What does the EPA have to do with business?
Today’s blog is by Margaret Stewart, Executive Assistant at SafeSourcing.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) was established in December, 1970 in response to growing population concerns over heavy pollution. In the 50 years it has been around, the EPA, through research, monitoring, and enforcement activities, has accomplished numerous things, such as regulating clean drinking water, prohibiting hazardous toxic dumping, removing dangerous carcinogens from food and pesticides, removal of harmful lead from paint and gasoline, implementing recycling programs, and helping to reduce toxic air emissions. On top of that, the EPA helps with environmental cleanups, including natural disasters, oil spills, and brownfields. All of these things help to provide a safer and cleaner environment for people and animals.
With all the good the EPA does for our health, safety, and environment, they also make impacts on our daily lives and businesses. For example, over the last ten years there has been a rise in the number of Energy-Star appliances that use less water and other resources to perform household tasks, like heating, cooling, and washing. This in turn, can save residents hundred or even thousands off of their annual energy bill and help conserve resources.
The EPA has had tremendous impact on agriculture as well. By eliminating harmful pesticides, the food grown by farmers has become safer to eat. By eliminating industrial dumping, streams and rivers have been cleaner and safer to drink, allowing livestock to drink untainted water, thus living longer, healthier, and providing people with better, healthier, toxin-free milk and meat.
Possibly the biggest impact the EPA has made, however, is in the industrial sector, often with less than happy industry owners. For example, a factory has to spend significant amounts of money to prevent heart and lung disease-causing smog to be reduced, to safely contain and dispose of water-based industrial waste instead of dumping into fresh streams, lakes, and rivers, and using safe chemicals in products instead of cheaper, known carcinogens.
To help support environmental regulations, the EPA offers green awards to businesses that make positive change and steps toward healthier, greener business culture. Through education and green policies, the EPA has made huge positive impacts on the country over the past 50 years, helping not only the environment, but also the health and safety of wildlife, livestock, and every single person in this country.
For more information on how SafeSourcing can help your business stay green, or on our Risk Free trial program, please contact a SafeSourcing Customer Service representative. We have an entire team ready to assist you today.
