Tag: EPA

What is the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)?

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) was established in December 1970 by the executive order of President Richard Nixon. It is an agency of the United States federal government whose mission is to protect human and environmental health. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., the EPA is responsible for creating standards and laws promoting the health of individuals and the environment.

The EPA works to ensure that:

• American’s have clean air, land and water;
• National efforts to reduce environmental risks are based on the best available scientific information;
• Federal laws protecting human health and the environment are administered and enforced fairly, effectively and as Congress intended;
• Environmental stewardship is integral to U.S. policies concerning natural resources, human health, economic growth, energy, transportation, agriculture, industry, and international trade, and these factors are similarly considered in establishing environmental policy;
• All parts of society—communities, individuals, businesses, and state, local and tribal governments—have access to accurate information sufficient to effectively participate in managing human health and environmental risks;
• Contaminated lands and toxic sites are cleaned up by potentially responsible parties and revitalized; and
• Chemicals in the marketplace are reviewed for safety.

To accomplish this mission, the EPA:

Develops and enforces regulations

When Congress writes an environmental law, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) implements it by writing regulations. Often, they set national standards that states and tribes enforce through their own regulations. If they fail to meet national standards, the EPA can help them. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) also enforces their regulations, and help companies understand the requirements.