President Richard Nixon created the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency 35 years ago this month and over those decades the United States has seen major reductions in pollution in spite of a dramatic increase in the economy.

As one example, EPA said between 1970 and 2004, total emissions of the six major air pollutants dropped by 54 percent. This is particularly impressive when noted that the gross domestic product increased 187 percent, energy consumption increased 47 percent, and U.S. population grew by 40 percent during the same time, proof that economic growth and environmental protection do go hand in hand.

Visit EPA’s 35th Birthday Party webpage and to see how much progress there has been go online to the Report on the Environment.

12/2/2005