The Environmental Protection Agency:
A New Commitment to Environmental Quality
RICHARD D. VAUGHAN, Acting Commissioner
Solid Waste Management Office
Environmental Protection Agency
Rockville, Maryland
It is a pleasure to be here, and to address what is perhaps the oldest industrial
waste conference in America. The Purdue Conference is certainly among the
best-represented such meetings, providing a forum for exchange of technical
information from industrial laboratories, the university, and from government
agencies.
A few years ago, the problems discussed at this Conference, and the solutions
reported, would have appeared of practical interest primarily to industry, and of
professional interest to those in sanitary engineering and related fields.
Now, however, in light of the high level of public concern over environmental
pollution, and with such unpleasant discoveries as the existence of wide-spread
mercury pollution, we must regard these proceedings as having the highest social
importance. There is, without any doubt, a new demand for environmental quality
on the part of the public, and a new commitment to achieving this end on the part of
government.
A stereotyped view of engineering and other highly technical fields, holds that
they have basically little to do with human values, although they may give expression
to the intellectual achievements of man. I think that all of us here, however, can take
some satisfaction in the fact that the relationship between pollution control
technology and human values—the very quality of life—is real, and one that is
increasing appreciated by the public.
Many of you, if not indeed, everyone present at this Conference, has been
acutely aware of the fragmented nature of Federal programs in the pollution control
and environmental fields. The lack of a single focal point fur Federal environmental
programs has been inconvenient and even irksome to those outside of Government:
to professionals seeking information on the results of Federal research projects; to
local officials, businessmen and industrial managers requiring financial or technical
assistance; or to the concerned citizen who found it necessary to write to several
agencies and Departments for general information on pollution problems.
Still worse, Federal environmental programs were sometimes conducted in an
uncoordinated fashion, without proper regard for the total approach to
environmental improvement. At times, some Federal programs even seemed to be
working at cross-purposes.
President Nixon appointed a select advisory council under the direction of Mr.
Roy Ash to study executive organization in the Federal Government. Perhaps one of
the most significant recommendations of this Council concerned establishment of the
Environmental Protection Agency. A key rationale for establishing the new agency
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