Advances in environmental science over the twentieth century are what have pushed our environmental policies forward. Measurement methods and an increased understanding of matter, particles, and substances led to federal regulations of air quality; these regulations are still politically-debated as scientists continue to discover causes of air pollution from our daily activities. The Clean Air Act regulates specific pollutants through the National Ambient Air Quality Standards, and has established regulations on vehicle emissions. Similarly, for water pollution; the discovery of new harmful chemicals and additional sources of runoff into rivers and bodies of water have increased the regulations put in place to protect those natural resources. The Clean Water Act deals with the control of acid rain, acid mine drainage, mercury, and “priority pollutants,” especially in our drinking water.
In 2019, let us remember that transforming and revising established policy is key to keeping up with problems which science and research uncover in our nation. The initial chlorination of drinking water was done in 1908, some 6 years after the first studies of our water quality. A study of water pollution in 1925 led to the Clean Water Act. In 1969, the National Environmental Policy Act began to require our legislators to evaluate the environmental impact of every law passed, leading to numerous new laws and regulations showing more care for the planet.
As our knowledge and understanding of environmental issues has evolved over the last century, so has our environmental management policy. Such is the case with almost all issues that have research or scientific study behind them; as science progresses, so should the legislation.