EPA: History and Organization

(15 min.) In July of 1970, the White House and Congress worked together to establish the Environmental Protection Agency in response to the growing public demand for cleaner water, air, and land. Since 1970, EPA has been working for a cleaner, healthier environment for the American people. EPA works to develop and enforce regulations that implement environmental laws enacted by Congress. EPA is responsible for researching and setting national standards for a variety of environmental programs and delegates to states and tribes the responsibility for issuing permits and for monitoring and enforcing compliance. Where national standards are not met, EPA can issue sanctions and take other steps to assist the states and tribes in reaching the desired levels of environmental quality. The EPA has very strict laws and the penalties can be extremely harsh.

Topics included in this safety video are: diverse responsibilities, EPA Homeland Security Strategy, emergencies, water security, laws and regulations, FIFRA or the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act, CWA - Clean Water Act, The Clean Air Act, The Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) , The Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA), and are the laws working.

Program comes with a CD-ROM of written materials, including test questions and answers. English title also includes PowerPoint presentation.