The Environmental Protection Agency - (Understanding Our Government) by Robin Collin (Hardcover)

About the Book

The Environmental Protection Agency is a young and dynamic federal agency facing the challenges of modern environmental protection. The political controversies and social impacts of the agency are immense, involving courts, legislatures, and elected officials, and the effects of its actions are far reaching, affecting every single person in the United States.

After a brief history of the agency, chapters describe its organization, programs, controversies, key events, notable people, and impact on society. Topics covered include the Exxon Valdez oil spill, Three Mile Island, and The Clean Air Act, as well as biographies on administrators Carol Browner, William Ruckelhaus, and Anne M. Gorsuch.

Book Synopsis

The Environmental Protection Agency is a young and dynamic federal agency facing the challenges of modern environmental protection. The political controversies and social impacts of the agency are immense, involving courts, legislatures, and elected officials, and the effects of its actions are far reaching, affecting every single person in the United States.

After a brief history of the agency, chapters describe its organization, programs, controversies, key events, notable people, and impact on society. Topics covered include the Exxon Valdez oil spill, Three Mile Island, and The Clean Air Act, as well as biographies on administrators Carol Browner, William Ruckelhaus, and Anne M. Gorsuch.

Review Quotes

"[T]his book profiles the Environmental Protection Agency, the federal government agency responsible for drafting and enforcing environmental protection rules, regulations, and laws. There is considerable useful material in the book. Collin provides a brief history of the agency, along with a description of its administrative structure, day-to-day operations, traditions, and culture. Of particular interest is the chapter Controversies and Issues, which reviews such high-profile cases as Love Canal, the Exxon Valdez oil spill, Three Mile Island, and a number of others. An appendix profiles many of the agency's administrators, from William Ruckelshaus, the first administrator in the Nixon administration, to Carol Browner of the Clinton administration, the agency's longest serving head. A helpful chronology of key events in EPA history follows....Recommended. All levels." --Choice

"Aimed at high school students, this review of the EPA covers both the traditions and controversies that have shaped this relatively new government agency. Collin reviews the EPA's history and organizational structure, notable cases affecting the agency, daily activities, and future challenges. The text includes biographies of important EPA administrators, a chronology of key events, the executive order creating the agency, and principles of environmental justice." --SciTech Book News

About the Author