Environmental Laws

Question 1

CERCLA (1980)

Answer 1

“Superfund” act taxes heavy polluting industries for cleanup of environmental contamination. Love Canal incident and Valley of the Drums spurred passage. Replaced by SARA

Question 2

SARA (1986)

Answer 2

Reauthorized superfund and added specific clean up and reporting requirements. National Priority List maps potential sites for further study or mitigation. Budget for Superfund cleanup has been reduced significantly over last decade

Question 3

EPCRA (1986)

Answer 3

Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act . Companion legislation to SARA (Title III). Requires each state to establish State Emergency Response Commission for directing emergency planning and reporting of chemicals

Question 4

FIFRA (1996)

Answer 4

Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act of 1996
Provided federal control of pesticide distribution, sale, and use
Required pesticide users to register with the EPA
FIFRA amendments required all users of pesticides to pass a certification exam in order to apply pesticides

Question 5

NPDES (1972)

Answer 5

National Pollution Discharge Elimination System of 1972
Authorized by the Clean Water Act
Put in place to control water pollution by regulating point sources that discharge pollutants into water bodies
Industrial and municipal polluters must obtain an NPDES discharge permit and meet both federal and state water quality standards. Permits are good for 5 years. New developments frequently require permitting for storm water discharge.

Question 6

RCRA (1976)

Answer 6

Resource Conservation and Recovery Act of 1976
Cradle-to-grave legislation for hazardous waste materials
Gave the EPA authority to control the generation, treatment, storage, transport, and disposal of hazardous waste
Household hazardous wastes are exempt from RCRA regulations

Question 7

SDWA (1974)

Answer 7

Safe Drinking Water Act of 1974
Enacted to protect the quality of drinking water
Set standards for drinking water
Covers all waters actually or potentially used for drinking use, whether from above or below ground sources
All owners or operators of public water systems are required to comply with the standards of SDWA

Question 8

CWA (1972) Amended 1977, 1987

Answer 8

CWA introduced the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES). All waters with a “significant nexus” to “navigable waters” are covered under the CWA

Question 9

CAA (1963)

Answer 9

Clean Air Act of 1963. Requires monitoring of pollutants including ozone, vehicle emissions, etc. Established National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS)

Question 10

OSHA (1970)

Answer 10

Established the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)

Question 11

NEPA (1970)

Answer 11

Created Council on Environmental Quality and NEPA process. EPA was established same year by executive order. Nixon

Question 12

Wilderness Act (1964)

Answer 12

Established National Wilderness Preservation System protecting 9.1 million acres. Today consists of 109 million acres managed by various federal park and forestry agencies

Question 13

National Emissions Standards Act (1965)

Answer 13

Motor Vehicle Air Pollution Control Act. First federal legislation regulating vehicle emissions. An amendment to CAA

Question 14

SWDA (1965)

Answer 14

established a framework for states to better control solid waste disposal and set minimum safety requirements for landfills. Was replaced by RCRA.

Question 15

Clean Air Act(s)

Answer 15

1963 - control of air pollutants
1970 - NAAQS
1977 - PSDs, Non-Attainment
1990 - last amendment