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Problem Drivers and Indicators • 11

European Environment Agency (EEA)
The European Environment Agency (EEA, http://www.eea.europa.
eu/) is a collection of the European Union countries (27) and Iceland,
Liechtenstein, Norway, Switzerland, and Turkey. The six West Balkan
countries are cooperating countries: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina,
Croatia, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Montenegro, and
Serbia. “The European environment information and observation net-
work (Eionet) is a partnership network of the EEA and the countries. The
EEA is responsible for developing the network and coordinating its activi-
ties. To do so, the EEA works closely together with national focal points,
typically national environment agencies or environment ministries. They
are responsible for coordinating national networks involving many insti-
tutions (about 300 in all).” 8

u.s. agencies, mandates, and guidelines

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) was established in 1970,
under then president Richard Nixon, in response to a growing concern
about the need for cleaner water, land, and air in the United States. Prior to
that there was no coordinated approach to stemming the tide of environ-
mental damage. Wetlands were being filled at an alarming rate; air quality
in some cities had deteriorated to the point that the air was unhealthy.
Many rivers were contaminated with heavy metals, polyvinyl chloride,
and sewage wastes, endangering not only the rivers, streams, estuaries,
and oceans, but the drinking water supplies as well. Groundwater con-
tamination was a significant problem, rendering private as well as public
water supplies deadly, an issue brought to the forefront in the 2000 movie
Erin Brockovich, about the title character’s epic fight with Pacific Gas and
Electric over hexavalent chromium contamination of the groundwater in
Hinkley, California, between 1952 and 1956.
The EPA’s mission is “is to protect human health and the environment.
Since 1970, EPA has been working for a cleaner, healthier environment for
the American people.” In that effort, the EPA develops and has enforce-
9
ment powers over legislation designed to protect the environment. These
are not guidelines but rather mandates, and the project manager should be
familiar with the particulars of any legislation that can affect their project,
including some of the more far-reaching regulations such as: