October 1969

In July 1970, while Egypt was putting the finishing touches on the Aswan High Dam, and the Pittsburgh Pirates opened the doors to their brand-new Three Rivers Stadium, the United States was planning to unveil an edifice much grander, an environmental project of a scale perhaps not seen before or since. In that the hot summer, the White House under President Richard M. Nixon worked with the Congress to establish a new government department, dubbing it the Environmental Protection Agency.

The action came in response to the American people, who were demanding action be taken to curb what many described as runaway business practices. Business usually claimed that they were not able to take the necessary steps to control pollution as the costs would prevent them from staying competitive if their rivals did not also have to make such expenditures. The EPA provided a level playing field by setting requirements for industrial sectors as defined by a company's SIC number.

When the EPA opened for business on Dec. 2, 1970, many American businesses were not quite ready to face the bevy of environmental challenges and headaches the young agency would bring. But some were.

That story goes back to a time before the EPA first opened its doors, before the White House and Congress hashed out what form it would take, back to the summer of '69. During this buildup to what eventually yield the EPA, a young engineer was tallying up surveys. What he had realized was there would be a void in the knowledge people would need to tackle the pollution problems associated with manufacturing.

Richard A. Young, Ph.D., R.E.E., P.E., C.S.S. began publishing Pollution Engineering magazine in October 1969. He explained in his opening dialog to the readers that the surveys he had conducted demonstrated a lack of information on specific engineering data on pollution control procedures. He also noted that in almost every case, it was necessary to tackle the problems of controlling more than a single pollution type, and the magazine would provide information about all aspects including air, water or waste. He pledged to conquer the greatest enemy of good environmental stewardship: the lack of practical application knowledge.

Dr. Young has moved on to advise and consult with government officials both domestic and foreign. He has written hundreds of technical articles and published 29 reference books on environmental engineering and management. He is an adjunct professor of environmental technology at three universities. He is currently serving as the executive director of the National Registry of Environmental Professionals. Along his journey he also was awarded a number of awards for journalism and engineering.

Today, PE is owned and operated by BNP Media, one of the larger trade publishers in the United States. The company mission is to serve industry professionals by delivering useful, timely and accurate information through its magazines, websites, conferences and events. In 40 years of publishing the magazine, that commitment has never wavered.

In the beginning

February 1973

That first issue was for October and November. In fact, the magazine was published as a bimonthly issue until July 1972, when it became a monthly publication; other than a few years in the 1990s when the magazine published twice a month, it has remained so.

That first issue covered topics in air, water treatment, waste handling and noise pollution. Since the EPA had not formed at that time, pollution control responsibilities were doled out to various agencies. There was an ad from the U.S. Department of the Interior, who oversaw a division titled the Federal Water Pollution Control Administration. The ad shows how little politics have changed since then:

"There is no getting around the fact that water pollution control costs money. It may mean larger taxes. It may mean increased production costs for many industries. In one way or another, these costs must be borne by the taxpayer and the consumer – by our whole society. But the costs are small compared to the destructive costs of uncontrolled pollution, small compared to the costs of running out of clean water."

Although some things seem similar, there have been large changes since 1969. Our air and water are much cleaner today. Peoples' health has improved as a result of the efforts of environmental professionals and government regulation.

As a result

January 1979

A journalist in Time magazine's Aug. 3, 1970 issue wrote about the rapid growth of environmental issues and compared it to other fads that had come and gone.

In fact, the pollution control industry took off like an Apollo rocket after the EPA was established. Because of the environmental movement, there have been many new industries born, creating millions of jobs. There has also been a lot of consolidation in the industry. Many consulting engineering firms have consolidated or merged to form new companies. New companies have emerged to specialize in treating various sources of pollution. That will continue as we gear up to face the next big thing, which PE predicts will be treating pharmaceuticals, body lotions, etc., that are being flushed into our sanitary system and ignored by current technology. There is some evidence the preponderance of these materials gathering in our lakes and rivers may be the cause of mutated aquatic creatures that have been recently uncovered.

Banks and law firms all have environmental divisions. A bank must protect its investment and make sure that a company is properly managed to protect the environment. In any argument, lawyers are needed to sort through the volumes of laws and regulations covering environmental matters. Even the EPA has a separate department called the Office of General Council staffed with lawyers and paralegals that must not only keep up with our laws, but the laws of other countries, in order to properly advise Administrator Jackson.

Observations

April 1989

Perusing old issues of PE, one of the first things that sticks out in older issues is the style of attire. The gentlemen all appear to use hair creams, and the ladies use hairspray. The eyeglasses are the heavily rimmed style and the ties are very thin. There are very few women involved. Even 20 years ago, a typical environmental conference was a sea of matching men in matching suits. At a major conference attended last year, PE's current editors took a moment to reflect on the much-changed makeup of this industry's population. The traffic flowing on the exhibitor floors of today is nearly 50 percent female. The dress code runs the gamut from executive suites, to business casual, to jeans and tee-shirts. And the faces of today's environmental professionals, once so similar, now reflect a dozen different native tongues, a hundred different nations, and a thousand different backgrounds.

Articles in the magazine also reflect the more heterogeneous makeup of our readership. Stories in early issues were written to appeal to engineers. There are a lot of chemical and mathematical formulas and engineered drawings. Over time, marketing people became more involved. Management also took a much more interested part in the process, particularly after the rules required them to sign an affidavit each year certifying they know and understand their compliance with environmental rules. Articles today have to be written so that a person with only fundamental knowledge of science can grasp the concepts introduced. However, science is still a huge part and the formulas and charts are very important so that the engineer can see the value behind the rhetoric.

Regulatory history

September 1989

Congress and the EPA have also come a long way since '70. Covering every turn of events would require a novel, but here are a few of the highlights that were significant:

1970 – EPA formed in July under President Nixon. The agency opened in December. The Clean Air Act Extension (The Muskie Act) was passed, giving birth to terms like "New Source Review," and "NESHAPs," not to mention "environmental liability."
1971 – National Air Quality Standards
1972 – The Federal Pesticide Control Act is passed. U.S. and U.S.S.R. sign an environmental treaty, and DDT is banned.
1973 – The first wastewater permits are issued. EPA begins to phase-out lead from gasoline.
1974 – Safe Drinking Water Act
1976 – The Toxic Substance Control Act and the Resource Conservation and Recover Act are passed.
1977 – Safe drinking water standards are set. Clean Air Act amendments and the Clean Water Act are passed.
1978 – EPA joins with the DOT to tackle pollution from transportation. Fluorocarbon aerosols are banned and the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement passes.
1979 – PCB manufacturing is banned. The agency starts the Hazardous Waste Enforcement/Emergency Response System. EPA issues the Bubble Policy. The U.S. sues for Love Canal cleanup.
1980 – Comprehensive Environmental Response Compensation and Liability Act (Superfund) is passed.
1981 –The first 114 top priority Superfund sites are listed.
1982 – The agency announces its National Contingency Plan for Superfund cleanups. The Asbestos School Hazard Abatement Act is passed.
1983 – EDB is banned.
1984 – Hazardous and Solid Waste Amendments passed.
1985 – EPA responds to help with the Bhopal disaster. New limits are established for lead in gasoline and the air toxics program is expanded.
1986 – EPA responds to help with the Chernobyl disaster. Safe Drinking Water Act amendments, Superfund amendments and Reauthorization Act and the Asbestos Hazard Emergency Response Act all pass.
1987 – The agency mandates sanctions for states failing to meet air standards. The Hazardous Chemical Reporting rule is passed.
1988 – New UST standards are established. The Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act Amendments pass. Indoor Radon Abatement Act passes. Ocean Dumping Ban Act passes.
1989 – The first Toxic Release Inventory is published. Daminozide (Alar) is banned for food uses.
1990 – Clean Air Act Amendments pass. Pollution Prevention Act passes.
1991 – Exxon pays $1 billion for Valdez Oil spill. Acid rain emission sales rule passes.
1992 – Final drinking water standards set for 23 chemicals. EPA commits to reducing environmental risks to minorities. NAFTA integrates North American economic and environmental goals.
1993 – Passive smoke considered a human carcinogen. SO₂ trading rule passes. CFCs and other ozone-depleting chemicals ordered to be phased out.
1994 – Citizen Right-to-Know list of toxics is issued. Federal environmental justice order signed. Chemical industry Air Toxics Reduction Rule passed. EPA funds Brownfield redevelopment.
1995 – Acid rain emissions trading expanded. Refinery air toxics rule passed.
1996 –Safe Drinking Water Act amendments pass. Lead is banned from gasoline. Lead-based paint Right-to-Know rules implemented.
1997 – The agency commits to Children's Health, regulatory, reinvention and Right-to-Know. Food Quality Protection act passes. U.S. and Canada agree to eliminate toxics in Great Lakes.
1998 – Federal Clean Water Action Plan issued. EPA's website grants access to local pollution data.
2001 – EPA responds to 9-11 cleanup.
2002 – The Strategic Plan for Homeland Security issued.
2003 – EPA proposes mercury emissions regulation for power plants.
2004 – The agency issues the Clean Air Non-Road Diesel Rule. New 8-hour ozone and fine particulate standards are set.
2005 – Clean Air Interstate Rule and Clean Air Mercury Rules issued.
2006 – Standards for PM2.5 particle pollution are strengthened. Superfund marks 1,000th construction completion.

Looking ahead

August 1999

Pollution Engineering has had a rich history in serving our readers. Although the rules and regulations have changed dramatically over time, technology has had to accelerate as well to provide the understanding and equipment to meet the tasks that were set. In 1980, the concept of "zero discharge" was just a pipe dream. Today, more companies are finding that they can eliminate wasting water down the drain and can recycle more of their solid wastes. In the near future, we expect the EPA will promulgate rules controlling greenhouse gases and new water standards will be set and enforcement will be increased.

Although we are a monthly magazine, we also have each issue available in digital format. We are constantly expanding the capabilities on our website. Product information can be found in ads, in posted white papers and even in short videos. We will be expanding our capability to present learning experiences with webinars and conferences. Social networking on the Web is quickly growing. Only time will tell if Internet media, like environmental control, is a "fad" and "will pass" but in the meantime, PE has established on Facebook and will be expanding on some of the others as well. Look for us and join up.

This has been a very short look into our past. There were so many other things that have been done but so little room to write about them. The future will be even more exciting. If you see our booth at a trade show, please stop by and chat; the editors of PE are always happy to learn more about what readers do in their respective jobs. Watch for our changes and send in comments. They are always welcome. PE