Whether you are a believer in climate change or pull extreme weather events out of your hat, the EPA is vital to reducing possible pollution and ensuring a safe, clean environment for ourselves and future generations. The EPA is an independent executive agency of the U.S. federal government that was created in response to growing environmental concerns in the 1960s, with a mission to protect human health and the environment by enforcing these regulations, which establishes limits on pollution, prevents environmental degradation, and promotes sustainable practices. The EPA is a U.S. federal agency that works with federal, state and local governments to develop policies to solve the biggest environmental issues of our generation.
EPA’s Mission and Purpose
The EPA’s mission is built upon the tenet of environmental stewardship — the recognition that we have a shared responsibility to safeguard natural resources and ecosystems for the future. This is accomplished by enforcing a variety of environmental laws, by conducting research on environmental problems, and by educating the public about the need for sustainability. In doing so, the EPA seeks to protect the air, water, and land from the damaging effects of pollution and degradation.
Enforcing Environmental Laws
A major responsibility of the E.P.A. is carrying out environmental laws that help reduce pollution and the depletion of natural resources. The EPA is responsible for enforcing multiple significant federal statutes, including:
Clean Air Act (CAA): This law regulates the emissions of pollutions from the industries and vehicles so that there is less pollution in the air and the air quality is improved.
Clean Water Act (CWA): This law protects the nation’s waters from pollution that could impact ecosystems and public health.
Under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA), the EPA has the ability to regulate chemicals and hazardous materials, including their safe production, use, and disposal.
Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA or Superfund): CERCLA funds cleanup of hazardous waste sites, and ensures that the companies responsible for polluting pay for clean-up.
The EPA enforces these laws to hold industries and people accountable to keep pollution at bay so that communities and ecosystems have less adverse impacts from pollution.
Addressing Climate Change
Among the biggest environmental threats facing us today is climate change, and the EPA is leading the charge in combating it. The EPA protects human health and the environment by regulating greenhouse gas emissions and promoting renewable energy and energy efficiency to reduce the carbon footprint of the nation. The Clean Power Plan, for instance, aimed to cut carbon emissions from power plants, one of the biggest sources of greenhouse gases in the United States.
Beyond regulating what comes out of smokestacks and tailpipes,
the EPA researches the impacts of climate change and advocates policies to help reduce its damage. Recognizing the global nature of the climate challenge, the agency also engages with international organizations to address global climate challenges.
The IEA is to be Commended for Pushing Sustainability and Environmental Justice
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is dedicated to helping sustain the environment—doing so in a way that protects the environment and promotes economic growth and development. The agency promotes sustainable practices in agriculture, manufacturing and energy production. This involves encouraging the use of renewable energy sources, such as wind and solar energy, and decreasing dependence on fossil fuels, which are major sources of pollution and climate change.
Environmental justice is another one of the EPA’s priorities. The agency works to provide all communities, especially disadvantaged and minority populations, with equal access to a healthy environment. Marginalized communities have always been disproportionately impacted by environmental pollution, exposing them to higher levels of toxins and hazardous waste. The existing disparities in the environmental burden of engines is one of the key pieces of work that the EPA’s Environmental Justice Program is addressing — ensuring that every community receives the protection from environmental exposures that it deserves.
Protecting Public Health
The EPA does not just work to protect the environment; it works to protect public health. Pollutants like air toxins, toxic chemicals and tainted water can lead to serious health problems, including respiratory illnesses and cancer. The EPA establishes air and water quality standards that reduce exposure to noxious substances, and as a result lowers health risks.
For instance, the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) is a federal law that sets the national health-based standards for drinking water to protect against both naturally occurring and man-made contaminants that may be found in drinking water. That’s not the only thing the EPA looks at: the agency also monitors air quality, through the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS), which sets limits on the concentration of ozone, sulfur dioxide and other pollutants that can lead to respiratory problems and other health issues.
Addressing Climate Change
Climate change is one of the greatest environmental challenges we face today, and it is the EPA that is taking the lead to address it. The EPA protects human health and the environment by regulating greenhouse gas emissions, supporting renewable energy and energy efficiency to provide the nation with a cleaner carbon footprint. The Clean Power Plan, for one, was intended to reduce carbon emissions from power plants, which are among the largest sources of greenhouse gases in the United States.
In addition to regulating emissions from smokestacks and tailpipes, the EPA studies the effects of climate change and promotes policies to mitigate its harm. Understanding that the climate challenge is truly global, the agency also partners with international organizations to help combat global climate issues.
Kudos to IEA for Raising Sustainability and Environmental Justice
The EPA is committed to the task of helping to protect and preserve the environment in a manner that encourages taking economic growth and development as given. The agency supports sustainable practices in agriculture, manufacturing and energy production. This means promoting the use of renewable energy sources, such as wind and solar power, and reducing reliance on fossil fuels, which are key contributors to pollution and climate change.
Environmental justice is another priority of the E.P.A. The agency strives to ensure that all communities, particularly overburdened and underserved populations, have equal access to a cleaner environment. Environmental pollution has always affected marginalized communities disproportionately, making them more vulnerable to high levels of toxins and hazardous waste. One of the critical areas of work that we are undertaking in EPA’s Environmental Justice Program is to work to address these existing disparities in the environmental burden of engines — to ensure that every community receives the protection from environmental exposures it deserves.
Protecting Public Health
The EPA isn’t only about protecting the environment; it’s about protecting public health. Health issues linked to pollutants such as air toxins, toxic chemicals and contaminated water can be serious and range from respiratory problems and skin irritation to cancer. The Environmental Protection Agency sets air and water quality standards that decrease exposure to toxic substances and in turn reduces health risks.
For example
the Safe Drinking Water Act or (SDWA) is the federal law that regulates the national health-based standards for drinking water to protect against both naturally occurring and man-made contaminants that may be found in drinking water. That’s not the only thing the E.P.A. considers: the agency also tracks air quality, via the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS), which establish limits on the concentration of ozone, sulfur dioxide and other pollutants that can contribute to respiratory problems and other health conditions.
