Introduction - Science For Environmental Protection: The Road Ahead - page 5

Since its formation in 1970, EPA has played a leadership role in develop-
ing many fields of environmental science and engineering, from ecology to
health sciences and environmental engineering to analytic chemistry. EPA has
performed, supported, and stimulated academic research; developed environ-
mental education programs; supported regional science initiatives; supported the
development and application of new technologies; and, most important, en-
hanced the scientific information that creates a basis for regulatory decisions
(NRC 2000, 2003; Collins et al. 2008; Darnall et al. 2008; Kyle et al. 2008; San-
chez et al. 2008; NRC 2011). The broad reach of EPA science has also influ-
enced international policies and guided state and local actions. Some examples
of traditional EPA science-based and engineering-based initiatives are identify-
ing emerging ecologic and health problems, monitoring trends in ecologic sys-
tems and pollution, identifying human health hazards, measuring and modeling
population exposures, developing pollution-control technologies, supporting
health-based enforcement and standard-setting, tracking environmental im-
provement, and incorporating green chemistry concepts and pollution prevention
solutions.
Environmental Protection Agency Successes
EPA has successfully contributed to the reduction of pollution and im-
proved public health, human welfare, and environmental and ecosystem quality.
Its success has stemmed largely from the establishment and enforcement of its
regulatory programs under the Safe Drinking Water Act; the Clean Water Act;
the Clean Air Act; the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act; the
Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (also
known as Superfund); the Toxic Substances Control Act; and other statutes.
Such success would not be possible without scientific and engineering support
within the agency and outside by universities, colleges, and partnering agencies
and companies. An example of EPA's success involves the regulation of air pol-
lutants. Many conventional air pollutants have been dramatically reduced over a
20-year period (Figure 1-2)—a demonstration of the remarkable success that the
United States has achieved by amending and enforcing the Clean Air Act. It is
expensive to implement the Clean Air Act, but it has resulted in improved eco-
nomic welfare, including better health, improved labor productivity, and less
morbidity and mortality due to air pollution (EPA 2011b).
As shown in Table 1-1, there have been large declines in the emissions of
nitrogen oxide gases, volatile organic compounds, carbon monoxide, sulfur di-
oxide, lead, and particulate matter smaller than 10 µm in diameter and smaller
than 2.5 µm in diameter over the last 30 years. Despite a doubling of the US
gross domestic product during that period and large increases in vehicle-miles
traveled, population, energy consumption, and carbon dioxide emissions, regula-
tion of the transportation and industrial sectors has reduced emissions of con-
ventional air pollutants and brought about cleaner air (see Figure 1-2).