Environmental Laws and International Treaties Flashcards
National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA)
Requires federal agencies to integrate environmental values into their decision-making processes by considering the environmental impacts of their proposed actions; Requires agencies to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement detailing impact to the surrounding environment
Endangered Species Act
Identifies threatened and endangered species in the United States, and puts their protection ahead of economic considerations
Convention of International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES)
(International Treaty); Lists species that cannot be commercially traded as live specimens or wildlife products
Marine Mammal Protection Act
Protects all marine mammals by prohibiting, with certain exceptions, the taking of marine mammals in U.S. waters and by U.S. citizens on the high seas and the importation of marine mammals and marine mammal products into the United States
Lacey Act
Prohibits interstate transport of wild animals–dead or alive–without federal permit
Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, Rodenticide Act
Regulates the effectiveness of pesticides
Food Quality Protection Act
Sets pesticide limits in food, and all active and inactive ingredients must be screened for estrogenic/endocrine effects
Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) Treaty
(International treaty not ratified by the United States as of 2009); This treaty originated at the Stockholm convention. It is an international agreement to phase out 12 organic persistent pollutants also known as the “dirty dozen,” such as DDT and PCBs
Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act
Regulates coal mining activities in the United States and requires reclaiming of land after use
Federal Mine Safety and Health Act
Set forth federal health and safety regulations for all coal and non-coal mining operations in the United States
Energy Policy Act
This U.S. law provides incentives, typically in the form of government subsidies, for various energy resources including fossil fuels, and nuclear and alternative energy sources
Safe Drinking Water Act
Sets maximum contaminant levels for pollutants that may have adverse affects on human health
Clean Water Act
Sets maximum permissible amounts of water pollutants that can be discharged into waterways. Main goals are to reduce surface water pollution into lakes, rivers, and streams
Water Quality Act
Amended the Clean Water Act by addressing storm water pollution issues; Requires industrial storm water discharges and municipal sewage discharge facilities to acquire permits
Ocean Dumping Ban Act
Bans dumping of sewage sludge and industrial waste in the ocean
Clean Air Act
Sets emission standards for cars, addresses requirements for reducing ozone depletion and acid deposition
Kyoto Protocol
(International agreement not signed by the United States as of early 2010) Controls global warming by setting greenhouse gas emissions targets for developed countries
Montreal Protocol
(International agreement sign by the United States) Phase-out of ozone-depleting substances such as chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) and hydrochlorofluorcarbons (HCFCs)
Resource Conservation and Recovery Act
Controls hazardous waste with cradle-to-grave system requirements
Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act
Identifies superfund sites, designed to identify and clean up abandoned hazardous waste dump sites (CERCLA)
Nuclear Waste Policy Act
Encourages development of a U.S. high-level nuclear waste repository site by 2015 (original proposed site was Yucca Mountain, Nevada)
Low-Level Radioactive Policy Act
Requires all states to have facilities to handle low-level radioactive waves
Basel Convention
(International treaty not signed by the United States) Treaty drafted as a result of hazardous waste from developed nations being shipped overseas to developing countries. It requires that developing countries must give full permission to accept the hazardous waste. As of early 2010, this treaty has been signed by 172 countries
