(dot) Gov: The Department Of Agriculture And The Environmental Protection Agency

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4.4 • 4.3K Ratings

🗓️ 15 January 2025

⏱️ 40 minutes

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Summary

It's safe to say most Americans hear the most about the U.S. Department of Agriculture when things go wrong — namely when something has to be recalled.

But the department is responsible for so much more than just delivering bad news. It consists of 29 agencies that employ some 100,000 employees across 4,500 locations both domestic and abroad.

Another agency whose name shows up when things go wrong is the Environmental Protection Agency. As its name implies, it's tasked with creating and upholding standards that protect the health of Americans and our environment, including our natural resources and ecosystems. It's an important, if sometimes thankless, responsibility.

We discuss what the agencies and their responsibilities.

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0:18.7	Learn more at plus.npr.org.
0:31.1	How quickly would you notice if the systems that make modern life possible started
0:35.7	to break down? For example, if it became difficult
0:38.4	to find food in the supermarket, or if the air quality suddenly got much worse where you live.
0:44.1	These systems rely on the work of multiple departments of the federal government. Today, we examine
0:49.1	the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Environmental Protection Agency. Both play a daily role in the world around
0:55.2	you. They regulate the water you drink, the air you breathe, and the meat you find in the grocery
0:59.5	store. This episode is part of our dot-gov series. It's where we look at the inner workings of the
1:04.7	federal workforce, what our government's various departments do for us, and what changes to these
1:09.5	departments could mean for the country.
1:11.5	After the break, we start our deep dive with the USDA. The department boasts more than 100,000
1:17.1	employees across 29 agencies and offices. I'm Jen White. You're listening to the 1A podcast, where we get
1:23.1	to the heart of the story. We'll be back with more after this short break.
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