Birth of the Environmental Protection Agency

Ask students to open and begin the activity. They will be provided with background information on the birth of the EPA and DOCUMERICA Project, and directions to label the map with topics of environmental concern that they think relate to the photos around the country.

After students label the map and click “When You’re Done,” they will be challenged to speculate what kinds of legislation Congress passed during those early years of the EPA. They will be directed to a list of laws on the EPA’s website to find specific acts of Congress that the EPA became tasked with enforcing.

Students may find the following:

• The Clean Air Act “regulates air emissions from stationary and mobile sources.”
• The Clean Water Act establishes the basic structure for regulating discharges of pollutants into the waters of the United States and regulating quality standards for surface waters.”
• The Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act “provides for federal regulation of pesticide distribution, sale, and use.”
• The Noise Control Act of 1972 “establishes a national policy to promote an environment for all Americans free from noise that jeopardizes their health and welfare.”
• The Toxic Substances Control Act of 1976 “provides EPA with authority to require reporting, record-keeping and testing requirements, and restrictions relating to chemical substances and/or mixtures” and “addresses the production, importation, use, and disposal of specific chemicals including polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), asbestos, radon and lead-based paint.”
• The authority “to issue generally applicable environmental radiation standards” under the Atomic Energy Act of 1946 “was transferred to EPA” when it was formed.
• The Safe Drinking Water Act “was established to protect the quality of drinking water in the U.S. This law focuses on all waters actually or potentially designed for drinking use, whether from above ground or underground sources.”

After students explore the EPA’s website, conduct a class discussion based on the questions:

• Were [the regulations] passed in the early years of the EPA or later?
• Were there any issues not regulated that you feel should have been?