Organisational Dilemmas of the U.S. Epa : Why Structures Matter for Environmental Protection

In this note we offer a critique of the persistent failure of the central North American environmental agency, the United States Environmental Protection Agency, to fully consider the international, comparative, and scientific bases of its policies. We argue that the agency fails not because of a lack of leadership or resources, but because its organizational structure causes it to systematically miss the mark when it comes to building comprehensive environmental protection policies. Because this structure has existed since the agency's beginnings - and will likely last well into the future - policy planners must face two dilemmas: the prospect of changing the standards with which we judge this agency and its policies, and the need to look elsewhere for the creation and design of new environmental protection agencies at the local, state, national, and international levels