UNITED STATES ENVIRONMENT PROTECTION AGENCY

MADE & PRESENTED BY-

TARANG GUPTA- 14176

TARANDEEP SINGH- 14175

WHAT IS EPA?

The United States Environmental Protection Agency is an agency of the U.S. federal government which was created for the purpose of protecting human health and the environment by writing and enforcing regulations based on laws passed by Congress. The EPA was proposed by President Richard Nixon and began operation on December 2, 1970, after Nixon signed an executive order. The agency is led by its Administrator, who is appointed by the president and approved by Congress. The current administrator is Gina McCarthy.

The EPA has its headquarters in Washington, D.C., regional offices for each of the agency's ten regions, and 27 laboratories. The agency conducts environmental assessment, research, and education. It has the responsibility of maintaining and enforcing national standards under a variety of environmental laws, in consultation with state, tribal, and local governments.

A BRIEF HISTORY

Beginning in the late 1950s Congress reacted to increasing public concern about the impact that human activity could have on the environment. A key legislative option to address this concern was the declaration of a national environmental policy. The statute that ultimately addressed this issue was the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969. The law was signed by President Nixon on January 1, 1970. It declared a national policy to protect the environment and created a Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) in the Executive Office of the President.

In 1970, President Richard Nixon proposed an executive reorganization that would consolidate many of the federal government's environmental responsibilities under one agency, a new Environmental Protection Agency. That reorganization proposal was reviewed and passed by the House and Senate.

EPA’S PERFORMANCE FOR 2014

EPA Yearly evaluates the success and effectiveness of its proposals and strategies. This is then published as a report which is accessible by the general public.

STRATEGIC GOAL 1Addressing Climate Change and Improving Air Quality

ADDRESS CLIMATE CHANGE. Minimize the threats posed by climate change by reducing greenhouse gas

emissions and taking actions that help to protect human health and help communities and ecosystems become more sustainable and resilient to the effects of climate change.

IMPROVE AIR QUALITY. Achieve and maintain health- and welfare-based air pollution standards and reduce

risk from toxic air pollutants and indoor air contaminants.

RESTORE AND PROTECT THE OZONE LAYER. Restore and protect the earth’s stratospheric ozone layer and protect the public

from the harmful effects of ultraviolet (UV) radiation. MINIMIZE EXPOSURE TO RADIATION. Minimize releases of radioactive material and be prepared to minimize exposure

through response and recovery actions should unavoidable releases occur.

PERFORMANCE FOR 2014

STRATEGIC GOAL-2 Protecting America’s Waters

PROTECT HUMAN HEALTH. Achieve and maintain standards and guidelines protective of human health in

drinking water supplies, fish, shellfish, and recreational waters, and protect and sustainably manage drinking water resources.

PROTECT AND RESTORE WATERSHEDS AND AQUATIC ECOSYSTEMS. Protect, restore, and sustain the quality of rivers, lakes, streams, and wetlands on

a watershed basis, and sustainably manage and protect coastal and ocean resources and ecosystems.

PERFORMANCE FOR 2014

STRATEGIC GOAL-3 Cleaning Up Communities And Advancing Sustainable Development

PROMOTE SUSTAINABLE AND LIVEABLE COMMUNITIES. Support sustainable, resilient, and liveable communities by working with local,

state, tribal, and federal partners to promote smart growth, emergency preparedness and recovery planning, redevelopment and reuse of contaminated and formerly contaminated sites, and the equitable distribution of environmental benefits.

PRESERVE LAND. Conserve resources and prevent land contamination by reducing waste generation

and toxicity, promoting proper management of waste and petroleum products, and increasing sustainable materials management.

RESTORE LAND. Prepare for, respond to accidental or intentional releases of contaminants, clean

up, and restore polluted sites for reuse. STRENGTHEN HUMAN HEALTH AND ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION IN

INDIAN COUNTRY. Support federally recognized tribes to build environmental management capacity,

assess environmental conditions and measure results, and implement environmental programs in Indian Country.

PERFORMANCE FOR 2014

STRATEGIC GOAL-4 Ensuring The Safety of Chemicals And Preventing Pollution

ENSURE CHEMICAL SAFETY Reduce the risk and increase the safety of chemicals that enter our products, our

environment, and our bodies. PROMOTE POLLUTION PREVENTION. Conserve and protect natural resources by promoting pollution prevention and the

adoption of other sustainability practices by companies, communities, governmental organizations, and individuals.

PERFORMANCE FOR 2014

STRATEGIC GOAL-5 Protecting Human Health And The Environment By Enforcing Laws And Ensuring Compliance

ENFORCE ENVIRONMENTAL LAWS TO ACHIEVE COMPLIANCE. Pursue vigorous civil and criminal enforcement that targets the most serious

water, air, and chemical hazards in communities to achieve compliance. Assure strong, consistent, and effective enforcement of federal environmental laws nationwide. Use Next Generation Compliance strategies and tools to improve compliance and reduce pollution.

PERFORMANCE FOR 2014

VISION FOR 2016

EPA's proposed budget defines EPA's program goals for fiscal year 2016 (October 1, 2015 to September 30, 2016) and associated resource requirements. The President's 2016 Budget is designed to bring middle class economics into the

21st century. It shows what we can do if we INVEST in America's future and commit to an economy that rewards hard work, generates rising incomes, and allows everyone to share in the prosperity of a growing America.

It lays out a strategy to strengthen our middle class and help America's hard-working families get ahead in a time of relentless economic and technological change.

For the EPA, the proposed budget of $8.6 billion seeks to further key work in addressing climate change and improving air quality, protecting our water, safeguarding the health and safety of the public from toxic chemicals, supporting the environmental health of communities, and working toward a sustainable environmental future for all Americans.

Central to this work is supporting our state, local, and tribal partners and working with them to deliver on our environmental and health improvements.