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 6: EPA's Challenges
(4 minutes) From Reflections on US Environmental Policy: Interview with William K. ReillyBill Reilly discusses the Agency's relationship to the Congress and the importance of international work as part of the Agency's mission.
Chapter 3: Program Management & Public/Private Partnerships
(18 minutes) From Former Deputy Administrator Hank Habicht talks about management at EPAHank Habicht describes his approach to program management within EPA and the importance of Public/Private Partnerships, including specific program examples.
Chapter 5: Lessons Learned
(23 minutes) From Early Implementation of the Clean Air Act of 1970 in CaliforniaPerhaps the most important result from these various "stories" about how EPA was implementing the 1970 CAA were the "lessons learned" which are discussed in the final chapter by...
Chapter 2: How EPA was Created using Reorganization Plan #3
(10 minutes) From Behind the Scenes at the Creation of EPA in 1970Chuck Elkins tells why certain programs were chosen to be moved to the new Agency and why others were left behind.
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."
Reducing Pesticide Risks: A Half Century of Progress
From Reducing Pesticide Risks: A Half Century of ProgressCategories: Pesticides
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.
People
From EPA's Fifth Aniversary Issue: Town Meetings Launched, Nov. 1975
News Briefs
From Energy and the Environment, May. 1977Categories: Management of Agency, Policy and Planning
Seeking a Balanced Perspective by Nicholas L. Reding
From Regulating Pesticides, Jun. 1984
Books & Articles by Alumni
Some of the most detailed history of EPA is contained in books and articles written by alumni.
Chapter 3. The Uncertainty of Risk but the Reality of Cost
From Borrowed Earth, Borrowed Time: Healing America's Chemical Wounds by Glenn E. SchweitzerCategories: Toxics
Chapter 9. The Power and Limitations of Science and Technology
From Borrowed Earth, Borrowed Time: Healing America's Chemical Wounds by Glenn E. SchweitzerCategories: Toxics
Driving the Future: Combating Climate Chagne with Cleaner, Smarker Cars by Margo Oge
From Driving the Future: Combating Climate Change with Cleaner, Smarter Cars by Margo T. Oge
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
Historical Documents
Some documents have made a big difference in the direction that EPA has taken through the years. Here we present some of them.
Reorganization Plan that Created EPA
From Reorganization Plan that Created EPA
Creation of EPA: Message to Congress
From Creation of EPA: Message to Congress
Interview with Alvin Alm in 1993
From Interview of Alvin Alm January 1994Categories: Congress, Economic Impact, Enforcement, Management of Agency, OMB, Other Federal Agencies
First Presidential Environmental Message (Nixon) 1970
From First Presidential Environmental Message (Nixon) 1970Search all history files.
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