The EPA stands for Environmental Protection Agency and was established as an independent agency by Richard M. Nixon in 1970. It is not part of the cabinet but the head of the EPA is generally given a cabinet post.
There are 14,172 people who work for the EPA and their budget is $8.1 billion.
The debate regarding the value of the EPA can be summarized with these two groups facing off.
Those who believe the EPA is helping to create a healthier and safer world
vs
Those who believe the agency commits government overreach and adds unnecessary regulations on businesses and property owners.
BEFORE READING FURTHER........WHICH SIDE DO YOU STAND ON?
IF YOU STAND WITH THE SECOND GROUP THEN I CAN PROMISE YOU THAT NOTHING I SAY IN THIS ARTICLE WILL HAVE ANY AFFECT ON YOU BECAUSE YOU SUPPORT BUSINESS OVER THE HEALTH AND WELFARE OF THE HUMAN RACE.
Does that seem like a harsh statement? I realize that those who stand in the second group have to protect corporate thinking and basic business fundamentals because of course that's the American way....and God knows those people are needed to protect the American way .
The problem is there isn't a problem until there's a problem.
Corporate America has proven that fixing problems, that they created, should be taken care of by the Government.....
Simply consider the Superfund sites across this great nation.
The red dots are sites that businesses have created that are waiting for someone else to clean up.
(Some of those dots are government spots created by the military but most are business ventures)
BUT LETS GET BACK TO THE BEGINNING
In the 60's there were indications that human activity could possibly cause problems to the environment that would affect the health of future generations. Pesticides were the focus in those days and Congress responded by creating certain acts that were intended to protect the general public.
The NATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY ACT OF 1969 basically set the stage for the creation of the EPA and in 1970 President Nixon created the agency.
SIDEBAR/ In my humble opinion this might be Richard Nixon's greatest accomplishment.
In the beginning the agency simply helped create goals and standards for environmental issues but very quickly acts and amendments were passed by Congress and thus the EPA's regulatory
authority was established.
TO SEE HOW THE RECENT DECISIONS BY THE TRUMP EPA HAVE AFFECTED OUR FUTURE IT'S IMPORTANT TO SHOW SOME OF THE ISSUES THAT EXISTED OVER THE LAST 60 YEARS.....OR LIKE I REFER TO IT AS
"TTWBWATDWTFTW"
THE TIME WHEN BUSINESS WAS ALLOWED TO DO WHATEVER THEY FUCK THEY WANTED
And which now, once more, is becoming the rally cry of the Trump administration.
(I will also list some of the important decisions made by the EPA to counterbalance the problems)
The dumping of cyanide into the Cuyahoga River in Ohio by 12 different companies was one of the first confrontations undertaken by the EPA in 1970.....as a result
In 1972
Congress created the Federal Water Pollution Control Act which became known as the CLEAN WATER ACT.
In 1972 the EPA was required to measure every pesticide's risks against potential benefits.
In 1976 Congress passed the TOXIC SUBSTANCE CONTROL ACT. This act gave the EPA
authority to gather information on chemicals and require producers to test them.....with focus on PCB's. The EPA then created the NATIONAL INVENTORY listing of chemicals. In that same year the EPA was tasked with setting national goals for waste disposal, conserving energy and natural resources, reducing waste, and ensuring environmentally sound management of waste.
PLEASE NOTE THAT BEFORE 1972 POLLUTING THE RIVERS OF AMERICA WAS COMMON PRACTICE DUE TO THE SIMPLE FACT THAT MOST INDUSTRIAL PLANTS WERE BUILT NEXT TO RIVERS SO THAT WASTE PRODUCT COULD BE EASILY DUMPED.
In 1980 Congress passed the COMPREHENSIVE ENVIRONMENTAL RESPONSE, COMPENSATION and LIABILITY ACT.....better known as
"SUPERFUND"
This act was created in order to give the EPA authority to find parties responsible for sites contaminated by previous hazardous waste disposal and establish a funding mechanism for assessment and cleanup.
In 1986 when Chernobyl imploded the EPA was responsible for identifying any potential problems for the United States. As a response that year Congress created the EMERGENCY PLANNING and COMMUNITY RIGHT-TO-KNOW ACT which authorized the EPA to gather data on toxic chemicals and SHARE the information with the public.
PLEASE NOTE ONCE MORE:
BEFORE THE EPA....BIG BUSINESS WAS ALLOWED TO DO WHATEVER THE FUCK THEY WANTED AND THE PHRASE "ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION" WAS NON-EXISTENT.
THIS ISSUE WAS NOT A DEMOCRATIC VS REPUBLICAN ISSUE as noted in 1988 when George H. Bush was extremely vocal about environmental issues....and even appointed an environmentalist, William K. Reilly as his Administrator.
ANOTHER SIDEBAR:
I believe that when Newt Gingrich introduced his CONTRACT WITH AMERICA in 1994 and the word environment was not mentioned that the issue became a non issue with the Republican party while at the same time the Democratic party became the environmentally aware party.
END OF PART ONE
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