Env Law Timeline

Most of the important environmental laws were passed in a bipartisan fashion - it is important to remember that environmental regulation to prevent degradation, reduce liability, and clean up the environment brings many different benefits to many different sectors of society. The timeline below is approximate and is not intended to imply strong support from either political party, and some of the actions have been to weaken, not strengthen, environmental laws. However, the timeline illustrates that historically it has been the norm that when progress has been made it was during a bipartisan government.

Earth Day in 1970 is considered the single biggest day of activism in US history, with 20 million people (10% of the population at the time) participating in protests, teach-ins, and other activities coordinated to promote awareness of the environment. It is commonly considered the beginning of modern environmental regulation.