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Major Conservation Laws in the United States
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Federal Water Pollution Control Act (Clean Water Act)
First major law enacted by Congress to address the problems of water pollution in the United States. Industrial and urban growth fueled by World War II had led to obvious pollution of the country's rivers, streams, and lakes, impelling Congress finally to confront the issue. Unfortunately, the act was not well designed and achieved little. It did not generally prohibit pollution, gave only limited authority to the federal government, and provided little enforcement mechanism. -
National Air Pollution Control Act
First federal air pollution law in the United States. The main purpose of the Act was to provide research and technical assistance to enable the control of air pollution at its source. The act did little to prevent air pollution, but it made the government aware that this problem existed on the national level. -
Clean Air Act
Regulates air emissions from stationary and mobile sources. Among other things, this law authorizes Environmental Protection Agency to establish National Ambient Air Quality Standards to protect public health and public welfare and to regulate emissions of hazardous air pollutants. It also provided funds for federal government research of air pollution. -
Wildness Act
For the first time, land was set-aside for the specific purpose of protecting it from the reach of mankind. The Act recognized the value of preserving “an area where the earth and its community of life are untrammeled by man, where man himself is a visitor who does not remain.” There shall be no commercial enterprise and no permanent road within any wilderness area designated by this Act and, except as necessary to meet minimum requirements for the administration of the area for the purpose of -
National Emissions Standards Act
The purpose of the act was to establish a national automobile pollution standard. Applicable to the emission of any kind of substance, from any class or classes of new motor vehicles or new motor vehicle engines, which in his judgment cause or contribute to, air pollution which endangers the health or welfare of any persons. -
Motor Vehicle Air Pollution Control Act
The amendment set the first federal vehicle emissions standards. These new standards came into affect with all 1968 models and called for reductions of several 1963-base emissions. The Act called for a 72% reduction of hydrocarbons, 56% reduction of carbon monoxide, and a 100% reduction of crankcase hydrocarbons. -
Solid Waste Disposal Act: October 20,1965.
This was the first federal law that required environmentally sound methods for disposal of household, municipal, commercial, and industrial waste. Promoted better management of solid wastes, supported resource recovery, directed that the US Public Health Service promulgate and enforce regulations for solid waste collection, transportation, recycling, and disposal, Provided financial assistance for states to study and develop solid waste management plans. Provided support for research and develop -
California Air Resources Board
Gathers air quality data for the State of California, ensures the quality of this data, designs and implements air models, and sets ambient air quality standards for the state. The stated goals of CARB include managing and maintaining healthy air quality; protecting the public from exposure to toxic air contaminants; and providing innovative approaches for complying with air pollution rules and regulations. -
Air Quality Act (amendment to CAA)
Revolutionary amendment divided parts of the nation into Air Quality Control Regions as a means of monitoring ambient air. The government also established national emissions standards for stationary sources, which brought about debate because many officials thought it should be dealt with industry by industry, but one national standard was set. These standards established a fixed timetable for state implementation plans, and recommended control technologies to achieve the ultimate goals of the s -
Federal Coal Mine Health and Safety Act
Required two annual inspections of every surface coal mine and four at every underground coal mine, and dramatically increased federal enforcement powers in coalmines. The Coal Act also required monetary penalties for all violations, and established criminal penalties for knowing and willful violations. The safety standards for all coalmines were strengthened, and health standards were adopted. Provided compensation for miners who were totally and permanently disabled by the progressive respirat -
Clean Air Act (Extension)
“An Act to amend the Clean Air Act to provide for a more effective program to improve the quality of the Nation's air." It was a law that would show excellent results; however, in the midst of environmental enthusiasm throughout the country, the Clean Air Act proved to be a highly ambitious piece of air pollution reduction legislation. It set National Ambient Air Quality Standards, to protect public health and welfare, and New Source Performance Standards that strictly regulated emissions of a n -
National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA)
Established the wide national framework for protecting our environment. NEPA's basic policy is to assure that all branches of government give proper consideration to the environment prior to undertaking any major federal action that significantly affects the environment. NEPA requirements are petitioned when airports, buildings, military complexes, highways, parkland purchases, and other federal activities are proposed. -
Environmental Quality Improvement Act
Congress declares that there is a national policy for the environment that provides for the improvement of environmental quality. Statutes heretofore enacted relating to the prevention, abatement, and control of environmental pollution, water and land resources, transportation, and economic and regional development evidence this policy. -
Williams-Steiger Occupational Safety and Health Act.
Requires that every employer covered under the Act provide a list from recognized hazards that are causing or are likely to cause death or serious physical harm to his employees. The Act also requires that employers comply with occupational safety and health standards promulgated under the Act, and that employees comply with standards, rules, regulations and orders issued under the Act which are applicable to their own actions and conduct. -
14. Lead-Based Paint Poisoning Prevention Act: January 13, 1971.
Restricted the lead content in paint used in housing built with federal dollars and provided funds for states to reduce the amount of lead in paint. Subsequent legislation created the Consumer Product Safety Commission, which effectively banned leaded paint in 1976. -
Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA)
Transferred responsibility of pesticide regulation to the Environmental Protection Agency and shifted emphasis to protection of the environment and public health. Regulated the use and sale of pesticides to protect human health and preserve the environment. Established registration for all pesticides, to determine the effectiveness for its intended use, appropriate dosage, and hazards of the particular material. -
Endangered Species Act
Recognized that various species of fish, wildlife, and plants in the United States have been rendered extinct as a consequence of economic growth and development untemper by adequate concern and conservation, other species have been so depleted in numbers that they are in danger of or threatened with extinction, and these species are of esthetic, ecological, educational, historical, recreational, and scientific value to the United States and its people. The purpose of the Act is to provide a way -
Safe Drinking Water Act
Established to protect the quality of drinking water in the U.S. This law focuses on all waters actually or potentially designed for drinking use, whether from above ground or underground sources. The Act does not cover private wells. The Act does not apply to bottled water. -
Hazardous Materials Transportation Act
To provide satisfactory protection against the risks to life and property inherent in the transportation of hazardous material in commerce by improving the regulatory and enforcement authority of the Secretary of Transportation. A hazardous material, as defined by the Secretary of Transportation is, any “particular quantity or form” of a material that “may pose an unreasonable risk to health and safety or property. -
Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA)
Provides EPA with authority to require reporting, record-keeping and testing requirements, and restrictions relating to chemical substances and/or mixtures. TSCA grandfathered in 62,000 chemicals when enacted in 1976. Since then, over 20,000 new chemicals have been added. The EPA has required very few of these to be tested for their impacts on our health and the environment. -
Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA).
Gives EPA the authority to control hazardous waste from the "cradle-to-grave." This includes the generation, transportation, treatment, storage, and disposal of hazardous waste. Designed to provide for safe handling and containment of both hazardous and nonhazardous wastes as they are generated. RCRA does not address the problems associated with inactive or abandoned dumpsites or those associated with chemical spills or releases requiring immediate, emergency response. -
Clean Water Act.
Established the basic structure for regulating discharges of pollutants into the waters of the United States and regulating quality standards for surface waters. Makes it unlawful for any person to discharge any pollutant from a point source into navigable waters unless a permit is obtained under the Act. Focused on toxin pollutants. -
Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act.
To establish a nationwide program to protect society and the environment from the adverse effects of surface coal mining operations; assure that surface mining operations are not conducted where reclamation is not possible and are conducted so as to protect the environment; assure that adequate procedures are assumed to reclaim surface areas as contemporaneously as possible with the surface coal mining operations. -
National Energy Conservation Policy Act
The Act required federal agencies to perform energy surveys in order to reduce consumption of nonrenewable energy resources in buildings, vehicles, equipment, and general operation. It permitted the government to give loans to families for the purchase and installation of solar heating or cooling equipment. It also created a program to allocate grants to schools, hospitals, local government facilities, and public housing developments willing to use energy conservation techniques. It changed the -
Fish and Wildlife Conservation Act.
Is a federal legislation providing protection and management of non-game fish and wildlife. The Act declares that, fish and wildlife are of ecological, educational, esthetic, cultural, recreational, economic and scientific value to the nation. The Act mandates federal states to make conservation plans that determine the size of animal populations and the condition of their environments. -
Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability 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. This law created a tax on the chemical and petroleum industries and provided broad Federal authority to respond directly to releases or threatened releases of hazardous substances that may endanger public health or the environment. -
Nuclear Waste Policy Act
To provide for the development of repositories for the disposal of high-level radioactive waste and spent nuclear fuel, to establish a program of research, development, and demonstration regarding the disposal of high-level radioactive waste and spent nuclear fuel, and for other purposes. It directs EPA to develop standards for protection of the general environment from offsite releases of radioactive material in repositories. -
Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act (EPCRKA).
Help communities plan for emergencies involving hazardous substances. EPCRA requires hazardous chemical emergency planning by federal, state and local governments, Indian tribes, and industry. It also requires industry to report on the storage, use and releases of hazardous chemicals to federal, state, and local governments. -
Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization Act (SARA).
Focus on treatment and technology cleaning up hazardous waste, increased the focus on human health trouble around hazardous waste sites, encourage citizens to participate in making decisions on how the sites should be cleaned up and it is authorized in all 50 states of the U.S. territories. -
Water Quality Act
The act strengthened the federal water quality regulations by providing changes in permitting and adds substantial penalties for permit violations. It also amends the solids control program by stressing identification and regulation of pollutants in sewage sludge. -
Montreal Protocol.
Demands that the production and consumption of compounds that deplete ozone in the stratosphere--chlorofluorocarbons, halons, carbon tetrachloride, and methyl chloroform--are to be phased out by 2000 (2005 for methyl chloroform). Scientific theory and evidence suggest that, once emitted to the atmosphere, these compounds could significantly deplete the stratospheric ozone layer that shields the planet from damaging UV-B radiation. -
Residential Lead-Based Paint Hazard Reduction Act.
To protect young children and families from harmful exposure to lead in paint, dust, and soil. Lead-based paint was commonly used for painting homes and other buildings until its use in house paint was banned in 1978. This requires that potential buyers and renters of housing built prior to 1978 receive certain information about lead and lead hazards in the residence prior to becoming obligated to buy or rent, and provides the opportunity for an independent lead inspection for buyers. Sellers, l -
Basel Convention.
To protect human health and the environment against the adverse effects of hazardous wastes. Its scope of application covers a wide range of wastes defined as “hazardous wastes” based on their origin and/or composition and their characteristics, as well as two types of wastes defined as “other wastes” – household waste and incinerator ash. -
North American Free Trade Agreement Implementation Act.
Made between the United States, Canada, and Mexico. Its purpose is to increase the efficiency and fairness of trade among the three nations. The elimination of tariffs, the taxes each nation imposes on the others' imports and other bureaucratic and legal barriers to trade. -
Executive Order 12898 on Environmental Justice.
Its purpose is to focus federal attention on the environmental and human health effects of federal actions on minority and low-income populations with the goal of achieving environmental protection for all communities. The order is also intended to promote nondiscrimination in federal programs substantially affecting human health and the environment, and to provide minority and low-income communities access to public information on, and an opportunity for public participation in, matters relatin -
Kyoto Protocol.
An amendment to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, an international treaty intended to bring countries together to reduce global warming and to cope with the effects of temperature increases that are unavoidable after 150 years of industrialization. The provisions of the Kyoto Protocol are legally binding on the ratifying nations, and stronger than those of the UNFCC. -
Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century (TEA-21).
Authorizing highway, highway safety, transit and other surface transportation programs for the next 6 years. Creates a new and complex environment for federal transportation policy, changes the relationship between the highway trust fund and the federal budget process. -
California AB 1493.
Vehicular emissions: greenhouse gases. Existing law establishes the California Climate Action Registry, and requires the registry of new vehicles to perform various functions relating to the provision of technical assistance for emissions reductions, including maintaining a record of certified greenhouse gas emission baselines and emission results. It also requires the state board to attempt to achieve the maximum degree of emission reductions possible from vehicular and other mobile sources in -
Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users (SAFETEA).
Users (SAFETEA): Signed August 10, 2005, Expired September 30, 2009.With guaranteed funding for highways, highway safety, and public transportation totaling $244.1 billion, SAFETEA represented the largest surface transportation investment in our Nation's history. It made it easier and more attractive for the private sector to participate in highway infrastructure projects, bringing new ideas and resources to the table. Established a new core Highway Safety Improvement Program that is structured -
Energy Independence and Security Act (EISA)
Passed with the intention of moving the United States toward greater energy security, partly by increasing the standards for product efficiency. To become energy independence and secured, to increase the production of clean renewable fuels, to protect consumers, to increase the efficiency of products, buildings, and vehicles, to promote research on and deploy greenhouse gas capture and storage options, and to improve the energy performance of the Federal Government, and for other purposes.
