How do you feel when you drive by some sort of factory or plant and see an obnoxiously large smokestack spitting fumes into the air or a chemical runoff drainage pipe that flows into a supply of water? The sense of disgust resulting from the thought of how these companies get away with this action not only agrees with the opinion of environmental activists but also implicates the US government. Not long ago the government realized that these effects were harmful to the world around us, which caused the government to create several groups to enforce laws and regulations against these unethical operational activities. These questions are similar to those frequently asked by many economists when discussing the topic of corporate environmental laws and ethics. A company must decide how it wants to run its business, whether unethically, cutting corners, or adhering to ethical and legal standards. This issue boils down to the point of view that companies might fall into if they are more concerned with using unethical methods to gain some sort of advantage or if they prefer to operate in a way that has limitations but complies with ethical and legal standards. (EDIT THESIS) The United States government has generally taken a non-passive approach to environmental business ethics. Until the 1970s, the government rarely took into account the amount of pollution and the effects it had on the American population. This year, 1970, the movement enacted the largest Environmental Protection Agency otherwise known as the EPA. The Environmental Protection Agency has several branches across the United States to help enforce and establish laws and regulations affecting the government (EPA). The reason the EPA was established was to police these code violations... middle of paper... they cause to the surrounding environment by instituting business practices so bad that they are directly linked to the main source of pollution and disease. The number of cases of these pollution-influenced diseases is increasing. Diseases range from birth defects to various types of cancer. Contrary to the idea that companies should be able to operate as they want and avoid all regulations that prevent the destruction of the environment, I believe and agree with the group of people on the opposite position. Like many others, I believe that all businesses must not only operate within regulatory standards, but also operate ethically. An ethical way for these companies to act is to consider the effects that each form of operation has on the environment. I believe that the right course of action, in the long run, will only benefit the organization and the environment as a whole.