- They set new pollution standards.
- They created a major federal agency for environmental issues.
The administration's most liberal policy decisions related to the environment. Mindful of rising public concern over public health hazards and long-term ecological deterioration, Nixon signed the National Environmental Policy Act (1969), the Clean Air Act Extension (1970), and the Environmental Protection Act (1970). Together, these landmark laws mandated environmental impact statements for public projects, set new pollution standards, authorized citizen suits against polluters, and created a major federal agency for environmental issues.
To protect against smaller-scale environmental dangers, Nixon also signed the Occupational Safety and Health Act (1970), which he called "one of the most important pieces of legislation ... ever passed by the Congress." Though some Republicans resented federal regulation of workplace conditions and the bureaucracy it created, occupational safety was a popular issue among workers a crucial segment of Nixon's new political coalition.