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. HERE ARE SOME SUGGESTIONS TO PEEK YOUR INTEREST.
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Bill Ruckelshaus and some of his closest aides recall the Opening Months of the New Agency in 1970
Bill Ruckelshaus, EPA's first Administrator, and three of his closest aides reminisce about the startup and earliest days of the new agency. Their recollections--some serious and some humorous--shed light on the decisions that laid the foundation for today's EPA.
Chapter 4: Crossing the Finish Line
(9 minutes) From The Anthrax Cleanup on Capitol HillSurviving challenges ranging from hidden rooms to sudden containment breaches to emergency, middle-of-the-night forays to Home Depot, the clean-up team delivers and the Senate office buildings reop...
Chapter 3: Commissioner of the Federal Water Pollution Control Administration
(22 minutes) From David Dominick, Commissioner of the Federal Water Pollution Control Administration (1969-1970)David Dominick describes his tenure as head of the Water Pollution Control program in the Department of the Interior, his battles with Assistant Secretary Carl Klein, the efforts of Murray Stein, A...
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.
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.
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."
Water Quality: A Half Century of Progress
From Water Quality: A Half Century of ProgressCategories: Water: General
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. HERE ARE SOME SUGGESTED ARTICLES FOR YOU TO SAMPLE.
Giving the Environment Its Due at the World Bank by Barber B. Conable
From Taking a Global View, Sep. 1987Categories: International
Aiding Consumers by Rhea Cohen
From Decade of the Environment, Nov. 1980Categories: Other Federal Agencies, Public, The
Newsline: High-Tech Inspections for Cars and Trucks to Be Required
From Profiles in Risk Assessment: New Science, New Contexts, Jan. 1993Categories: Air: Mobile
The South Rebels Against Pollution by Charles Pou
From EPA and the Farmers, Apr. 1976Categories: Regions
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 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 8. Exceeding the Absorptive Limits of the Global Commons
From Borrowed Earth, Borrowed Time: Healing America's Chemical Wounds by Glenn E. SchweitzerCategories: Toxics
Chapter 10. Living with Toxic Risks
From Borrowed Earth, Borrowed Time: Healing America's Chemical Wounds by Glenn E. SchweitzerCategories: 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.
First Presidential Environmental Message (Nixon) 1970
From First Presidential Environmental Message (Nixon) 1970
Interview with Alvin Alm in 1993
From Interview of Alvin Alm January 1994Categories: Congress, Economic Impact, Enforcement, Management of Agency, OMB, Other Federal Agencies
White House Fact Sheet re Creation of EPA
From White House Fact Sheet re Creation of EPA
Reorganization Plan that Created EPA
From Reorganization Plan that Created EPASearch all history files.
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Headline Media, Bob Bell (Developer), Nicole Lane (Developer), and Chuck Elkins & Barry Gilbert (Members)
Headline Media, Bob Bell (Developer), Nicole Lane (Developer), and Chuck Elkins & Barry Gilbert (Members)