Question

The Clean Air Act is one of the most effective and most implemented laws. It’s been combating and regulation pollution from industry for decades. President Johnson signed fist law in the 1960s but the amendments came with the creation of the Environmental Protection Agency in the 1970s. The smog that killed in New York City stands out as one of the first movements in order to protect the people and combat air pollution. The Volkswagen recall goes to show how serious the standards for pollution continue to be for the future. With an increase in carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere, both naturally and inorganically by humans, climate change issues continue increases. Greenhouse gas limitations can protect both the environment and the health of individuals. I think this is a highly recognized law and more and more people are aware of it as climate change continues to be addressed in the news and within the administrations in office.

I think the least effective law is the superfund, CERCLA. This is one that changes administration to administration and is completely driven by the funds available. It is a law which Obama gave more money to the EPA and Trump reversed the funds almost immediately after taking office. If there is no money then project sites can’t advance. The EPA is able to identify places where the funds would be suited for clean up but the process is extremely slow and communities may never rebound fully. This is also an objective law as there is a list with the priorities of a sites which need clean up. What is important to one community may not be as important to another.

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Answer 1

Since the Environmental Protection Agency was created in 1970, it has made our air and water cleaner, prevented millions of asthma attacks and hospitalizations, and avoided hundreds of thousands of premature deaths, all while America enjoyed a growing economy and expanding population.

For the third year in a row, the Trump administration proposed deep cuts to EPA. These reductions would allow more lead, toxic chemicals, and contaminated water -- jeopardizing the health and safety of all Americans.

The result will be more asthma attacks and more toxic pollution in our communities.

EPA accounts for just 0.2 percent, or $8 billion, of a $4 trillion federal budget. The agency's budget already has been repeatedly cut by Congress in recent years and is already, in real dollars, close to its lowest level in forty years.

Going forward, Congress should not only maintain current funding levels, but begin to rebuild EPA’s ability to protect American families, after decades of budget cuts.

We need to be moving forward, not backward – especially when it comes to protecting children, the elderly, and others who are vulnerable to lung and heart disease.