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.
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Interview with James (Jim) Seif
Jim Seif, former Regional Administrator in EPA’s Region 3 and Secretary of Pennsylvania’s Department of Environmental Protection discusses his experiences during a 45-year career in environmental regulation.
Chapter 2: Applying "Total Quality Management" to a Federal Program.
(16 minutes) From The Underground Storage Tank Program's Early Management ChallengesDescription of the successful first time application of the private sector's "Total Quality Management" principles to a federal government program.
Chapter 5: Lessons Learned at EPA
(10 minutes) From Former Deputy Administrator Hank Habicht talks about management at EPAHank Habicht lists some major lessons learned about managing the EPA, including SES rotations, "turf" problems, and the value of good science and team work.
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 4: The California Federal Implementation Plan
(19 minutes) From Early Implementation of the Clean Air Act of 1970 in CaliforniaDavid Souten and William Ruckelshaus discuss the challenges of preparing a Federal Implementation Plan (FIP) to meet the court mandate to develop a plan within 9 months to attain the standards by 1...
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.
Protecting the Earth: Are Our Institutions Up to It?
From Protecting the Earth: Are Our Institutions Up to It?, Jul. 1989
EPA Specialists Help Solve a Mystery in Cameroon by Harry Compton and Alan Humphrey
From Predicting Ozone Pollution: Another Tool from EPA Research, Jun. 1987Categories: International, Research
Curbing Chemicals in Drinking Water by Victor J. Kimm
From Toxics, Sep. 1978Categories: Health, Other Federal Agencies, Research, Water: Drinking
Books & Articles by Alumni
Some of the most detailed history of EPA is contained in books and articles written by alumni.
Chapter 5: Cleaning Up the Wastes of an Industrial Economy
From Borrowed Earth, Borrowed Time: Healing America's Chemical Wounds by Glenn E. SchweitzerCategories: Toxics
Chapter 1: Toxic Chemicals Move to Center Stage
From Borrowed Earth, Borrowed Time: Healing America's Chemical Wounds by Glenn E. SchweitzerCategories: Air: General, Toxics
Cleaning up America: An Insider's View of EPA by John Quarles
From Cleaning up America: An Insider's View of EPA by John Quarles
Chapter 9. The Power and Limitations of Science and Technology
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
Reorganization Plan that Created EPA
From Reorganization Plan that Created EPA
Interview with Alvin Alm in 1993
From Interview of Alvin Alm January 1994Categories: Congress, Economic Impact, Enforcement, Management of Agency, OMB, Other Federal Agencies
White House Fact Sheet re Creation of EPA
From White House Fact Sheet re Creation of EPASearch all history files.
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