Administrative Agency

Administrative Agency in the United States

Administrative Agency in Environmental Law

An administrative division of government created either by the executive head of the government (the president for federal agencies, the governor for state agencies) or by the legislative branch. Some agencies may have no power to regulate, as in the case of advisory councils. Others have the authority to perform all three functions of the government: legislation, execution, and judgment. This latter type of agency is a regulatory agency and must get its mandate through a statute.

Although Congress enacts laws concerning the environment, it leaves most of the details and all of the enforcement and execution to administrative agencies. States operate in the same manner. Thus, the statute itself is only the starting point when determining which laws apply to a particular issue; the federal and state regulations are critical components of that analysis and often make up the bulk of the applicable law.

The Environmental Protection Agency is a regulatory agency, as are most state environmental agencies. Other agencies that deal with environmental issues include the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Agency, the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, the Coast Guard, the Corps of Engineers, the Fish and Wildlife Service, the National Advisory Council on Historic Preservation, the Bureau of Land Management, the Office of Surface Mining, and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. Many other agencies also contribute to environmental regulation.
Based on “Environment and the Law. A Dictionary”.