How Environmental Policy is Made in the United States

As you probably already are aware of, the government of the United States consists of three separate but interdependent branches that are the Legislative, Executive, and Judicial. Each has a part in creating policy but the two that are most important in creating environmental policy are the Legislative and Execute branches. The function of Congress has two main duties. One of them is to approve and oversee government policy by passing laws that establish new agencies or control existing ones. The other important task of Congress is to oversee the functioning and funding of the various agencies that they have created. The President and his staff that work in tandem to oversee all of the various agencies created by Congress head the Executive branch. The president also proposes budgets legislation, and appointees for positions, which in turn must be approved by the Congress. Enough with the government lesson though. Let's look at the major federal agencies that are concerned with establishing regulations and implementing environmental laws in the United States.

1. White House Office. The White House office is primarily responsible for the drafting of proposals dealing with overall policy for the environment. They also perform agency coordination.

2. Office of Management and Budget. This agency is responsible for the budget and agency coordination and management.

3. Council on Environmental Quality. This federal agency is concerned with creating new environmental policies along with agency coordination and issuing environmental impact statements.

4. Department of Health and Human Services. This agency deals with the health issues concerning the environment.

5. Environmental Protection Agency. This agency works with air, water, and noise pollution. They also are concerned with managing pesticide use, solid wastes, radiation, and toxic substances.

6. Department of Justice. Concerned with creating Environmental litigation.

7. Department of the Interior. This agency has the special task of handling endangered species, energy, minerals, National parks, public lands, fish and wildlife, and water development.

8. Department of Agriculture. Works to conserve soil and regulate forestry.

9. Department of Defense. This agency performs civil works construction, dredge and fill permits, and pollution control from defense facilities.

10. Nuclear Regulatory Commission. This agency is concerned with the licensing and regulation of the use of nuclear power in the United States.

11. Department of State. Deals with international environmental issues.

12. Department of Commerce. Works with oceanic and atmospheric monitoring and research.

13. Department of Labor does work on occupational health.

14. Department of Housing and Urban Development. This agency develops housing, urban parks, and urban planning.

15. Department of Transportation. Works to lower airplane noise and oil pollution. They also work on mass transit and roads.

16. Department of Energy. Develops energy policy and petroleum allocation.

17. Tennessee Valley Authority. Regulates Electric power generation.

As you can see, there are many organizations responsible for every aspect of the environment. Though it is nice to have parts of government check each other's powers, the result is slow moving legislation that does not provide the answers to the problems of today.