What is the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)?

Definition:

The EPA is an independent agency within the United States government that is responsible for developing and enforcing regulations to protect the environment.

🤔 Understanding EPA

In December 1970, Congress approved a proposal to create the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) at the urging of President Richard Nixon. The mission of the EPA is to protect human health and the environment, ensuring that everyone has access to clean air, land, and water. The United States had seen growing public concern about air and water quality and other environmental issues. The primary role of the EPA is to write and implement regulations based on environmental laws that Congress passes. The agency also helps to educate companies and individuals about environmental issues and about complying with federal environmental regulations. The EPA can enforce its rules by sanctioning companies that violate environmental laws.

Example

One of the most well-known examples of what the EPA does is the enforcement of the Clean Air Act of 1970. Through this law, Congress gave the EPA permission to set air quality standards for the nation. The standards set by the EPA have helped prevent hundreds of thousands of deaths by improving air quality and reducing pollution and has led to some modern inventions that make automobiles more clean-air-friendly.

Takeaway

The EPA is like a babysitter, but for the environment…

The government has tasked the EPA with overseeing the safety of the environment, just as a parent tasks a babysitter with overseeing the safety of their child. The EPA is responsible for ensuring that companies can impose limited harm on the air and water in the United States.

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What is the history of the EPA?

During the 1960s, the environment became a significant area of concern as decreasing air and water quality became more evident. An oil spill off the coast of California spilled millions of gallons of oil onto beaches. Around the same time, the Cuyahoga River in Ohio burst into flames because of chemical contaminants.

Scientists and environmentalists called for reforms and warned of the loss of life that would result in failing to address the environment. One person who took these warnings to heart was President Richard Nixon.

When Nixon took office in 1969, he saw the importance of reforms to help preserve the environment. In 1969, Nixon created a council to investigate how the federal government could respond to environmental concerns.

One of the outcomes of the council was the passage of the Environmental Policy Act of 1969. One of the major components of the legislation was the creation of the Council on Environmental Quality within the Executive Office of the President.

In 1970, Nixon presented to Congress a list of policies they should pass to address the growing environmental concern. His asks included additional money for water treatment facilities, the creation of national air quality standards, money for research to reduce automobile pollution, and a ban on dumping waste into the Great Lakes.

To address these issues that had yet to see a fix, Nixon proposed, and Congress approved, the creation of a government agency whose job it would be to create and implement the proposed environmental regulations. That agency was the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

The first head of the EPA was William D. Ruckelshaus. In just the first few years of the EPA, under the leadership of Ruckelshaus, the agency, with the help of Congress, enacted several major environmental reforms.

The first significant reform took place shortly after the creation of the EPA. In December 1970, Congress passed the Clean Air Act. The purpose of the law was to tackle the growing problem of air quality and pollution. One of the things the law did was to give the EPA the authority to set national air quality, auto emission, and anti-pollution standards.

Other early reforms the EPA helped to implement included restrictions on lead-based paint on children’s products, fuel economy testing on vehicles, an agreement to clean up the Great Lakes, a ban on DDT, and the Clean Water Act.

The scope of the EPA has only expanded since those early years. However, after a substantial number of environmental reforms during President Barack Obama’s presidency, President Donal Trump has focused primarily on rolling back environmental regulations. The Trump administration has made significant rollbacks in the areas of air pollution and emission standards, drilling standards, animal protection, and water quality standards.

How does the EPA work?

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is an independent federal agency. It has its headquarters in Washington, D.C. It also has locations around the country — These locations include offices, labs, and research centers.

The EPA is led by an administrator, appointed by the president and approved by Congress. It is currently under the leadership of EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler, the 15th administrator of the EPA.

Under the administrator are 11 assistant administrators, each of whom oversees a department within the EPA. Departments within the EPA include the Office of Air and Radiation, the Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention, and the Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance. The agency also has 10 regional administrators who oversee EPA activities in particular regions of the country.

What does the EPA do?

The mission of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is to develop and enforce regulations to protect human health and environmental health. The agency works to ensure the quality of air, land, and water and to reduce environmental risks. It works to ensure that already contaminated resources are cleaned up and that contaminates are identified and banned to reduce further pollution.

The EPA carries out its responsibilities in many different ways, including:

  • Developing and enforcing regulations
  • Giving grants
  • Studying environmental issues
  • Teaching people about the environment
  • Publishing information

Developing and enforcing regulations

Often, when Congress passes a law, they have to give regulatory authority to a particular government agency. The laws that Congress passes are often not prescriptive enough to tell stakeholders how to abide by the law. Instead, an agency creates rules to carry out the law.

When Congress passes environmental legislation, they’ll often provide the EPA with the authority to write regulations for that law. For example, the Clean Air Act that Congress passed in 1970 gave the EPA the power to set air quality standards.

When the EPA writes regulations for federal laws, there is a period of public input where anyone can submit comments on a proposed rule. After the proposed change has gone through the necessary steps, it becomes a final rule, codified in the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR). Once that happens, it is legally binding.

Through its regulatory responsibilities, the EPA can regulate the activities of individuals, businesses, state and local governments, and non-profit organizations.

The EPA also ensures compliance with federal environmental laws and regulations. Many of the rules the EPA enforces place specific requirements on state governments or businesses. The EPA works with those entities to ensure they know the requirements and can follow them.

To do this, the EPA publishes compliance documents and provides training to organizations to help teach them about federal regulations.

As a part of their enforcement activities, the EPA has an environmental justice program. Through this program, it identifies violations of federal regulations, both civil and criminal. When the EPA wants to pursue a civil or criminal violation, they work directly with the U.S. Department of Justice or the states’ attorneys general. Most cases are civil, and criminal action usually only occurs for the most severe offenses, where an individual is intentionally breaking federal law.

Giving grants

Another primary role of the EPA is to award grants to causes that promote environmental and human health. The EPA awards more than $4B in grants annually to organizations ranging from small non-profit organizations to large corporations and governments.

The EPA oversees dozens of grant opportunities. An example of an EPA grant is one that funds projects and programs that increase air quality. They also have grants available to state and local governments who make a concerted effort to address environmental issues at the local level.

Studying environmental issues

The Office of Research and Development within the EPA is tasked with completing scientific research on environmental issues. They research solutions to some of the most challenging problems facing the environment and human health.

The research they complete helps them to craft their regulations. It also allows them to educate local governments, businesses, and organizations about relevant environmental issues.

Teaching people about the environment

One of the primary roles of the EPA is education. It works to educate the public to help them become better stewards of the environment. It also works directly with schools and educators to help them to develop lesson plans to teach children about critical environmental issues.

Publishing information

A federal law passed in 2002 requires that government agencies inform the public about their activities. The EPA is no exception. Primarily, the EPA publishes information about the regulations they write and programs they run. These programs include environmental grants that are available.

In addition to reporting on their activities, the EPA publishes information that will be useful to the public. They publish environmental data, educational materials, and the results of their scientific research.

What are EPA standards?

One of the primary roles of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) through its regulatory authority is to create standards for a variety of environmental issues. It enforces those standards by taking civil or criminal action against individuals, governments, and corporations who violate them.

One example of the EPA standards is emission standards regulations that are a result of the Clean Air Act. The EPA sets specific criteria for the emissions that can come from particular sources. For example, there are specific emission standards for different types of vehicles, such as cars, heavy trucks, and motorcycles.

The EPA also creates water standards through the regulatory authority it has through the Clean Water Act. The goal of the law is to “maintain the chemical, physical, and biological integrity of the Nation’s waters.” The EPA accomplishes this by setting standards for different water-related issues.

What are some EPA programs?

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has several programs to help consumers, energy providers, and state policymakers access the information they need. The programs focus on renewable energy, energy efficiency, regional energy programs, corporate recognition, waste, and transportation.

  • The EPA’s Safer Choice Program is all about helping consumers to make safer, more informed purchasing decisions. The EPA shares information about products that are more environmentally friendly, as well as safer for human health. The products the EPA promotes include household cleaners and car care products.
  • The AgStar program focuses on reducing the negative environmental impact of farms — The goals of this program include working to reduce methane emissions.
  • ENERGY STAR is a collaboration program between the EPA and the Department of Education. The goal of the program is to help families save on their energy bills by making more efficient decisions. The program includes guidance on energy-efficient products that families can purchase, tips for saving energy at home, and guidelines for building energy-efficient new homes.
  • The EPA’s WaterSense program works to ensure the health of our nation’s water by educating people on how to use less water — The program promotes water-efficient products and services.
  • Through its Green Vehicle Guide, the EPA shares information about vehicles that run more efficiently and emit fewer pollutants into the air. The EPA educates individuals about how green cars not only help the environment but are also more financially prudent.
  • In addition to programs it oversees at the federal level, the EPA also works with state and local governments to implement programs and legislation that reduce energy consumption, improve air quality, and promote public health. The EPA does this through its State and Local Climate and Energy Program.
  • WasteWise is an EPA program in which the agency works with organizations to improve sustainability and reduce the amount of waste they create. The program encourages the use of recyclable products and rewards organizations who are leaders in waste reduction.

How do I contact the EPA?

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has worked to make itself as accessible to the public as possible. It has many hotlines available for members of the public, no matter what issue they need help with. First, there are regional customer service lines. There are also specific hotlines available for particular topics. These hotlines provide information about current regulations and the latest research on issues, including asbestos, drinking water, environmental justice, and pollution.

The EPA has a national response center where individuals can report emergency events and spills. It also allows members of the public to report violations of environmental laws and regulations anonymously.

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This information is educational, and is not an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any security. This information is not a recommendation to buy, hold, or sell an investment or financial product, or take any action. This information is neither individualized nor a research report, and must not serve as the basis for any investment decision. All investments involve risk, including the possible loss of capital. Past performance does not guarantee future results or returns. Before making decisions with legal, tax, or accounting effects, you should consult appropriate professionals. Information is from sources deemed reliable on the date of publication, but Robinhood does not guarantee its accuracy.

Options trading entails significant risk and is not appropriate for all customers. Customers must read and understand the Characteristics and Risks of Standardized Options before engaging in any options trading strategies. Options transactions are often complex and may involve the potential of losing the entire investment in a relatively short period of time. Certain complex options strategies carry additional risk, including the potential for losses that may exceed the original investment amount.

Commission-free trading of stocks, ETFs and options refers to $0 commissions for Robinhood Financial self-directed individual cash or margin brokerage accounts that trade U.S. listed securities and certain OTC securities electronically. Keep in mind, other fees such as trading (non-commission) fees, Gold subscription fees, wire transfer fees, and paper statement fees may apply to your brokerage account. Check out Robinhood Financial’s Fee Schedule for details.

Brokerage services are offered through Robinhood Financial LLC, (RHF) a registered broker dealer (member SIPC) and clearing services through Robinhood Securities, LLC, (RHS) a registered broker dealer (member SIPC). Cryptocurrency services are offered through Robinhood Crypto, LLC (RHC) (NMLS ID: 1702840). Robinhood Crypto is licensed to engage in virtual currency business activity by the New York State Department of Financial Services. The Robinhood spending account is offered through Robinhood Money, LLC (RHY) (NMLS ID: 1990968), a licensed money transmitter. A list of our licenses has more information. The Robinhood Cash Card is a prepaid card issued by Sutton Bank, Member FDIC, pursuant to a license from Mastercard®. Mastercard and the circles design are registered trademarks of Mastercard International Incorporated. RHF, RHY, RHC and RHS are affiliated entities and wholly owned subsidiaries of Robinhood Markets, Inc. RHF, RHY, RHC and RHS are not banks. Products offered by RHF are not FDIC insured and involve risk, including possible loss of principal. RHC is not a member of FINRA and accounts are not FDIC insured or protected by SIPC. RHY is not a member of FINRA, and products are not subject to SIPC protection, but funds held in the Robinhood spending account and Robinhood Cash Card account may be eligible for FDIC pass-through insurance (review the Robinhood Cash Card Agreement and the Robinhood Spending Account Agreement).

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