3b. History of Environmental Laws

The first environmental regulation in the United States dates back to the Rivers and Harbors Act of 1896, which was a law preventing placement of dredge and fill material in U.S. waters. It wasn’t until 1970 that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) was formed under the Nixon administration.That same year, the Clean Air Act was passed by Congress. The Act was designed to combat air pollution and other emerging pollution threats. In 1976 the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act, which is a waste disposal rule, was passed. Over time many amendments occurred to the original laws to refine and improve them.