Environmental Defense Fund Archive
Collection 232
Record Group 2: New York Office
The New York office consists of records from the East Setauket and Manhattan offices. There are five sub-groups:
Sub-group I: Governing Committees
Records dealing with executive functions and the origins of the organization.
Sub-group II: Administrators
Recordscreated bythe executive director and associate directors
Sub-group III.1: Public Information & Communication
Contains information about ED’s activities and environmental problems to increase
awareness and encourage engagement in solving environmental problems. Also contains
inter-office bulletins.
Sub-group III.2: Fundraising
Contains information regarding fundraising through grants and membership initiatives.
Sub-group IV: Program Files: Research & Dissemination
EDF divided its efforts into programs areas, each focused on a different concern with
its own team of experts. Sub-group IV collects monographs, government documents and
manuscripts, as well as comments and testimony from EDF’s scientists, economists and
lawyers. Sub-group IV is sub-divided by program area: Environmental Health, Land and
Water Resources, Energy, Urban Issues and Wildlife.
Sub-group V: Program Files: Legal Papers
Represents the legal arm of the program areas. It contains litigation filings, administrative
hearing testimony and casebooks.
Descriptions
Sub-group I: Governing Committees/Organizational Materials
Arrangement: Divided into four series.
Series 1 Board of Trustees, 1967-74 [1.5 linear ft.]
Arrangement: sub-divided into memoranda, minutes, and organizational documents. The
Board of Trustees determines objectives and policies that steer the entire organization.
This series is composed of memoranda to trustees, memoranda received, and meeting
minutes from the formative years of EDF.
Series 2 Executive Committee, 1969-78 [1.41 linear ft.]
Arrangement: Chronological. The function of the Executive Committee is to search
for and supervise executive officers to ensure policies and objectives are implemented.
Contained herein are the minutes of the Executive Committee meetings.
Series 3 Litigation Review Committee, 1979-81 [5 inches]
Arrangement: Chronological. The function of the Litigation Review Committee is the
evaluation and discussion of potential litigation. Contained in the series are case
approval and procedural memoranda. Discussion participants include the General Counsel,
program chairpersons, and other lawyers on staff.
Sub-group II: Administrators
Sub-group II.1 Executive Directors
Arrangement: Divided into four series
Series 1 Roderick Cameron, 1972-74 [1 linear foot]
Arrangement: Sub-divided:
Correspondence and memoranda
Comments and testimony of EDF
Speeches
Media clippings
Copies of memoranda from the regional counsels of the Colorado, California and Washington offices; copies of memoranda regarding the activities of EDF’s programs such as energy, water resources, toxics and transportation; comments on Federal government regulations and projects published in the Federal register; testimony before senate committee, comments on proposed guidelines and standards on issues such as toxic chemicals, utilities, noise and water quality.
Series 2 Arlie Schardt1974-1978 [5 inches]
Arrangement: Sub-divided into biography, correspondence, media and manuscripts. The
material is just a glimpse of Mr. Schardt’s fundraising concerns, as well as relocation
activities when the headquarters moved to NYC.
Series 3 Janet W. Brown1981-84 [7 inches]
Arrangement: Sub-divided into correspondence and program files. Ms. Brown kept copies
of testimony and memoranda dealing with the projects and campaigns of EDF’s programs.
Among the issues touched upon are: energy conservation, land use policy, hazardous
waste and wildlife conservation.
Series 4 Fredrick Krupp [Reserved]
Sub-group II.2 Associate Directors
Series 1 Robert Joseph Pierpoint, 1974-78 [2 inches]
Arrangement: Sub-divided into correspondence, memoranda, meetings. Mr. Pierpoint
served as Chairman of Program Support, which coordinated fundraising activities, as
well as interim Executive Director and Associate Director. Correspondence related
to Mr. Pierpoint’s activities as Associate Director and Acting Executive Director;
Memoranda discussing the selection of trustees and the next executive director; Minutes
from retreat meetings detailing the programming challenges and successes.
Sub-group III: Department Files
SG III.1 Public Information and Communication - contains information about EDF's activities and environmental problems to increase awareness and encourage engagement in solving environmental problems. Also contains inter-office bulletins.
Sub-group III.1 Public Information/Communications
Arrangement: Divided into 6 series
Series 1 Annual Reports, 1971-72; 1975-79; 2001-2003 [2 inches]
Arrangement: Chronological. Annual reports describe the achievements and fiscal health
of the organization.
Series 2 Advertising and Press, 1970-75 [2 inches]
The early print ads focused on EDF’s concern with the effect of toxics on human health.
Series 3 Newsletters, 1970-2000 [3 inches + cataloged materials]
Arrangement: Chronological. EDF Letter was sent to EDF members as an update of current litigation and agency policies
ORV Letter focuses more specifically on the effect of off-road vehicles on natural resources
Series 4 Inter-office bulletins, 1972-77 [5 inches]
Arrangement: By originating office; chronological. The bulletins documented program
activities for the benefit of the other offices
Series 5 Environmental Defense Books & Pamphlets [5 inches + cataloged material]
The books and pamphlets series collects the publications aimed at providing useful
information for the general public. Reports created from projects will be found under
the appropriate sub-group.
SG III.2 Fundraising - contains information regarding fundraising through grants and membership initiatives.
Sub-group III.2 Financial Resources
Series 1 Administration, 1974-78 [1 linear ft.]
Arrangement: By format; chronological. A portion of office files of Robert Joseph
Pierpoint contains correspondence, and foundation chronological files, including proposal
for grants.
Series 2 Membership, 1971-76 [1 linear ft.]
A sample of soliticitation brochures arranged chronologically; correspondence on
planning and exhibiting the educational films "Planning for Floods" and "Last Days
of the Dolphin."
SG IV Program Files: Research and Dissemination - EDF divided its efforts into program areas, each focused on a different concern
with its own team of experts. SG IV contains monographs, government documents, and
manuscripts, as well as comments and testimony from EDF's scientists, economists,
and lawyers. SG IV is subdivided by program area: Environmental Health, Land and Water
Resources, Energy, Urban Issues, and Wildlife.
Arrangement: divided into sub-groups according to program focus.
Sub-group IV.1 Environmental Health/Toxics
Series 1 Administration, 1981 [5 inches]
The administration series contains correspondence and a grant proposal for a Love
Canal project.
Series 2 Project Files, 1970-71 [2 linear ft.]
Arrangement: Chronological. This series contains research collections of clippings,
correspondence, and articles on mirex, pesticides and parathion.
Series 3 Public Statements/Texts[2 inches]
This series contains comments and reports by the program staff. The majority of the
writing focuses on the safety of drinking water.
Sub-group IV.2 Land and Water Issues
Arrangement: Divided into three series.
Series 1 Administration, 1978 [7 inches]
Arrangement: Chronological. In-coming and outgoing memoranda of James T.B. Tripp,
Chairperson of the Land and Water Program, concerning possible litigation, funding
issues, progress reports, and program goals. Also in the series are program proposals
on farmland preservation, land use and coastal zone management.
Series 2 Land Projects, 1974-78 [4.17 linear ft.]
Arrangement: Chronological by year of EDF’s initial involvement. Collected research
by staff scientists, economists and interns supported the efforts of the EDF litigation
team.
Series 3 Water Projects, 1979-82 [12.76 linear ft.]
Arrangement: Chronological by year of ED involvement. Collection of research documents;
the highlights include wastewater discharge issues on Long Island including the Southwest
Sewer District No. 2, Water Quality Management in the NY area, and coal slurry transport.
Series 4 Environmental Impact Statements, 1971-83 [34.17 linear ft.]
Arrangement: By state; chronological. Impact statements on reservoir projects, wastewater
treatment facilities, diversion projects and other similar projects impacting land
and water resources.
Series 5 Public Statements / Texts, 1971-72, 1979 [2 inches]
Arrangement: Divided into comments and testimony. The comments and statements were
delivered by program team members to governmental and regulatory bodies.
Sub-group IV.3 Energy Files
Series 1 Administration, 1974-78 [10 inches]
Ernst Habicht served as the chairperson of the Energy program. Collected here are
memoranda to the Board of Trustees and Executive Committee, and comments intended
for print and presentation on issues such as power projects, conservation and the
U.S. energy policy
Series 2 Energy Projects, 1972-83 [9.2 linear ft.]
The focus of the energy program as found in the records was rate regulation for electricity
and gas, and energy conservation; meeting records pertaining to the National Coal
Policy project; media and impact statements relating to the North Central Power Project.
Also collected are government documents, media, and manuscript regarding nuclear power
plants, solar energy, and the Great Plains gasification project. The documents collected
here may have served as basis for litigation, or public testimony.
Series 3 Environmental impact statements, 1972-84 [12 linear ft.]
Arrangement: By state, chronological. A collection of impact statements on energy
related projects such as coal conversion & power plants
Series 4 Public Statements / Texts, 1974-83 [2 inches]
Arrangement: Divided into comments and testimony. The energy team submitted comments
and delivered related to energy conservation, air quality and power plants.
Sub-group IV.4 Urban Environment
Series 1 Administration [Reserved]
Series 2 Transportation Projects, 1978-82 [2 linear ft]
Arrangement: chronological
Includes truck size and weight studies, highway cost allocation plan and studies, government positions on emissions standards and transportation policy and reports of EDF’s transportation committee on truck size and weight.
Sub-group IV.5 Wildlife
Series 1 Administration [Reserved]
Series 2 Projects, 1970-73 [7 inches]
The whale conservation campaign focused on the work of Scott McKay, who served the
chairperson on EDF’s Committee on the Conservation of Whales. Correspondence, McKay’s
speeches, and International Conference Reports form the collection. Please see the
California office files for more information on endangered species.
Sub-group IV.6 Alliances
Series 1 Administration [Reserved]
Series 2 Projects, 1979-82 [7 inches]
The series consists of correspondence, meeting minutes and symposium papers of the
Coastal Alliance. The alliance was a union of several environmental people who banded
together to discuss coastal zone management.
SG V Program Files: Legal Papers - SG V represents the legal arm of the program areas. It contains litigation filings, administration hearing testimony, and casebooks.
Sub-group V: Legal Papers
Arrangement: Divided into two series: Litigation Files and Casebooks.
Series 1 Litigation Files 1966-1983, [126.7 linear ft.]
Arrangement: Alphabetical by project name or environmental issue. EDF used the courtroom
as an arena to promote the wise use of resources through litigation and scientific
testimony. The Litigation Series consists of court documents, correspondence, and
accompanying background research to cases of which EDF was a party, an amicus curiae,
or intervenor. Topics include energy rate design and conservation; wildlife; land
and water preservation; toxic chemicals and air quality.
Note: Under the term “pleadings” the following formats occur: motion, answer, stipulation, memoranda, petition and complaint. Briefs, transcripts of testimony, depositions and affidavits are filed separately and follow the pleadings file unit.
Series 2: Casebooks, 1973-78, missing 1975 [3 inches]
Arrangement: Chronological. A bound compilation of the year’s litigation.