Source: Environmental Services Directory for Washington State.
The State of Washington has led the way for our country in protecting and enhancing the environment. Among its many significant influences, it includes the following:
- John Ehrlichman, former WA resident, was a strong advocate for the creation of the US EPA while serving on the White House staff.
- William D. Ruckelshaus, long time WA resident, was the first EPA Administrator. Ten years after his term, he also became the fifth EPA Administrator.
- U.S. Senator Henry M. “Scoop” Jackson, from WA, wrote the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and was a sponsor of legislation that preserved the Olympic and North Cascades National Parks and the Alpine Lakes Wilderness.
- The Washington State Department of Ecology (WDOE) was the first comprehensive state environmental agency in the U.S.
- The Washington Environmental Industry Association (WEIA) was the first environmental business association in the U.S.
- The Northwest Environmental Business Council (NEBC) was the first regional environmental business council in the U.S. It currently is the largest in the nation.