Federalism and Environmental Protection: Case Studies for Drinking Water and Ground-Level Ozone
Abstract
In 1970, the federal government established the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and began to take over a large part of the decisionmaking responsibility for environmental protection that had previously belonged to state and local governments. By 1974, the Congress had charged that newly created agency with the responsibility for establishing national standards for air pollutants, drinking water contaminants, and water pollutants discharged by industries. Since 1974, federal decisionmaking responsibility has continued to expand. It now includes selling performance standards for treating and disposing of hazardous wastes, issuing regulations to reduce the risks from the production and use of commercial chemical substances, and evaluating the need for cleaning up abandoned hazardous waste sites.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Nov 01, 1997
- Accession Number
- ADA332615
Entities
Organizations
- Congressional Budget Office