1970 was a banner year in environmental, health and safety history.  Many of the agencies, laws, and traditions of the movements were started that year.  Consequently, 2020 is a year for environmentalists and safety experts to celebrate the 50^th anniversary of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the Clean Air Act, the Occupational and Health and Safety Act, and the first Earth Day.

Environmental Protection Agency

Created December 2, 1970 The American conversation about protecting the environment began in the 1960s.  Rachel Carson had published her attack on the indiscriminate use of pesticides, Silent Spring, in In early 1970, as a result of heightened public concerns about deteriorating city air, natural areas littered with debris, and urban water supplies contaminated with dangerous impurities, President Richard Nixon presented the House and Senate a 37-point message on the environment and later a proposal to create the new Environmental Protection Agency. After conducting hearings during that summer, Congress approved the proposal. President Nixon signed the agency into existence on December 2 and the first Administrator took the oath of office on December 4.  

Clean Air Act

Signed December 31, 1970 The enactment of the Clean Air Act of 1970 resulted in a major shift in the federal government's role in air pollution control. The legislation authorized the development of comprehensive federal and state regulations to limit emissions from both stationary sources and mobile sources. In the act, four major regulatory programs were initiated: the National Ambient Air Quality Standards, State Implementation Plans, New Source Performance Standards, and National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants.  

Occupational Safety and Health Act

Signed December 29, 1970 In the 1960s occupational injuries and illnesses were increasing in both number and severity. Disabling injuries increased 20 percent during the decade, and 14,000 workers were dying on the job each year. Two legislators were pressing for prompt passage of workplace safety and health legislation. New Jersey Senator Harrison A. Williams Jr. and House Representative William A. Steiger worked for passage of a bill. On December 29, 1970, President Nixon signed The Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970, also known as the Williams-Steiger Act in honor of the two men who pressed so hard for its passage. The Act established three permanent agencies: the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA); the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH); and the Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission (OSHRC).  

Earth Day

National Teach-In April 22, 1970 In response to the public outcry over environmental justice issues, Earth Day Founder Gaylord Nelson, a former Governor of Wisconsin and then U.S. Senator, organized a nationwide "teach-in" about environmental issues to take place on April 22, 1970. More than 2,000 colleges and universities, 10,000 public schools, and 20 million citizens participated—nearly 10 percent of the U.S. population at that time.