Final answer:
The EPA was created in 1970 to oversee environmental laws, including important policies such as the Clean Air Act and Clean Water Act for domestic environmental protection, and the Montreal Protocol for international environmental issues like the ozone layer protection.
Step-by-step explanation:
The establishment of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in 1970 marked a significant step in environmental regulation. The EPA was tasked with overseeing all environmental laws, including the Clean Air Act of the same year, which aimed to control air pollution. Subsequently, the Clean Water Act of 1972 was enacted to tackle water pollution, followed by the Endangered Species Act of 1973 to protect threatened and endangered species and their habitats.
These command-and-control regulations have been vital for improving the quality of America's air and water, although they have also faced criticism from some economists. At an international level, agreements such as the Montreal Protocol have been established to address global environmental issues, specifically the hole in the ozone layer over Antarctica. Other key policies and agreements include the Kyoto Protocol and the Basel Convention, which deal with climate change and hazardous waste, respectively. The importance of these environmental policies and agreements cannot be overstated, as they set the groundwork for ongoing efforts to safeguard our planet.