APES Legislation Quiz

Lacey Act

1900, is a United States law that bans trafficking in fish, wildlife, or plants that are illegally taken, possessed, transported, or sold. 2008, was amended to include a prohibition on trade in plants and plant products, such as timber and paper, harvested in violation of foreign law. two major components to the Lacey Act plant amendments: a ban on trading plants or plant products harvested in violation of the law; and a requirement that importers of plants and plant products file a declaration identifying the scientific name, value, quantity, and country of harvest for most plant products.

Convention of International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITIES):

1973 International agreement - wildlife trade regulation; Aims to ensure that international trade in specimens of wild animals and plants does not threaten their survival; Safeguards species from over-exploitation. Participation is voluntary, and countries that have agreed to be bound by the Convention are known as Parties. provides a framework respected by each Party, which must adopt their own domestic legislation to implement this act at the national level. Often, domestic legislation is either non-existent (especially in Parties that have not ratified it), or with penalties with the gravity of the crime and insufficient deterrents to wildlife traders.

Endangered Species Act (ESA)

1973 President Nixon; Conservation of threatened and endangered plants, animals, and their habitats; Domestic and international conservation. Under the ESA, species may be listed as either endangered or threatened. "Endangered" means a species is in danger of extinction throughout all or a significant portion of its range. "Threatened" means a species is likely to become endangered within the foreseeable future. All species of plants and animals, except pest insects, are eligible for listing as endangered or threatened. For the purposes of the ESA, Congress defined species to include subspecies, varieties, and, for vertebrates, distinct population segments. 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 authorize, fund, or carry out are not likely to jeopardize the continued existence of any listed species or result in the destruction or adverse modification of designated critical habitat of such species. The law also prohibits any action that causes a "taking" of any listed species of endangered fish or wildlife. Likewise, import, export, interstate, and foreign commerce of listed species are all generally prohibited.

Montreal Protocol

Finalized in 1987, this act is a global agreement to protect the stratospheric ozone layer by phasing out the production and consumption of ozone-depleting substances (ODS). The stratospheric ozone layer filters out harmful ultraviolet radiation, which is associated with an increased prevalence of skin cancer and cataracts, reduced agricultural productivity, and disruption of marine ecosystems. The United States ratified this act in 1988 and has joined four subsequent amendments. The United States has been a leader within the Protocol throughout its existence, and has taken strong domestic action to phase out the production and consumption of ODS such as chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) and halons. The Montreal Protocol has proven to be innovative and successful, and is the first treaty to achieve universal ratification by all countries in the world. Leveraging worldwide participation, the act has sent clear signals to the global market and placed the ozone layer, which was in peril, on a path to repair.

Fisheries Conservation and Management Act (1976)

Fisheries from other countries were fishing 200 miles or closer to the US coast an the act was passed to assert control over them and address over fishing. Exclusive US fishing 12-200 miles off coast - Federal level - went to the National oceanic and atmospheric administration, required regional councils plus the secretary of commerce to make it and identify overfished stocks.

Research 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. This act also set forth a framework for the management of non-hazardous solid wastes. The 1986 amendments to this act enabled EPA to address environmental problems that could result from underground tanks storing petroleum and other hazardous substances.

Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA)

Originally passed by Congress in 1974 to protect public health by regulating the nation's public drinking water supply. The law was amended in 1986 and 1996 and requires many actions to protect drinking water and its sources—rivers, lakes, reservoirs, springs, and ground water wells. (does not regulate private wells which serve fewer than 25 individuals.) authorizes the United States Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA) to set national health-based standards for drinking water to protect against both naturally-occurring and man-made contaminants that may be found in drinking water. US EPA, states, and water systems then work together to make sure that these standards are met.

Delaney Clause of Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act

The Food Additives Amendment of 1958 is a 1958 amendment to the United States' Food, Drugs, and Cosmetic Act of 1938. This was a provision in the amendment which said that if a substance were found to cause cancer in man or animal, then it could not be used as a food additive. New food additives would be subject to testing including by this Act.

Clean Air Act (CAA)

This act is the comprehensive federal law that regulates air emissions from stationary and mobile sources. Among other things, this law authorizes EPA to establish National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) to protect public health and public welfare and to regulate emissions of hazardous air pollutants. One of the goals of the Act was to set and achieve NAAQS in every state by 1975 in order to address the public health and welfare risks posed by certain widespread air pollutants. The setting of these pollutant standards was coupled with directing the states to develop state implementation plans (SIPs), applicable to appropriate industrial sources in the state, in order to achieve these standards. The Act was amended in 1977 and 1990 primarily to set new goals (dates) for achieving attainment of NAAQS since many areas of the country had failed to meet the deadlines.

Kyoto Protocol

Was adopted on December 11 1997 in Kyoto, Japan. Owing to a complex ratification process, it entered into force on February 16 2005. Currently, there are 192 Parties to the act. In short, the Kyoto Protocol operationalizes the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change by committing industrialized countries to limit and reduce greenhouse gases (GHG) emissions in accordance with agreed individual targets. The Convention itself only asks those countries to adopt policies and measures on mitigation and to report periodically. This act is based on the principles and provisions of the Convention and follows its annex-based structure. It only binds developed countries, and places a heavier burden on them under the principle of "common but differentiated responsibility and respective capabilities", because it recognizes that they are largely responsible for the current high levels of GHG emissions in the atmosphere

Clean Water Act (CWA)

establishes the basic structure for regulating discharges of pollutants into the waters of the United States and regulating quality standards for surface waters. The basis of the act was enacted in 1948 and was called the Federal Water Pollution Control Act, but the Act was significantly reorganized and expanded in 1972. Under this act, EPA has implemented pollution control programs such as setting wastewater standards for industry. EPA has also developed national water quality criteria recommendations for pollutants in surface waters. The act made it unlawful to discharge any pollutant from a point source into navigable waters, unless a permit was obtained. EPA's program controls discharges. Point sources are discrete conveyances such as pipes or man-made ditches. Individual homes that are connected to a municipal system, use a septic system, or do not have a surface discharge do not need an NPDES permit; however, industrial, municipal, and other facilities must obtain permits if their discharges go directly to surface waters.

Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977

is intended to ensure that coal mining activity is conducted with sufficient protections of the public and the environment, and provides for the restoration of abandoned mining areas to beneficial use. Created two programs: one for regulating active coal mines and a second for reclaiming abandoned mine lands.

Toxic Substances Control Act (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 this act, including, among others, food, drugs, cosmetics and pesticides

Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act 🡪 (CERCLA)/ Superfund:

provides a Federal "Superfund" to clean up uncontrolled or abandoned hazardous-waste sites as well as accidents, spills, and other emergency releases of pollutants and contaminants into the environment. Through this act, EPA was given power to seek out those parties responsible for any release and assure their cooperation in the cleanup. EPA cleans up orphan sites when potentially responsible parties cannot be identified or located, or when they fail to act. Through various enforcement tools, EPA obtains private party cleanup through orders, consent decrees, and other small party settlements. EPA also recovers costs from financially viable individuals and companies once a response action has been completed. EPA is authorized to implement the Act in all 50 states and U.S. territories. Superfund site identification, monitoring, and response activities in states are coordinated through the state environmental protection or waste management agencies.