Since the approval of the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), a more protective role in safeguarding the environment and the public health has been greatly regulated. According to Liu (2010), the EPA was introduced to implement environmental laws and control water, air, and land conditions. The decision making process on implementing laws involves not only congressional committees or the president; the EPA highly relies on interest groups. The EPA holds an advantage of acquiring congressional statutes of implementation, which gives the prospect to influence policies and rulemaking (Liu 2010).
The development of the EPA focuses on the protection of public health and as stated by the Congressional …show more content…
declaration of national environmental policy “assure for all Americans safe, healthful, productive, and esthetically and culturally pleasing surroundings” ( U.S. Cong. Code § 4331). This idea brought safety from health hazards; clean air, water, and safe food ensure that the country and the people live in a safe environment. President Nixon authorized the EPA with certain functions and roles; they were to establish and control, environmental protection guidelines, to establish research on environmental conditions and provide assistance on other combating environmental pollution; and finally, to assist the Council on Quality on the environment in adapting and recommending to the President new policies for environmental protection (Liu 2010).
A significant tool in the EPA is writing regulations; the rulemaking process is an important aspect of putting laws into effect.
Congress has given authority for the EPA and other federal agencies to create and enforce regulations on implementing laws. According to the EPA on creating a regulation; the steps in implementing a regulation in the EPA starts off from an issue; which then the EPA considers comments upon the issue from consumers to determine a final ruling. The consumers of the EPA are interest groups that help shape and comment on laws that can be configured into an appropriate policy. Once a regulation is completed, it is written in the Federal Register as the final ruling. Afterwards the rule is printed in the “Code of Federal Regulations” (CFR); “The CFR is the official record of all regulations created by the federal government” (EPA 2015). Office of Regulatory Policy and Management (ORPM) provides policy and analytical guidance and support to the EPA and regional offices; ORPM works to ensure consent with Executive Orders regarding regulatory development. An example of a policy rulemaking and operation from the EPA is the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) of 1976; the TSCA gives authority to mandate reporting, records, testing guidelines, and restrictions concerning toxic chemicals. The process promoted knowledgeable operations on evaluating new and existing substances and their risks, and gave ways to reduce pollutions that harmed the environment (EPA …show more content…
2015).
Evaluation
The agency as we look at, in my opinion delivers a great role in rulemaking through their steps of finding an issue and elaborating on the issue to move the implementation forward. The EPA makes comments and decisions on rulemaking; furthermore, a great part of their rulemaking process is that they give the consumers the ability to comment on the rulemaking process as well before it is finalized. This availability gives interest groups the power to add their own interest on what could be modified on the policy that can benefit the agency and our nation. The operational phase of implementing a policy concerning the EPA shows that the EPA has great approach in regulating and developing sustainable policies that operates with high resolutions from the outcomes of the revised policies.
Conclusion
Since the EPA was formed a great deal of safeguarding the environment and the public health has been seen.
The importance of implementing environmental laws helps a nation to become aware and protected from harmful conditions; the EPA has a great deal of controlling land conditions; such as, water or air pollutions that generates a more protective and healthy living for the public. The EPA helps regulate important environmental laws that benefit a great ratio of interest groups who highly contribute to the rulemaking process. Furthermore, our nation itself gains a great deal of protection from the EPA from their role of policy regulation and
implementation.