U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is an independent federal regulatory agency headquartered in Washington, D.C., established on December 2, 1970, by President Richard Nixon. Its formal mission is to protect human health and to safeguard the natural environment — air, water, and land — upon which life depends. It was created in response to the growing environmental movement of the 1960s to consolidate national pollution-control efforts under one body.

The EPA implements and enforces major federal environmental statutes passed by Congress, including the Clean Air Act, the Clean Water Act, and CERCLA (Superfund). It sets and enforces limits on many types of pollution harmful to people, wildlife, and ecosystems. The agency operates through its D.C. headquarters and 10 regional offices covering all U.S. states and territories.

At scale, the EPA's FY2024 budget request included approximately 17,077 full-time equivalent staff. Nearly half of its budget flows to grants supporting state environmental programs, non-profits, educational institutions, and community cleanup projects. Historic accomplishments include banning DDT, phasing out leaded gasoline, and establishing foundational clean air and water protections.

As a regulatory body overseeing environmental standards across virtually every sector of the U.S. economy, the EPA is a critical stakeholder for innovations in environmental monitoring, pollution control, remediation technology, and sustainability practices.