Name: __________________________________________________ Pd./Letter Day: _____________________
Panaski’s Environmental Dilemmas
Directions: Read the following 11 situations. Using your notes from the introduction to Environmental Health,
decide which agency or law/act/federal funding can help improve the environmental health in each situation.
Write the correct solution in the line below each dilemma.
1. Recently, a liquid has leaked into my basement. It smells like gasoline. I think the tanks at the gas station
next door may be leaking, but the owners insist that that is impossible. What AGENCY can I contact to
help me?
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2. I work in a carpentry shop. There’s a lot of sawdust in the air and I’ve been having trouble breathing lately.
What AGENCY can I contact to help me?
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3. I’m thinking about starting a business. I want to be sure my employees have the safest work environment
that I can provide. What AGENCY can I contact to find out about the latest research on workplace safety?
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4. I’ve been trying to build a house on a nice piece of country property. Recently, an inspector found an
endangered plant growing on the spot where I want to build. What LAW governs the discovery?
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5. A factory in my community has always found it easiest to dispose of our wastes in the nearby river. Is
there an ACT that might prevent the factory from doing this?
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6. Some people in my city want to build a sewage treatment plant just upstream of the water treatment
plant. Is there a LAW that can help me fight this?
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7. Recently, there was a big oil spill in the lake near my home. Is there any way my community can get
FEDERAL FUNDING to help clean it up?
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8. There is a factory near my home that sends off chemicals into the air, making our whole neighborhood
smell awful. Is there a LAW allowing standards to be set for such pollution?
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9. I want to start a company that will manufacture pesticides and other toxic substances. Are there any
LAWS that could affect the way I make and distribute my product?
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10. In my new company, what LAW might I have to follow to make sure my employees are safe?
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11. My state plans to build a new road near my house. The construction could cause more erosion in my area.
What LAW ensures that my state will study the road’s environmental impact before beginning to build?
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