History ⓘ

In 1962, Rachel Carson wrote a book called Silent Spring which outlined the devastating effects certain chemicals had on local ecosystems. This book served as a wake-up call for the public and scientists alike, and inspired the modern environmental movement.

In 1969, Congress passed the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) after recognizing the importance of adressing the issue. The National Environmental Policy Act's goal was to create and maintain condidtions under which man and nature can exhist in productive harmony.

Until the 1980s, the chemical industry and the EPA were focused mainly on pollution clean-up and obvious toxins, but a major paradigm shift began to occur among chemists. Scientists, who came of age during the decades of growing environmental awareness, began to research avenues of preventing pollution in the first place. Leaders in the industry and in government began international conversations addressing the problems and looking for preventative solutions.