ENVIRONMENT: POLITICS AND POLICY Fall '96 Passage of the Safe
Drinking Water Amendments, August, 1996 Passage of measures to
re-regulate Pesticides, August, 1996 Browse the NewsHour's files
on the Environment House Democrats' recent hearings on the
environment In 1992, Republicans swept Congress with what they
believed was a mandate from voters to cut back government
regulations. If the Republicans guessed correctly, this
"mandate" would mean a green light to shake up federal
environmental rules. In short order, Republicans began to
introduce legislation that many environmentalists claimed would
have effectively halted enforcement of all environmental
regulations issued after November 1994. The Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA), which was founded in 1970 to clean up
toxic wastes, would slowly erode. Other previously hard won
protections for endangered species and healthy water supplies
also appeared to their supporters to be in peril. Environmental
activists said, however, and have been for the most part,