Dec. 8, 2010 /EIN Presswire/ – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency turned 40 years old this week and honored environmental heroes at an anniversary celebration in Los Angeles.
For the past four decades, the EPA has advocated for clean air, safe water, the banning of harmful chemicals and the protection of lands where Americans live and work. Since its inception, the EPA has overcome a wealth of challenges that improved the environment, including establishing emission standards for carbon monoxide, banning smoking from indoor public places, passing the Clean Water Act, improving waste management and eliminating the use of the pesticide DDT.
The EPA was created by President Richard Nixon in 1970 as a response to the growing environmental grassroots movement and after the 1962 publication of Rachel Carson’s “Silent Spring” drew ire from the public about the indiscriminate use of pesticides.
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