In 1949, the Arkansas General Assembly created the Arkansas Pollution Control Commission. This legislation was amended in later years to be known as the Arkansas Water and Air Pollution Control Act. Under an extensive reorganization of state government in 1971, the Arkansas Department of Pollution Control and Ecology (ADPC&E) was created as a cabinet-level agency and the Commission was renamed the Arkansas Pollution Control and Ecology Commission. Although the terms are frequently confused or used interchangeably by persons not connected with either governmental unit, the Commission and the Department are two separate, but related, entities. The Commission, with guidance from the governor and the Arkansas General Assembly, determines the environmental policies for the state, and the Department employees are responsible for implementing those policies. In 1996, the Arkansas General Assembly voted to change the name of the Department to the Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ) on 31 March 1999. The initial authority to regulate water and air sources has been expanded to open-cut mining, solid waste, hazardous waste, recycling, and underground storage tanks. In 2001, an ADEQ focus on recycling waste oil resulted in a 91% increase in the amount of waste oil recycled, from 21,189 tons in 2000 to 41,500 tons in 2001. In 2002, ADEQ turned its attention to recycling of wood waste.
In 1987, the state adopted some of the first "ecoregion" water quality standards in the nation. These standards recognize the distinct physical, chemical, and biological properties of the six geographical regions of the state and establish separate water quality standards within each region.
The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has delegated responsibility for its clean-air programs to the ADPC&E. These programs include New Source Performance Standards (NSPS), National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants (NESHAPS), Prevention of Significant Deterioration (PSD), and State Implementation Plan (SIP).
Citizens' groups actively involved with environmental issues include: the Arkansas Native Plant Society, Arkansas Audubon Society, Arkansas Canoe Club, Arkansas Herpetological Society, Arkansas Wildlife Federation, Audubon Society of Central Arkansas, League of Women Voters, Ozark Society, Sierra Club—Arkansas Chapter, and National Water Center. The Arkansas Environmental Federation presents industry's viewpoints on environmental issues.
The Buffalo River, designated as a national river, flows through northern Arkansas. One of the wildest areas in the state is the 113,000-acre (46,000-hectare) White River Refuge, which contains more than 100 small lakes. The Arkansas Natural Heritage Commission was established in 1975 for, among other purposes, the preservation of rivers and natural areas and to serve as a source of information on plant and animal species of Arkansas.
In 2003, the Environmental Protection Agency's database listed 78 hazardous waste sites, 12 of which were on the National Priorities List, in Arkansas. In 2001, Arkansas received $36,262,000 in federal grants from the EPA.