Adam Evangelista, age 17, of McAllen, Tex., for his question:

WHEN WAS THE EPA ESTABLISHED?

An independent agency of the United States government called the EPA, or more properly the Environmental Protection Agency, was established in 1970.

At that time the new organization replaced and assumed most of the projects handled by the former Environmental Health Service, an agency of the Department of Health, Education and Welfare    which is now called the Department of Health and Human Services.

The main job of the EPA is to protect the national environment and maintain it for future generations.

Members of the EPA team work to control and diminish air and water pollution, noise pollution and pollution by pesticides, radiation and other toxic substances.

Federal standards for air, water and environmental quality have been set by the organization. There is a strict limit on the amount of industrial emission allowed by industries and the EPA carefully enforces this standard.