The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) celebrated its 40th anniversary on Thursday. EPA staff and outside groups and individuals commemorated the event in a variety of ways throughout the week. Below is a list of the activities that took place this week.
On Monday, the Aspen Institute, an international nonprofit dedicated to fostering enlightened leadership and open-minded dialogue, unveiled a list of 10 ways EPA has strengthened America over the past 40 years. That list can be found at the institute’s website. Administrator Lisa P. Jackson joined Aspen Institute president and CEO Walter Isaacson to discuss the list at event in Washington.
On Tuesday, Jackson traveled to Atlanta to visit with EPA regional staff and sign an MOU with the Coretta Scott King Young Woman’s Leadership academy to provide guest lecturers and project demonstrations and assist the school with its science and math program. As part of the 40th celebration, the administrator also joined National Academy of Sciences (NAS) President Ralph Cicerone at an event announcing an NAS study into how EPA can better incorporate sustainability into its programs.
Also on Tuesday, EPA’s Mountain States and South Central regional offices held educational events with former regional administrators to discuss the progress made in the past 40 years.
On Wednesday, Jackson traveled to New York, where she again met with EPA regional staff and held an event with students from the New York Harbor School, who shared their environmental work with the administrator and employees from EPA’s regional office.
EPA’s Southwest and Mid-Atlantic offices also held events Wednesday, including an employee acknowledgement ceremony in Los Angeles and an employee reunion in Philadelphia.
On Thursday, the anniversary of the day EPA opened its doors for business, Jackson held an event with EPA staff at headquarters that also was broadcast to the regional offices. Jackson was joined by Department of the Interior Secretary Ken Salazar, Department of Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano, Department of Labor Secretary Hilda Solis and Department of Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood at the event. California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger also spoke to EPA employees via satellite. EPA also hosted an educational panel discussion in Seattle and an event highlighting interesting and unusual EPA jobs in New York City.
On Friday, Harvard University is holding a daylong conference in honor of EPA’s 40th anniversary. There will be several panel discussions featuring representatives from EPA and other government bodies, academia and the non-profit and private sector.
Source: U.S. EPA
