40 Years and Moving Forward

The environmental movement of the 1960s and early 1970s gained momentum when the public became increasingly concerned about polluted skies and sewage-choked rivers.

After the first Earth Day in 1970, Congress created U.S. EPA and adopted several national environmental laws, including the Clean Air Act and Clean Water Act.

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Soon after, Ohio Governor John Gilligan signed Senate Bill 397 – the legislation that created the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency – and Ohio EPA was born on Oct. 23, 1972.

The enactment of Senate Bill 397 followed the recommendations of a Citizens Task Force on Environmental Protection, chaired by Col. John Glenn, which suggested creation of a single state agency with responsibility for protecting Ohio’s environment.

Many of Ohio EPA’s original employees came from the Ohio Department of Health and Ohio Department of Natural Resources. The challenges they faced were overwhelming, but they were personally and professionally committed to improving Ohio’s environment.

Forty years later, we can see that the time, effort and money devoted to addressing Ohio’s serious pollution problems has made a difference.