Highlights for Some Agencies

 
Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) 

CERCLA (1980)
Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization Act of 1986 (SARA)
Hazardous and Solid Waste Amendments of 1984 (Amendments to the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act, or RCRA) 

Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) 

Consumer Product Safety Act (1972, amended 1981)
Federal Hazardous Substance Act (1980, amended 1981)
Poisson Prevention Packaging Act (1970, amended 1981)

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) 

Established by Act of Congress, December 2, 1970
Clean Air Act (CAA) (1970, amended 1974, 1977)
Clean Water Act (CWA) (1972, amended 1977, 1978)
Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA or Superfund) (1980)
Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization Act of 1986 (SARA)
Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) (1948, amended 1972, 1975, 1978)
Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) (1976)
Hazardous and Solid Waste Amendments of 1984 (HSWA)
Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) (1974, amended 1977, 1986)
Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) (1976)
Asbestos Hazard Emergency Response Act of 1986
Marine Protection, Research and Sanctuaries Act (1972, amended almost every year since passage)
Uranium Mill Tailings and Radiation Control Act (1978) (also amended through the Nuclear Regulatory Commission Authorization Act (1982))
Food Quality Protection Act (FQPA) (1996)

National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) 

Established by the Occupational Safety and Health Act (1970) in the DHHS in order to provide research, development, and training in occupational health and safety.

 

Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) 

Established by the Occupational Safety and Health Act (1970) in the Department of Labor in order to enforce workplace safety. 

Food and Drug Administration (FDA) 

The original Food and Drug Act was passed by Congress and signed by President Theodore Roosevelt in 1906.  In 1907, the U.S. Bureau of Chemistry began administering the Food and Drug Act.  In 1927, a separate enforcement agency was formed, the Food, Drug, and Insecticide Administration.  In 1931 the name of this agency was changed to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).  A five-year battle over complete revision of the original Act culminated in the passage of the Food, Drug, and Cosmetics Act of 1938 (see History of Food Regulation).

Food, Drug, and Cosmetics Act [1906 (predecessor), 1938, amended 1958, 1960, 1962, 1968, 1976]


National Institutes of Health (NIH)

Part of the U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services, including the NIEHS and NCI.  The NIEHS(National Institute for Environmental and Health Sciences) conducts basis research on environmental and health topics.
 

National Cancer Institute (NCI)

Founded in 1937, the National Cancer Act of 1971 expanded the NCI role to include support of basic, translational, and clinical cancer research.  However, NCI lost its bioassay programs to NTP in 1978.