[Hootowl99]

Very good description of the early years of the EPA versus the malevolency it evolved to. From my experience, the EPA shifted its mission largely in the Jimmy Carter tenure as it began to phase out its engineer and scientist driven culture to one dominated by lawyers and agenda driven activists of various stripes. For several decades, the best and brightest of their tech experts have become fewer in number and largely kept in a closet away from non-managed interaction with the public lest a political agenda be compromised. Republican administrations and Congress have been unable or unwilling to wind the EPA back to its positive roots.

[henkster]

The EPA is like the labor union movement. Once upon a time, they both served positive purposes. Those purposes have now been accomplished.

Both have become unnecessary evils.