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 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 1: A New Approach to a Large Mission but a Small Budget
(14 minutes) From The Underground Storage Tank Program's Early Management ChallengesRon Brand describes the environmental challenges facing the new program and how they chose a franchising approach for dealing with their large management challenge.
Chapter 2: Early Days of Environmental Enforcement
(8 minutes) From Interview with James (Jim) SeifSeif describes his experience as a young Assistant U.S. Attorney prosecuting steel companies for water pollution before the Clean Water Act existed and his first tour at EPA as one of the agency&rs...
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."
Toxic Substances: A Half Century of Progress
From Toxic Substances: A Half Century of ProgressCategories: Toxics
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.
Underwater Farms
From Energy and the Environment, May. 1977Categories: Policy and Planning, Water: General
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
A History of the U.S. National Ambient Air Quaity Standards by John Bachmann
From A History of the U.S. National Ambient Air Quality Standards by John Bachmann
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
Index (for detailed searching)
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.
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) 1970
White House Fact Sheet re Creation of EPA
From White House Fact Sheet re Creation of 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)