Dear Eartha, Can you explain what the EPA does and why it’s important?

This year, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) turns 55. In its relatively short lifetime, the EPA has had a significant impact on our country. How has this agency changed Americans’ lives for the better? Let’s take a look. 

Life before federal environmental regulations

Prior to the creation of the EPA, most environmental regulation was left to the states. This presented many challenges. Many states didn’t have the capacity to fully research the health risks posed by potential pollutants, set acceptable exposure standards and enforce them. And even if they did, companies could choose to locate industry in states with lower (or nonexistent) standards. Moreover, wind and waterways aren’t bound by geographic borders. If pollution from one community drifted into a neighboring state, who could mediate?

By the 1960s, the United States could not boast about having the cleanest air or water. In 1962, Rachel Carson published “Silent Spring,” a book that warned about the dangers of widespread pesticide use, especially DDT. Emissions from power plants, incinerators, and vehicles made smog a common problem. In 1963, a “killer smog” event left upwards of 400 New Yorkers dead. Rivers across the country were too polluted to drink from or swim in — from the Potomac, into which 240 million gallons of sewage were flushed daily, to the Missouri, adorned with bobbing grease balls from nearby meatpacking plants. Then, in 1969, oil and debris in Ohio’s Cuyahoga River caught fire — not for the first time. The same year, an oil spill off the coast of Santa Barbara sent three million gallons of oil gushing into the ocean, killing birds, seals, fish, and dolphins.

The environmental decade

These environmental disasters alerted the American public to the need for greater action. And so, in 1970, President Nixon established the Environmental Protection Agency in order to coordinate federal programs that reduce pollution. A flurry of important environmental policies soon followed, including the Clean Air Act and the Clean Water Act. EPA also began testing fuel efficiency of vehicles. The U.S. signed an agreement with Canada to clean up the Great Lakes. Both DDT and leaded gasoline were banned. New rules were established for handling hazardous waste and toxins. 

Nearly two dozen environmental laws were enacted during the 1970s, and these policies received broad bipartisan support. The Clean Air Act passed unanimously in the Senate while tallying a solitary “no” vote in the House.

Environmental health is public health

The EPA was founded with a mission to protect public health and the environment. Today, the agency achieves these interconnected directives by enforcing environmental laws passed by Congress. From PFAS to vehicle emissions, EPA research also helps set standards for acceptable levels of pollutants in the environment. 

The importance of EPA’s work is evident in the clean air and water we enjoy, and in our very own bodies. For example, since its passage, the Clean Air Act has reduced air pollution in the United States by over 70%. The results are tangible: fewer premature deaths and illnesses, fewer absences work or school, lower medical bills, higher quality and longer lives. Compliance with the Clean Air Act does have a cost. EPA estimates that it’s roughly $65 billion a year. But the economic benefits? A staggering $2 trillion every single year. 

Environmental amnesia?

In the past several weeks, the EPA has undergone a vibe shift. New Administrator Lee Zeldin announced plans to overhaul several environmental regulations. What’s being reconsidered? Among other things, limits on mercury pollution from coal-fired power plants and wastewater from oil and gas development. Legal experts say EPA doesn’t have the authority to trash existing rules without following an established process. Lawsuits are likely. The speed at which this happens is anyone’s guess.

You know what else happened in 1970? Joni Mitchell released “Big Yellow Taxi.” I keep thinking of the chorus, “don’t it always seem to go, that you don’t know what you’ve got ’til it’s gone.” May we not be so far removed from the days when rivers caught fire and smog choked major cities that we forget how much our health and environment benefit from the integrity of the EPA and its work.

Ask Eartha Steward is written by the staff at the High Country Conservation Center, a nonprofit dedicated to waste reduction and resource conservation. Submit questions to Eartha at info@highcountryconservation.org.