Fact BoxUnited States Environmental Protection Agency  Headquarters- 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W., Washington, D.C. Administrator -- Gina McCarthy Employees (2010) 17,384 Annual budget (2015) $9.4 billion Website- epa.gov Overview The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is tasked with protecting the natural environment and public health as it relates to the environment. Its primary responsibility is to establish and enforce national standards relating to the environment; this is carried out through research, assessment and education. The EPA handles ground, water and air pollution, including containment and prevention. Hazardous waste disposal also falls under the jurisdiction of the EPA, and includes oil and chemical spills. History The EPA was created in 1970 by President Richard Nixon in order to repair damage done to the natural environment and to establish standards to prevent further degradation. The EPA consolidated into one agency the federal research, monitoring, standard-setting, and enforcement that had previously been carried out by disparate departments. During the 1960s, the public’s awareness of the environment began to extend past the naturalist’s appreciation and into the concern of modern day environmentalists. This shift was greatly facilitated by Rachel Carson, whose 1962 book Silent Spring alerted the public to the extensive dangers of pesticides and other pollutants. A decade later in 1972, the caustic pesticide DDT was banned by the EPA for most uses in the U.S. The DDT ban was the EPA’s first momentous accomplishment and lifted hopes that the agency would have a significant impact on steering the nation into equilibrium with the natural world. During President George W. Bush’s two terms in office, EPA policy was heavily affected by Bush policy and the fact that members of his administration, such as Vice-President Dick Cheney, had ties to the industries that are supposed to be regulated by the EPA. Cheney, for example, was CEO of Halliburton, a multinational corporation that has oil, gas and chemical interests. Through Halliburton, Cheney was tied to oil giants like Chevron, with whom Halliburton carries multi-billion dollar contracts. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice was a Chevron Director from 1991 until 2001, when President George W. Bush appointed her as National Security Adviser. President Bush Jr. himself was involved in the oil industry, in ventures that included Arbusto Energy, Spectrum 7, and Harken Energy. Under the Obama administration, the EPA has reversed much of the controversial activity that took place during the Bush presidency. What it Does More than half of all EPA employees are engineers, scientists, and environmental protection specialists. Other employees include legal, public affairs, financial, and computer specialists. The following are individual offices within the EPA, as well as their respective responsibilities:
Where Does the Money Go? In 2010–11, the EPA has spent $2,513,390,034 in over 37,000 transactions with contracted companies. The types of services that the agency has spent the most on are hazardous substance removal ($232,112,446), architect/engineering ($193,062,371), various unspecified professional services ($177,293,874), technical assistance ($131,457,762), and ADP software ($126,643,714). The top five providers of such services during that period are: 1. Computer Sciences Corporation $201,663,075 2. CH2M Hill Companies Ltd. $122,260,207 3. Tetra Tech Inc. $76,461,556 4. ICF International Inc. $76,020,769 5. SRA International Inc. $67,475,896  Data on the Environmental Protection Agency Source
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