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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Early Implementation of the Safe Drinking Water Act
Six former leaders of the Drinking Water Program discuss the first 10 years of implementation of the Safe Drinking Water Act of 1974, the challenges, and the lessons learned.
Chapter 3: State Implementation Planning
(12 minutes) From Early Implementation of the Clean Air Act of 1970 in CaliforniaJohn Wise lays out the setting for the litigation by the public interest firm. He later discusses how the litigation drove EPA into looking at land use and transportation as a source of measu...
Chapter 2: Setting up the New Agency's Structure
(17 minutes) From Bill Ruckelshaus and some of his closest aides recall the Opening Months of the New Agency in 1970Bill Ruckelshaus and three former assistants talk about finding the right appointees for the agency, meetings in the regions to get them up and running, Doug Costle's role in creating the agenc...
Chapter 3: OSWER & Superfund Reauthorization
(8 minutes) From Interview with Lee Thomas, EPA's 6th AdministratorLee Thomas describes his service as the Assistant Administrator for Solid Waste and Emergency Response and his work on Superfund Reauthorization.
Chapter 5: Lessons Learned at EPA
(10 minutes) From Former Deputy Administrator Hank Habicht talks about management at EPAHank Habicht lists some major lessons learned about managing the EPA, including SES rotations, "turf" problems, and the value of good science and team work.
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."
Waste Management: A Half Century of Progress
From Waste Management: A Half Century of ProgressCategories: RCRA
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.
Newsline: Air Pollution Down Over Last 10 Years
From Profiles in Risk Assessment: New Science, New Contexts, Jan. 1993Categories: Air: General
A Nuclear Power Plant Accident: Would We Be Prepared? by Miles Kahn
From Taking a Global View, Sep. 1987Categories: Other Federal Agencies, Radiation, Regions, States
The Greening of EPA by William K. Reilly
From Protecting the Earth: Are Our Institutions Up to It?, Jul. 1989Categories: Management of Agency, Prevention
Books & Articles by Alumni
Some of the most detailed history of EPA is contained in books and articles written by alumni.
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 Brooks
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 2. Controlling 3000 chemicals: One by One
From Borrowed Earth, Borrowed Time: Healing America's Chemical Wounds by Glenn E. SchweitzerHistorical Documents
Some documents have made a big difference in the direction that EPA has taken through the years. Here we present some of them.
First Presidential Environmental Message (Nixon) 1970
From First Presidential Environmental Message (Nixon) 1970
White House Fact Sheet re Creation of EPA
From White House Fact Sheet re Creation of EPA
Interview with Alvin Alm in 1993
From Interview of Alvin Alm January 1994Categories: Congress, Economic Impact, Enforcement, Management of Agency, OMB, Other Federal Agencies
Creation of EPA: Message to Congress
From Creation of EPA: Message to CongressSearch all history files.
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