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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The Underground Storage Tank Program's Early Management Challenges

First Director Ron Brand describes unique ways that the new program met its environmental and management challenges.

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 4: Crossing the Finish Line

(9 minutes) From The Anthrax Cleanup on Capitol Hill

Surviving 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 2: Move to Washington

(22 minutes) From David Dominick, Commissioner of the Federal Water Pollution Control Administration (1969-1970)

David Dominick describes the interesting days at the beginning of the Nixon Administration with the appointment of Wally Hickel, Governor of Alaska, as the Secretary of the Interior, and environmen...

Chapter 1: Major Elements of the Legislation and their Historical Context

(33 minutes) From Early Implementation of the Safe Drinking Water Act

In this chapter the panelists discuss the context for the passage of the legislation and the major components of the program.

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."

Drinking Water: A Half Century of Progress

From Drinking Water: A Half Century of Progress
Categories: Water: Drinking

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.

President Sets Rules for Rulemakers

From Forum on Clean Air Act; Regulatory Management; Topsoil: Base of Civilization, Apr. 1981
Categories: Congress, Management of Agency, OMB, Policy and Planning

News Briefs

From Forum on Clean Air Act; Regulatory Management; Topsoil: Base of Civilization, Apr. 1981
Categories: CEQ, Industry, Other Federal Agencies

Changing from "Consumers" to Citizens by Jay D. Hair

From Protecting the Earth: Are Our Institutions Up to It?, Jul. 1989
Categories: Public, The

It Didn't Happen Yesterday by Don Bronkema

From Cities and the Environment, May. 1988

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!