Terms Definitions
Terms
Definitions
Clean Air Act
Authorizes EPA to establish National Ambient Air Quality Standards and
to regulate airborne emissions (industrial, cars, residential, etc)
especially the big 7: NOx, SOx, PM, O3, VOC, CO, and Pb.a. (1970)
(CAA)
Clean Water Act
(CWA)
Safe Drinking Water Act
(SDWA)
Regulates the discharge of pollutants into water and sets standards for
water quality of navigable surface water. Water must be deemed
"swimmable and fishable" by the EPA. (1972)
Protects drinking water in the US. Establishes minimum water quality
standards for all drinking water. (1974)
Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species. An
International agreement that prohibits trade in endangered species.
(1975)
CITES
Endangered Species Act
(ESA)
Energy Policy Act
(EPA)
Provides for conservation and protection of endangered species and
their habitats. Prohibits "taking" of the species. USFWS and NOAA place
species on the list. (1973)
Deals with energy efficiency of, addresses energy production, provides
incentives for alternate energy.
HAZMAT
Hazardous Material and Transportation Act - offers protection to life and
property against the dangers of transporting hazardous materials.
Improves the authority of the Secretary of Transportation in tis issue
(1975)
Lacy Act
Protects plants and wildlife by prohibiting trade in species that have been
taken illegally and sets criminal and civil penalties. Also covers the
falsification of documents concerning shipments of wildlife. (1900)
Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic
Act
(FFDCA)
Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and
Rodenticide Act
Gives the US Food and Drug Administration ability to manage the safety
of food, drugs, and cosmetics. Allows the EPA to set maximum pesticide
residue limits on food.
FIFRA. Provides federal regulation of pesticide distribution, sale, and
use. EPA must license pesticides. (1996)
(FIFRA)
Ocean Dumping Act
(ODA)
Officially called the Marine Protection, Research, and Sanctuaries Act:
Allows EPA to control ocean dumping in US waters by permit; prohibits
dumping or the transportation of material with the purpose of dumping in
the ocean
Nuclear Waste Policy Act
(NWPA)
Occupational Safety and Health Act
(OSHA)
Pollution Prevention Act
(PPA)
Resource Conservation and
Recovery Act
(RCRA)
Enacted to manage the disposal of nuclear waste. Allows deep
geological depositories for the disposal of radioactive waste. (1982)
OSHA - ensures workplace safety and health. Helps prevent work
injuries, illnesses, and fatalities. (1970)
Helps individuals, organizations, and industry to reduce their pollution.
Focuses on source reduction. (1990)
Resource Conservation and Recovery Act. Controls the
transport, treatment, and storage of the waste. Gives EPA
authority to manage waste from cradle to grave. (1976)
Solid Waste Disposal Act
Controls how solid waste is disposed of. (1965)
(SWDA)
Soil Conservation Act
(SCA)
Surface Mining Control and
Reclamation Act
ASDA must plan for soil conservation. Allows the government to pay
farmers to reduce production to conserve soil. (1936)
Controls the environmental effects of coal mining... regulates existing
mines and provides for reclaiming abandoned mines. (1977)
(SMCRA)
Taylor Grazing Act
(TGA)
Enacted to improve conditions of rangelands by regulating grazing on
public lands. (1934)
Kyoto Protocol
An international agreement aimed at reducing the effects of climate
change by setting targets to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. US is
one of only a few nations that never ratified it. (1997)
Montreal Protocol
International treaty that phases out the use of CFC's and other ozone
depleting emissions to help protect the ozone layer. (1989)
National Environmental Policy Act
National Environmental Policy Act... formed the EPA (1969)
(NEPA)
Wilderness Act
Comprehensive Enviromental
Response, Compensation and
Liablility Act
(CERCLA)
Protects large areas of land from development, establishes the definition
of wilderness. Also created the National Wilderness Preservation System
(1964)
Also known as the "Superfund Act". Provides for the cleanup of the worst
contaminated sites by setting up a national trust fund
Animal Damage Control
(ADC)
Rivers and Habors Act
(RHA)
The Federal Land Policy
Management Act
Provided a broad authority of investigation, and demonstrations and
control of mammalian predators, rodents and birds. (1985)
Makes it a misdemeanor to excavate fill, or alter course, condition, or
capacity of any port, harbor, channel, or other areas within the reach of
the Act without a permit. (1899)
Governs the way that Public land is administered by the bureau of Land
Management are managed. (1976)
(FLPMA)
Toxic Substances Control Act
(TSCA)
The Federal Insecticide, Fungicide,
and Robenticide Act
Regulates the introduction of new or already exisiting chemicals.
Prohibits the manufacture or importation of chemicals that are not on the
TSCA inventory(or subject to one or many exemptions) (1976)
System of pesticide regulation to protect applicators, consumers and the
Environment. This act is regulated by the EPA. (1947)
(FIFRA)
Fish and Wildlife Coordination Act
(FWCA)
Put into into action to protect fish and wildlife when federal actions in the
control or modification of a natural stream or body of water.(1934)