Do we need the EPA?

Rep. Gaetz of Florida has introduced a bill in Congress to “terminate” the Environmental Protection Agency. How good an idea is that?

Well, what does the EPA actually do? Have they been worthwhile?

To answer that question, consider how many of the following health and environmental actions taken by the EPA you think were a good idea:

Good     Bad
idea       idea

____     ­­­­­____   Enforce the Clean Air Act

____     ­­­­­____  Place restrictions on lead- based paint

____     ­­­­­____   Set national standards on six common air pollutants

____     ­­­­­____   Ban the widely-used pesticide DDT

____     ­­­­­____   Enforce the Clean Water Act

____     ­­­­­____   Phase out leaded gasoline

____     ­­­­­____   Regulate the quality of public drinking water

____     ­­­­­____   Control jet-plane noise

____     ­­­­­____   Ban federal awards, grants, etc. to polluting plants and facilities

____     ­­­­­____   Ban two cancer-causing pesticides

____     ­­­­­____   Require public water suppliers test their public water routinely

____     ­­­­­____   Hudson River clean-up

____     ­­­­­____   Stronger smog standard

____     ­­­­­____   Air pollution standards for oil and natural gas

____     ­­­­­____   First guidelines proposed to cut carbon pollution from existing power plants

Well, how do they stack up? Do you think the EPA has been useful in protecting your health and that of your community?

If so, mention that to your congresspeople. They need to know.

(BTW, more on these milestones and others at epa.gov/history.)