History of the Contaminants Program
The Service
has been involved with studying contaminant effects on fish and
wildlife since its earliest days, but the Environmental Contaminants
Program really began to take form in the 1950s, when increasing
awareness of pollution problems spurred the American public to demand
action.
Then, in 1962, Rachel
Carson, a former Service employee, captured national attention with
her landmark book, Silent Spring, which outlined the widespread
harmful effects of pesticides on the environment. Carson's alarming
message that the effects of these substances on wildlife serve as
indicators of what may ultimately jeopardize our own health struck
a chord with the American public.
Many believe that Carson's
book inspired the modern environmental movement and prompted the
development of many of the pollution prevention laws that are still
in place today. Within 15 years of the book's publication, the National
Environmental Policy Act (NEPA)
and pollution prevention laws such as the Clean Water Act (CWA),
the Clean
Air Act, the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide
Act (FIFRA),
the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA),
the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA)
and the "Superfund" toxic waste cleanup law (the Comprehensive
Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act [CERCLA])
were passed.
Today, the Service's
Environmental Contaminants Program includes contaminants specialists
stationed at more than 75 locations around the country. Service
contaminants specialists are on the front lines in the fight
against pollution. They specialize in detecting toxic chemicals;
addressing their effects; preventing harm to fish, wildlife
and their habitats; and removing
toxic chemicals and restoring habitat when
prevention isn't possible. They are experts on oil
and chemical spills, pesticides, water quality, hazardous
materials disposal and other aspects of pollution biology. The
Contaminant Program's operations are integrated into all other
Service activities and the Service's contaminants specialists
often work in partnership with other agencies and organizations
which have come to rely on our expertise.
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