Environmental Acts and Treaties - Poorvaj Velavan and Shresta Ganta

Delaney Clause of Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act

Jun 30, 1938

This act prohibited the use of any food additive that had been found to cause cancer in humans or animals. it aimed to protect public health by ensuring the safety of food additives.

Clean Air Act

Dec 31, 1970

The Clean Air Act aims to control air pollution and protect public health and the environment. It is a federal law that regulates air emissions from stationary and mobile sources.

Clean Water Act

Oct 18, 1972

The Clean Water Act aimed to restore and maintain the water quality of the nation's waterways. It aims to prevent, reduce, and eliminate pollution in the nation's water and was the first major U.S. law to address water pollution.

Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species

Mar 3, 1973

This is an international agreement between governments. It aims to ensure that international trade in specimens of wild animals and plants doesn't threaten their survival.

Endangered Species Act

Dec 28, 1973

This act provides for the conservation of threatened and endangered plants and animals and the habitats in which they are found. It ensures that fish, wildlife, plants, and mammals that are threatened are protected.

Safe Drinking Water Act

Dec 16, 1974

This act established national standards for drinking water quality and protected public health by regulating the nation's public drinking water supply. There should beno unsafe chemicals or harmful substances in the drinking water.

Resource Conservation and Recovery ACt

Oct 21, 1976

RCRA established a framework for the proper management of solid and hazardous waste from cradle to grave. They also ensure the waste's safe disposal and encouraging resource conservation and recovery.

Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, Liability Act

Dec 11, 1980

This act provides a federal "superfund" to clean up uncontrolled or abandoned hazardous-waste sites as well as accidents, spills, and other emergency releases of pollutants and contaminants into the environment. They ensure that harmful substances are contained.

Montreal Protocol

Sep 16, 1987

The Montreal Protocol is an international agreement designed to protect the ozone layer. This was done by stopping the production and consumption of ozone- depleting substances. Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) is one ozone-depleting substance.

Kyoto Protocol

Dec 11, 1997

The Kyoto Protocol is an international agreement that calls for industrialized countries to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. This was an effort to help slow global warming and climate change.