History of the EPA
Below we serve up glimpses of EPA's history in five different "flavors":
Oral History Videos
Alumni have recorded videos on a variety of subjects. Most videos are 45 to 60 minutes in length but are broken down into chapters for easier viewing. Transcripts and podcast versions of these videos are also provided.
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The Anthrax Cleanup on Capitol Hill
This documentary tells the story of how EPA, the National Institutes of Safety and Health (NIOSH), the Center for Communicable Diseases (CDC), and other federal military and civilian agencies, working under severe time pressure and in the full glare of intensive media coverage, collaborated to solve a scientific and engineering challenge never before faced -- the decontamination of an entire building contaminated with deadly anthrax spores.
Chapter 3: DDT & the Clean Air Act of 1970
(13 minutes) From Bill Ruckelshaus and some of his closest aides recall the Opening Months of the New Agency in 1970Bill Ruckelshaus talks about his taking on two difficult problems--tailpipe emissions of automobiles and DDT.
Chapter 3: State-EPA Relations
(7 minutes) From Interview with James (Jim) SeifJim Seif describes how, in his view, time and experience have forever altered the state-federal relationships, while explaining that state-federal tension is a deliberate and valuable feature of th...
Chapter 2: Applying "Total Quality Management" to a Federal Program.
(16 minutes) From The Underground Storage Tank Program's Early Management ChallengesDescription of the successful first time application of the private sector's "Total Quality Management" principles to a federal government program.
Chapter 5: Management & Core Values
(23 minutes) From Interview with Lee Thomas, EPA's 6th AdministratorLee Thomas describes his management style and the core values that have served him well both in government and the private sector. Lee closes with some encouragement for current EPA employees...
Half Century of Environmental Progress
High school and college students as well as others may not know about the major environmental problems and issues encountered in the United States in the latter half of the 20th century, how they were addressed, and the importance of continued vigilance in attacking remaining and evolving issues. This history of EPA has been written for them."
The Air We Breathe: A Half Century of Progress
From The Air We Breathe: A Half Century of ProgressCategories: Air: General, Air: Mobile, Air: Stationary
EPA Journals
For many years, EPA published the "EPA Journal" with interesting articles on a very wide variety of topics. The Association is slowly digitizing and categorizing these Journals. To date we have digitized 3034 articles.
Indoor Allergens: A Report by Andrew M. Pope
From Indoor Air, Oct. 1993Categories: Health, Indoor Air
News Briefs
From Science and the Future, Oct. 1980Categories: Health, Management of Agency, Policy and Planning
President Salutes EPA
From EPA's Fifth Aniversary Issue: Town Meetings Launched, Nov. 1975Books & Articles by Alumni
Some of the most detailed history of EPA is contained in books and articles written by alumni.
Chapter 1: Toxic Chemicals Move to Center Stage
From Borrowed Earth, Borrowed Time: Healing America's Chemical Wounds by Glenn E. SchweitzerCategories: Air: General, Toxics
Chapter 5: Cleaning Up the Wastes of an Industrial Economy
From Borrowed Earth, Borrowed Time: Healing America's Chemical Wounds by Glenn E. SchweitzerCategories: Toxics
Chapter 4. Explaining Risks to an Aroused Public
From Borrowed Earth, Borrowed Time: Healing America's Chemical Wounds by Glenn E. SchweitzerCategories: Toxics
Before Earth Day: The Origins of American Environmental Law, 1945-1970 by Karl Brooks
From Before Earth Day: The Origins of American Environmental Law, 1945-1970 by Karl BrooksHistorical Documents
Some documents have made a big difference in the direction that EPA has taken through the years. Here we present some of them.
Creation of EPA: Message to Congress
From Creation of EPA: Message to Congress
White House Fact Sheet re Creation of EPA
From White House Fact Sheet re Creation of EPA
First Presidential Environmental Message (Nixon) 1970
From First Presidential Environmental Message (Nixon) 1970
Reorganization Plan that Created EPA
From Reorganization Plan that Created EPASearch all history files.
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