Environmental Protection Agency, U.S.

History of the EPA

The EPA was formed in response to a groundswell of public concern over environmental problems, which began with the 1962 publication of Rachel Carson's Silent Spring, a best-selling study of the effects of pesticides on the environment. The book inspired the beginning of the environmental movement and popularized key scientific concepts and concerns, such as the endangerment of species due to environmental factors (rather than hunting or other more obvious threats) and the problem of carcinogens in the environment (as opposed to carcinogens introduced through ingestion, such as in cigarette smoke). The book also figured prominently in the field of ecology and related sciences, encouraging scientists to become involved with public policy and other advocacy. The popularity of Silent Spring led to President John F. Kennedy's ordering a federal investigation of pesticide safety, which in turn led to stronger pesticide regulations in the short term. In the longer term, the need was clear for a national environmental policy that would guide agencies and legislators. In addition to the publication of Silent Spring, a number of events in the 1960s continued to bring attention to the environmental movement and to make clear [Page 794]how broad that movement's scope was, including the building of the interstate highway system and its impact on local environments, concerns about nuclear weapons and nuclear power, and the 1969 Santa Barbara oil spill.

In 1963, the Clean Air Act was passed to introduce national air pollution controls, which were enhanced in a series of amendments (notably in 1970, 1977, and 1990). It also established a pollution research program. The Wilderness Act in 1964 created the first legal definition of “wilderness” in the United States and created better mechanisms to protect federal wilderness areas. The National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA) defined this policy for the first time and established the President's Council on Environmental Quality. The cornerstone of NEPA is the requirement that all federal agencies prepare environmental assessments and environmental impact statements explaining the environmental effects of any and all proposed federal agency actions. Specific procedures for doing so are established and the Council on Environmental Quality oversees agencies that carry them out. Shortly after NEPA was signed into law, the 1970 amendments to the Clean Air Act expanded the federal mandate over air pollution, creating a requirement for comprehensive federal and state regulations over stationary and mobile pollution sources (i.e., factories and vehicles, respectively). The federal government's enforcement powers were greatly expanded, and the National Ambient Air Quality Standards were established for the first time.

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