EPA, Who Needs It?
Toxic Waste Dump: The perfect place for your next community school?
4/1/25
My congressman's website states that he believes in freedom from government interference. That sounds like a great slogan, but it begs the question of why we would have ever legislated government interference in the first place. This current administration intends to severely cut several agencies' employees and functions. This piece is about the Environmental Protection Agency. Why would we ever want or need an agency whose function is to protect the environment? What happened that gave us the idea that the environment required protection? What about these?
· Love Canal.
· Exxon Valdez Oil Spill.
· Flint Water Crisis.
· Three Mile Island.
This administration proposes to cut 65% of the employees and completely eliminate the Office of Research and Development. This would eliminate 1,000 scientists and weaken the EPA’s capacity for monitoring pollution and cleanup. Big corporations have a poor record of policing themselves regarding the environment, especially when cleaning up their messes, which negatively impacts profits.
Please consider your home, neighborhood, and children's school. Would you like your community to be built on a toxic waste dump? You might not know. Who will answer the phone if you call with complaints? This administration has also indicated that regulations restricting businesses will be repealed. And businesses will not be held accountable for the harm they do, frequently with their perfect knowledge.
Please check the EPA website, https://www.epa.gov/newsreleases/epa-launches-biggest-deregulatory-action-us-history, to see if this is what you want, and then let your congressional representatives know.
The rest of this article includes some AI-generated information that consolidates the agency's intention and impact on environmental disasters.
My AI search produced the following synopsis:
The EPA addresses various environmental disasters caused by human activity, including oil spills, chemical releases, and contaminated land. These incidents can result from industrial accidents, improper waste disposal, or natural disasters exacerbated by human actions. The EPA also responds to large-scale emergencies like the Dust Bowl and the Great Pacific Garbage Patch.
Here's a more detailed look at some specific examples:
1. Oil Spills: The EPA's emergency response program deals with oil spills from tankers or offshore facilities, like the Torrey Canyon spill which impacted coastlines in England and France.
2. Chemical Releases: The EPA addresses releases of hazardous substances from industrial facilities, including those that can cause acute or chronic toxicity.
3. Superfund Sites: The EPA's Superfund program focuses on cleaning up hazardous waste sites, often contaminated by industrial activities or improper disposal.
4. Contaminated Land: Land contamination can result from various sources, including industrial activities, mining, waste disposal, and accidental spills, as highlighted by the Love Canal disaster.
5. Water Pollution: The EPA works to address water pollution from various sources, including industrial discharges, agricultural runoff, and contaminated groundwater.
6. Climate Change: The EPA acknowledges the impact of human activities on climate change, including the effects on human health and the environment.
7. Air Pollution: The EPA works to reduce air pollution from various sources, including vehicle emissions, industrial processes, and wildfires.
8. Natural Disasters: The EPA also responds to natural disasters, such as floods, droughts, and wildfires, when they are exacerbated by human actions.
9. Great Pacific Garbage Patch: This massive accumulation of marine debris in the North Pacific Ocean is a direct result of human waste and plastic pollution.
1. Regulatory Enforcement & Standard Setting
The EPA develops and enforces legally binding regulations based on environmental laws passed by Congress. This includes:
Air Quality: Setting National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) to limit pollutants like ozone and particulate matter.
Water Safety: Regulating contaminants in drinking water and overseeing wastewater treatment under the Clean Water Act.
Chemical Safety: Evaluating and managing risks from industrial chemicals, pesticides, and toxic substances (e.g., TSCA, FIFRA).
Waste Management: Governing hazardous waste disposal and promoting recycling/remediation (RCRA, Superfund programs).
2. Scientific Research & Risk Assessment
The EPA conducts environmental research to inform policy and public health decisions, including:
Studying the health impacts of pollutants (e.g., lead, PFAS, microplastics).
Assessing climate change risks and mitigation strategies.
Monitoring ecosystems to track biodiversity loss or contamination.
3. Compliance Monitoring & Enforcement
The agency ensures industries, states, and communities adhere to environmental laws by:
Inspecting facilities (e.g., factories, power plants).
Issuing fines or legal actions for violations (e.g., spills, illegal emissions).
Overseeing cleanup of contaminated sites (e.g., Superfund sites).
4. Public Health Protection
A central EPA focus is reducing exposure to harmful substances through:
Drinking Water Standards: Setting limits for contaminants like lead, arsenic, and bacteria.
Air Pollution Controls: Reducing smog, soot, and toxins linked to respiratory/cardiovascular diseases.
Environmental Justice: Addressing disproportionate pollution burdens in marginalized communities.
5. Partnerships & Education
The EPA collaborates with stakeholders to amplify its impact:
State/Tribal Programs: Delegating authority to local agencies for tailored enforcement.
Public Outreach: Educating citizens on issues like recycling, energy efficiency, and pollution prevention.
Grant Funding: Supporting projects like brownfield redevelopment or clean diesel initiatives.
6. Climate Change Mitigation
While priorities vary by administration, the EPA has historically:
Regulated greenhouse gas emissions (e.g., from vehicles, power plants).
Promoted renewable energy and energy efficiency programs.
Partnered internationally on global warming initiatives.
The EPA’s work is guided by foundational laws like the Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act, and Endangered Species Act, though its focus areas may shift with political leadership. Recent debates have centered on the balance between regulatory stringency and economic growth.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has pursued enforcement actions against multiple companies for chemical-related violations. Below are key cases highlighted in recent settlements and charges:
DuPont/Chemours
Faced multiple settlements for PFOA violations at the Washington Works facility (West Virginia) under the Clean Water Act, Safe Drinking Water Act, and Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA)1.
Resolved hazardous waste, air, and water violations at its Sabine River facility (Texas) in 20213.
TPC Group
Pleaded guilty to Clean Air Act violations in 2024 after explosions at its Port Neches, Texas, facility released hazardous substances. Fined over $30 million and required $80 million in facility safety upgrades4.
Dow Chemical
Settled in 2011 for $2.5 million over Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act, and RCRA violations at its Michigan complex5.
Dyno Nobel
Ordered in 2019 to pay $492,000 in penalties and provide emergency equipment to communities after anhydrous ammonia violations in Oregon3.
Amazon Services/Sirowl Technology
Issued Stop Sale orders in 2019 for distributing unregistered pesticides3.
Other Notable Cases
Three unnamed companies and 11 individuals charged in 2023 for disabling emissions controls6.
The Perchlorate Study Group (including Kerr-McGee, Goodrich, Aerojet, Lockheed) funded research cited in EPA chemical evaluations7.
Recent EPA actions also target manufacturers of high-priority chemicals like acrylonitrile and vinyl chloride under TSCA fee requirements2.