The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is an agency that has great impact on how we live and conduct business. The overpowering regulations of this government entity in many respects have gone to the extreme in the regulations that have been initiated over the years. It is an agency in some respects that may have lost its justification to exist at least in the present operational structure.
The EPA has created rules and regulations and in some cases has changed some definitions to impose their will and influence where it has no particular authority with regards to private land owners. This agency has become so large and is involved in areas where it appears there is no clear connection between their rules, regulations and the laws they are tasked to enforce. Changes must take place not only with their structure but the content of their rules and regulations. I am all for protecting the environment such as air and water but rules and regulations must have common sense engrained in them. Common sense in many cases within the federal government seems to be lacking and this includes the Executive Department, their agencies and Congress. Changes in this agency along with the rest of the government must take place to relinquish the authority back to the states according to the Constitution.
Another point to make about needed changes in this organization is the impact it has on the ability of other departments and agencies to make decisions about issues for which they have the responsibility to make. The big thing about this organization is that they have the responsibility to evaluate environmental issues and in so doing should provide accurate and reliable data to other departments to enable them to make the decisions they need to make. Ignoring information which has a bearing on decisions of other departments is not instilling integrity within their operations. Conclusions need to have substantiated data and if there are conflicting opinions both sides of an issue and the information must or should be provided to other departments and agencies. At this time it does not appear to be the case.