmental monitoring and enforcement. The 1960s and 1970s in the United States were characterized by increased public concern for the natural environment. Rachel Carson's 1962 book Silent Spring, which discussed the widespread pesticide poisoning of nature, and other literature and media revealed the scale of the country's environmental problems to a largely unaware general public. There was a gradual cultural shift in people's attitudes toward the environment, including a public outcry for direct government action to protect the natural world, which marked the beginning of the modern era of U.S. environmentalism.

Administrators and Structure

The EPA is led by an administrator, appointed by the U.S. president. The first administrator was William Ruckelshaus (1971–73), followed by Russell Train (1973–77), Douglas Costle (1977–81), Anne Gor-such (1981–83), William Ruckelshaus (1983–85), Lee Thomas (1985–89), William Reilly (1989–93), Carol Browner (1993–2001), Christine Whitman (2001–03), Michael Leavitt (2003–05), Stephen Johnson (2005–d09), and Lisa Jackson (2009–). The administrator heads a senior management team, including a deputy administrator, several assistant administrators, and regional administrators. The EPA has approximately 18,000 employees and several thousand contractors located across the country; most are employed as engineers, environmental protection specialists, scientists, support staff, and legal professionals. The agency's headquarters is located in Washington, D.C., and is made up of several offices, such as the Office of Air and Radiation, the Office of Environmental Information, the Office of Research and Development, the Office of Water, and the Office of Solid Waste and Emergency [Page 233]Response. In addition, there are 10 regional offices located around the United States; each is responsible for implementing the EPA's programs within several states, except for programs delegated to U.S. states and Native American tribes. In 2010, the EPA's annual budget was about $10.486 billion.

Powers and Responsibilities

As a regulatory agency, the EPA is authorized by the U.S. Congress to create and enforce regulations to implement environmental laws and presidential executive orders. Approximately 130 substantive regulations are issued every year. Regulations written by the EPA help businesses, government, individuals, public authorities, and others to abide by environmental laws as they explain the necessary technical, operational, and legal details for compliance. The laws that are regulated by the EPA cover a range of environmental and public health protection issues; examples include the Clean Air Act, the Clean Water Act, the Energy Policy Act, the Pollution Prevention Act, and the Safe Drinking Water Act.

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