National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA)
Environmental Impact Statements must be done before any project affecting federal lands can be started
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
an independent federal agency established to coordinate programs aimed at reducing pollution and protecting the environment
National Education Act of 1990
Establishes and supports educational programs to improve awareness of environmental problems and encourages students to pursue careers related to the environment.
Environmental Quality Improvement Act of 1970
Was developed to ensure that each federal department and agency involved with programs affecting the environment implement appropriate policies.
Safe Drinking Water Act
set maximum contaminant levels for pollutants in drinking water that may have adverse effects on human health
Clean Water Act
Federal Law setting a national goal of making all natural surface water fit for fishing and swimming by 1983, banned polluted discharge into surface water and required the metals be removed from waste
Resource, Conservation, and Recovery Act (RCRA)
Reduce solid waste, prohibit open dumping. Cradle-to-grave management of hazardous wastes. Regulated underground storage tanks.
Ocean Dumping Act (ODA)
Makes it unlawful for any person to dump or transport for the purpose of dumping sewage, sludge, or industrial waste into ocean waters.
Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act
Required manufacturers to list ingredients in foods, drugs and cosmetic products
Miller Amendment
required the establishment of acceptable and unacceptable levels of pesticides in food
Delaney Clause
Government action enforced by the FDA that basically says the food in¬dustry cannot add any substance to food if it induces cancer when ingested by man or animal.
Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA)
Passed in 1947 to regulate the effectiveness of pesticides (to prevent people from buying one that did not work).
Food Quality Protection Act
1996; set pesticide limits in food, and all active and inactive ingredients must be screened for estrogenic/endocrine effects
Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA)
1984, modified by superfund; goal is rapid containment, clean up or remediation of abandonded toxic waste sites
Superfund Act
gave EPA the right to sue owners of hazardous waste sites who illegally dump hazardous waste and allows EPA to force owners to pay for cleanup
Endangered Species Act
identifies threatened and endangered species in the US, and puts their protection ahead of economic considerations
Lacey Act
1900 - Federal law that prohibits importing, exporting, transporting, selling, receiving, accquiring, or purchasing of plants, animals or fish without a federal permit. Requires that we restore areas that a species was close to becoming extinct
Wilderness Act
To establish a National Wilderness Preservation System for the permanent good of the whole people, and for other purposes.
CITES
Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of 1975 it is a step toward worldwide protection of endangered flora and fauna.
Clean Air Act
Passed in 1970, this gives the EPA the authority to regulate vehicle emissions in the U.S.
Soil and Water Resources Conservation Act
Provides for a continuing appraisal of US soil, water, and related resources , including fish and wildlife habitats, and a soil and water conservation program to assist landowners and land users in furthering soil and water conservation
Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977
this law requires mining companies to restore most surface-mined land by grading and replanting it