United States Environmental Protection Agency

A group helps our earth.

This group is the EPA. It started in 1970. A leader named Richard Nixon helped start it.

The group works to keep the air clean. They also work to keep water safe. Many people work there. Most are scientists or engineers. They study the land to help us. This keeps our world healthy.

They work hard every day.

The Environmental Protection Agency is called the EPA. It is a part of the United States government. Its job is to protect nature.

In the 1960s, many people worried about pollution. A book called Silent Spring warned about chemicals. In 1970, President Richard Nixon started the EPA. He wanted one group to handle many jobs.

William Ruckelshaus was the first leader of the EPA. The agency grew very fast. Congress passed laws like the Clean Air Act. This law helps keep the air safe to breathe. The Clean Water Act was also passed. This law helps keep our water clean.

Today, the EPA has many workers. Most are scientists or engineers. They study the land and water. They also have 27 labs across the country.

The EPA works with states and tribes. They help stop pollution before it starts. They also make sure companies follow the rules. This helps keep the whole country healthy.

The Environmental Protection Agency, or EPA, is a special part of the United States government. Its main job is to protect the environment for everyone.

The agency does research to learn about nature. It also teaches people how to stay safe. The EPA makes sure that national rules for the environment are followed. It works closely with state, tribal, and local governments to do this. Sometimes, the agency uses fines or other measures to stop pollution.

To protect the country, the EPA uses many different tools. It conducts assessments to see how healthy the land and water are. The agency also manages many laboratories to study these things. There are 27 of these labs located across the country.

Most of the people working at the EPA are experts. More than half are engineers, scientists, or specialists. Other workers include people who study law, money, or computers. In 2023, the agency had over 16,000 full-time employees.

People began to worry about the environment in the late 1950s. Many were concerned about how human activities affected nature. In 1962, a writer named Rachel Carson published a book called Silent Spring. This book warned people about the dangers of using too many pesticides. Because of these worries, Congress talked about new laws. In 1969, they passed the National Environmental Policy Act. This law required the government to study how its actions might affect nature.

President Richard Nixon helped create the EPA in 1970. He proposed the idea on July 9, 1970. He wanted to bring many different pollution programs together into one place. The agency officially started working on December 2, 1970. William Ruckelshaus was the very first administrator of the agency.

In its first year, the EPA had a budget of $1.4 billion. It also had 5,800 employees to start its mission. Since January 29, 2025, the leader has been Lee Zeldin.

Over many years, new laws gave the EPA more power. In 1970, the Clean Air Act was expanded to help the air. In 1972, the Clean Water Act was passed to protect our water. In 1974, the Safe Drinking Water Act helped keep water safe for people. There was even a law called Superfund in 1980 to clean up dirty sites. These laws help the EPA work with industries to prevent pollution. This teamwork helps save energy and protects natural resources for the future.

The Environmental Protection Agency, or EPA, is an independent agency of the United States government. Its primary mission is to protect human health and the natural environment.

The agency manages environmental protection by conducting research, performing assessments, and providing education. It is responsible for maintaining and enforcing national standards under various U.S. environmental laws. To do this, the EPA works alongside state, tribal, and local governments. The agency can use enforcement powers like fines and sanctions to ensure rules are followed. It also runs voluntary programs to help industries prevent pollution and conserve energy.

To carry out these duties, the EPA uses a large network of experts and facilities. The agency is led by an administrator who is appointed by the president and approved by the Senate. Since January 29, 2025, Lee Zeldin has served as the administrator. While the EPA is not a Cabinet department, its leader is usually given cabinet rank. The agency is headquartered in Washington, D.C. It also maintains ten regional offices and 27 laboratories across the country.

These laboratories allow scientists to study environmental issues in different settings.

In 2023, the agency's budgeted workforce included 16,204.1 full-time equivalent employees. More than half of these workers are engineers, scientists, or environmental protection specialists.

The creation of the EPA was a response to growing public concern about pollution. During the late 1950s and 1960s, people worried about how human activities impacted nature. In 1962, Rachel Carson published a famous book called Silent Spring. This book alerted the public to the dangers of using too many pesticides. Later, in 1968, leaders in the House and Senate met to discuss a national environmental policy. This led to the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, or NEPA. NEPA required the government to prepare an environmental impact statement for major actions.

President Richard Nixon helped establish the EPA through an executive reorganization. On July 9, 1970, he proposed consolidating various federal pollution programs into one agency. This plan merged programs from the Department of Agriculture, the Department of the Interior, and the Public Health Service. The proposal was approved by the House and Senate after summer hearings. The EPA officially began operations on December 2, 1970. William Ruckelshaus became the first administrator after taking his oath on December 4, 1970.

In its first year, the agency had 5,800 employees and a budget of $1.4 billion.

Throughout the 1970s, Congress passed several laws that gave the EPA more regulatory authority. The Clean Air Act was expanded in December 1970 to address air pollution. In 1972, the Clean Water Act established a national framework for water quality. That same year, the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act was amended so the EPA could weigh pesticide risks against benefits. In 1974, the Safe Drinking Water Act required the agency to set standards for public water systems.

Other laws, like the Toxic Substances Control Act of 1976, allowed the EPA to regulate chemical production. The Resource Conservation and Recovery Act of 1976 also tasked the agency with managing solid and hazardous waste.

As the agency's workload grew, its size increased significantly. By the end of 1979, the EPA's budget had grown to $5.4 billion. The workforce also expanded to 13,000 employees to manage new legal mandates. In 1980, Congress passed the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act, known as "Superfund." This law allowed the EPA to clean up sites contaminated by hazardous waste. This was a response to the discovery of many abandoned or mismanaged waste sites.

The 1980s also brought changes in how the agency was managed. In 1981, President Ronald Reagan appointed Anne Gorsuch as administrator. She followed a "New Federalism" approach, which aimed to reduce the size of federal agencies. She believed the EPA was over-regulating businesses and was not cost-effective. During her 22 months in office, she cut the budget by 22% and reduced the number of enforcement cases. This period included tension between the agency and Congress regarding the management of the Superfund program.

Today, the EPA remains a central part of how the United States manages its natural resources. The agency uses technical expertise to balance industrial needs with environmental safety. It continues to use laboratories to monitor everything from engine exhaust to river health. By working with different levels of government, the EPA helps implement complex environmental laws. Its work connects science, law, and public policy to protect the country's ecosystems.