Public outcry over environmental tragedies drove the formation by President Nixon in December 1970 of an independent agency to enforce environmental policy.
Five of the six former EPA administrators give their perspectives of the bumpy, but overall successful, history of the agency and of what's needed for its future.
EPA's relationship with the chemical industry has convinced industry leaders that a strong EPA is necessary, but many say EPA must be reformed to be more cost-effective.
Environmental leaders give EPA mixed reviews, admitting agency had early success in cleaning up and preventing gross pollution while worrying about EPA's future direction.
Environmental scientists and engineers fault EPA for its shifting and short-term research focus and criticize the way the agency integrates science into decision-making.
Current politics are accelerating the push for states and localities to assume a new and stronger role in establishing a balance in environmental protection.
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