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EPA Environmental Regulation Report

Decent Essays

On December 2nd of 1970, President Richard Nixon established an organization to solve the growing problem surrounding the state of the environment. The Environmental Protection Agency, commonly known as the EPA, was created with the mission to establish and enforce environmental protection standards, conduct environmental research, provide assistance in eliminating pollution, and recommend new policies for environmental protection to the president. One of the influences that contributed to the development of the EPA was an article in Science magazine. Through his article The Tragedy of the Commons, Garrett Hardin conveyed the amount of damage that humans had caused to the environment. He made it clear that humans will exploit Earth’s natural …show more content…

The banning of the widespread use of DDT has allowed many bird populations to recover. DDT, which caused the eggs of birds to become weak, made it difficult for populations of birds like eagles and pelicans to grow. In 1972, the bald eagle was at risk of extinction; twenty five years later, in 2007, the bald eagle was removed off of the Endangered Species Act’s (ESA) “threatened” list. Along with this, the creation of the Clean Water Act (CWA) by the EPA has minimized water pollution and removed toxic substances from navigable waters. In 1972, about two thirds of America’s bodies of water were unsafe for fishing or swimming due to the dumping of untreated sewage into open water. The toxins from the sewage polluted both the lake and its inhabitants, along with posing a threat in regards to fires. For example, in 1969, the Cuyahoga River was polluted with oil and caught on fire. The passing of the CWA has been beneficial for aquatic life and the state of how safe water is. The standards of water have been created by the EPA as well; to ensure that water is safe for consumption, the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) was established. The EPA makes sure that states and water suppliers meet these standards, thus improving the health of Americans. The environment of America and the health of its people has improved since the creation of the EPA; however, …show more content…

This is because changes are more likely to be enforced more through associations that are government regulation. Since the government has the authority to create and pass acts and laws, there is a higher probability that change will occur. If private organizations or volunteers attempted to enforce positive environmental changes, it would not be as effective since they do not hold as much authority as the government. As of result, not as many people would follow the regulations set by the organizations. It would also take much longer for change to occur if the EPA did not oversee these additional environmental parameters. Since less people would follow the rules set by the organizations, it would take longer than if the government enforced and oversaw these additional regulations. Therefore, it would be more beneficial for the environment if the EPA oversaw additional environmental

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