History of Environmental Regulation in US

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The environment movement of the 1960’s led to major environmental changes to address issues of water, oil and air pollution. Before the movement started, conservation only targeted the wilderness and sustainable resources such as trees used to produce timber. Environmental disasters gradually increased with incidents such as the 1969 oil slick caught fire in Cuyahoga River in Cleveland, Ohio (Barnhill, 2013).

Environmental pollution was caused by increased use of chemicals which affected both plants and animals. An example of these chemicals is DDT that was found tto cause cancer and genetic disorders (Barnhill, 2013). Another incident that contributed to the awareness is the pollution of the Great Lakes. In particular, Lake Erie was a practical symbol of environmental degradation. The lake suffered eutrophication, with excessive growth of algae and moss that utilized all the oxygen in the water, killing its aquatic life (Glin, n.d.).

The first fatal atomic accident occurred in 1961 when a small reactor was destroyed in Idaho. This accident exposed three men working at the plant to heavy radiation which subsequently killed them. Following this accident, there was renewed interest to prevent similar nuclear accidents. This prompted the implementation of safety measures.

The scarcity of deers in 1961 led the adoption of a law that advocated for the hunting of bucks only. The open season was canceled to protect wildlife in Ohio. Environmentalists became active in the 1960s and started airing their concerns over the increasing rate of environmental degradation (SGI, 2004).

An increased concern on pollutants in 1965 caused President Lyndon Johnson to endorse a publication which discussed how the environment was being destroyed by pollutants and in particular, the increasing levels of carbon dioxide caused by the increased use of fossil fuels.

These fossil fuels led to a rise in atmospheric temperature as a result of urbanization and industrialization. Increased carbon dioxide in the atmosphere has an effect on the growth of plants, whereby leaves develop an increased rate of carbon dioxide fixation (Taub, 2010).

The 1968 Farmington mine disaster prompted the US Congress to pass the Federal Coal Mine Safety and Healthy Act in 1969. The mine disaster killed 78 people when it exploded due to increased methane levels and explosive coal dust. A closure order for the mine was issued promtply, but it was later sealed perman (Stewart, 2011).

After the explosion, the Act required that surface coal mines undergo two annual inspections, while underground coal mines had to undergo four inspections annually (United States Department of Labor, 2013). Following this incident, the US government passed laws that required drugs be tested to determine their safety before they could be sold within the country (News Medical, 2013).

There were frequent air pollution episodes in New York City between 1962 and 1964 due to sulfur dioxide and smoke shade. One such episode occurred in 1966, prompting an increase in the number of clinic visits by people suffering from bronchitis and asthma. There were increased death rates as a result of the rise in temperatures (Lave & Seskin, 1975).

Conclusion

An article by Radford University (n.d) explains that due to the increase in these disasters in harming the environment, the U.S government made efforts to heighten environmental awareness to protect the safety and health of both and animal life. This was done through National Acts.

Reference List

Barnhill, D. (2013). The “New Environmentalism” of the 1960’s. Web.

Creating Habitats and Homes for Illinois Wildlife. A historical perspective. Web.

Department of Environmental Conservation (2013). Adirondack Forest Reserve. Web.

Dickinson State University (2013). The Boone and Crockett Club. Web.

Glin. Water Pollution in the Great lakes. Web.

Hartman, H. (2007). Milestones in Environmental Protection. Web.

Lave, L., & Seskin, E. (1975). Acute Relationships among Daily Mortality, Air Pollution, and Climate. Web.

News Medical (2013). History of Thalidomide. Web.

Radford University. Environmental History Timeline. Web.

Roberts, J. (2011). A Brief History of Waste Regulation in the United States and Oklahoma. Web.

SGI (2004). Hazel Henderson–A Message of Hope. Web.

Stewart, B. (2011). No.9: The 1968 Farmington Mine Disaster. Web.

Talbot, L. Conservation. Web.

Taub, D. (2010). Effects of Rising Atmospheric Concentrations of Carbon Dioxide on Plants. Web.

United States Department of Labor (2013). History of Mine Safety and Health Legislation. Web.

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History of Environmental Regulation in US

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