Jimmy Carter on Environment

President of the U.S., 1977-1981

Strengthened role & perception of the EPA

The Carter administration sought to move government into a more aggressive role with regard to the environment. Carter boosted the budget for the EPA and addressed specific environmental issues through his administration. A former farmer, Carter understood the importance of preservation of the environment and sought to strengthen both the role and the perception of the EPA during his tenure in office. When Reagan took office in 1981, he overrode much of the Carter environmental agenda. Source: Cameron Lynch in W&M Env. Law Review, vol. 26 #1, p.221-222 , Jan 1, 2001

Preserved wilderness areas of Alaska

Other domestic accomplishments included the creation of new departments of education and energy; deregulation of the airlines to stimulate competition and lower fares; and environmental efforts that included passage of a law preserving vast wilderness areas of Alaska. He was unsuccessful also in gaining congressional approval of plans to consolidate natural-resource agencies within the Department of the Interior Source: Grolier’s Encyclopedia, “The Presidency” , Dec 25, 2000

Established "Superfund" to clean up toxic waste sites

The lame-duck legislative session was remarkably productive. Action was completed on a landmark act establishing a "Superfund" to help ameliorate the blight of toxic-waste sites and -finally-on the Alaska lands bill for which I had waited so long.

The Superfund legislation set up a system of insurance premiums collected from the chemical industry to clean up toxic wastes. This new program may prove to be as far-reaching and important as any accomplishment of my administration. The reduction of the threat to America's health and safety from thousands of toxic-waste sites will continue to be an urgent but bitterly fought issue-another example for the conflict between the public welfare and the profits of a few private despoilers of our nation's environment.

Source: Keeping Faith, by Jimmy Carter, p.581-582 , Dec 2, 1980

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Page last updated: Apr 28, 2013