EPA Alumni Association: 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 2: Chernobyl's Radiation Emergency

(8 minutes) From Interview with Lee Thomas, EPA's 6th Administrator

Lee Thomas describes his being put in charge of handling the consequences for the United States of the Chernobyl Radiation Emergency in the Soviet Union.

Chapter 1: Setting the Stage Historically

(6 minutes) From Former Deputy Administrator Hank Habicht talks about management at EPA

Hank Habicht discusses the historical context in which he came to EPA to work with Bill Reilly as the Deputy Administrator

Chapter 2: Search for an Effective Clean-up Method

(6 minutes) From The Anthrax Cleanup on Capitol Hill

The response team devises sampling protocols, finds and registers an effective pesticide, and designs and tests a delivery system that is safe and effective in a modern office buil...

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...

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 Progress
Categories: 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. HERE ARE SOME SUGGESTED ARTICLES FOR YOU TO SAMPLE.

Co-funding ADVACATE

From Making Economic and Environmental Sense: How Green Technology Works Better, Costs Less, Sep. 1994
Categories: Air: General, Research

Think Globally, Act Locally: An Interview with Dr. Rene Dubos by Truman Temple

From The Environmentalists, Apr. 1978

Testing Chemicals, Not People

From EPA and the Farmers, Apr. 1976
Categories: Pesticides, Toxics

American Indians: The First Environmentalists by LaDonna Harris

From Land and the Environment, Jul. 1980
Categories: Tribes

Books & Articles by Alumni

Some of the most detailed history of EPA is contained in books and articles written by alumni.

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.

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History of the EPA — As Only We Alumni Can Tell It!