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Summary of the Occupational Safety and Health Act
Congress passed the Occupational and Safety Health Act to ensure worker and workplace safety. Their goal was to make sure employers provide their workers a place of employment free from recognized hazards to safety and health, such as exposure to toxic chemicals, excessive noise levels, mechanical dangers, heat or cold stress, or unsanitary conditions. -
Noise Control Act
Inadequately controlled noise presents a growing danger to the health and welfare of the Nation's population, particularly in urban areas. The major sources of noise include transportation vehicles and equipment, machinery, appliances, and other products in commerce. The Noise Control Act of 1972 establishes a national policy to promote an environment for all Americans free from noise that jeopardizes their health and welfare. -
Endangered Species Act
The Endangered Species Act (ESA) provides a program for the conservation of threatened and endangered plants and animals and the habitats in which they are found. The lead federal agencies for implementing ESA are the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) and the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Fisheries Service.The law requires federal agencies, in consultation with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and/or the NOAA Fisheries Service, to ensure that actions they autho -
Safe Drinking Water Act
he Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) was 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. -
Toxic Substances Control Act
The Toxic Substances Control Act of 1976 provides EPA with authority to require reporting, record-keeping and testing requirements, and restrictions relating to chemical substances and/or mixtures. Certain substances are generally excluded from TSCA, including, among others, food, drugs, cosmetics and pesticides. -
The Resource Conservation and Recovery Act
The 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. RCRA also set forth a framework for the management of non-hazardous solid wastes. The 1986 amendments to RCRA enabled EPA to address environmental problems that could result from underground tanks storing petroleum and other hazardous substances. -
Nuclear Waste Policy Act
The Nuclear Waste Policy Act (NWPA) supports the use of deep geologic repositories for the safe storage and/or disposal of radioactive waste. The Act establishes procedures to evaluate and select sites for geologic repositories and for the interaction of state and federal governments. It also provides a timetable of key milestones the federal agencies must meet in carrying out the program. -
The Shore Protection Act
Title IV of the Ocean Dumping Ban Act of 1988 created the Shore Protection Act of 1988 (SPA), which prohibits the transportation of municipal or commercial waste within coastal waters by a vessel without a permit and number or other marking. Permits are not to run beyond renewable five-year terms and will terminate when the vessel is sold. -
Summary of the Oil Pollution Act
he Oil Pollution Act (OPA) of 1990 streamlined and strengthened EPA's ability to prevent and respond to catastrophic oil spills.EPA has published regulations for aboveground storage facilities; the Coast Guard has done so for oil tankers. The OPA also requires the development of Area Contingency Plans to prepare and plan for oil spill response on a regional scale. -
The Pollution Prevention Act
The Pollution Prevention Act focused industry, government, and public attention on reducing the amount of pollution through cost-effective changes in production, operation, and raw materials use. Opportunities for source reduction are often not realized because of existing regulations, and the industrial resources required for compliance, focus on treatment and disposal. -
Clean Power Plan
On August 3, 2015, President Obama and EPA announced the Clean Power Plan - a historic and important step in reducing carbon pollution from power plants that takes real action on climate change. -
The Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act
The Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FFDCA) authorizes EPA to set tolerances, or maximum residue limits, for pesticide residues on foods. In the absence of a tolerance for a pesticide residue, a food containing such a residue is subject to seizure by the government. Once a tolerance is established, the residue level in the tolerance is the trigger for enforcement actions. That is, if residues are found above that level, the commodity will be subject to seizure. -
Energy Policy Act
The Energy Policy Act (EPA) addresses energy production in the United States, including: energy efficiency; renewable energy; oil and gas; coal; Tribal energy; nuclear matters and security; vehicles and motor fuels, including ethanol; hydrogen, electricity; energy tax incentives; hydropower and geothermal energy; and climate change technology. -
The Energy Independence and Security Act
move the United States toward greater energy independence and security;
increase the production of clean renewable fuels;
protect consumers;
increase the efficiency of products, buildings, and vehicles;
promote research on and deploy greenhouse gas capture and storage options;
improve the energy performance of the Federal Government; and
increase U.S. energy security, develop renewable fuel production, and improve vehicle fuel economy. -
Laws and Regulations
Drinking Water Regulations under Development:
Current Drinking Water Regulations: contaminants EPA regulates in drinking water, such as arsenic, lead, and microbials.
