United States Environmental Protection Agency

About us

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) United States is an independent executive agency of the United States federal government tasked with environmental protection matters.

The agency conducts environmental assessment, research, and education. It has the responsibility of maintaining and enforcing national standards under a variety of environmental laws, in consultation with state, tribal, and local governments. EPA enforcement powers include fines, sanctions, and other measures.

It delegates some permitting, monitoring, and enforcement responsibility to U.S. states and federally recognized tribes. The agency also works with industries and all levels of government in a wide variety of voluntary pollution prevention programs and energy conservation efforts.

Many public health and environmental groups advocate for the agency and believe that it is creating a better world. Other critics believe that the agency commits government overreach by adding unnecessary regulations on businesses and property owners.