U.S. Federal Environmental Laws

The Wilderness Act (1964)

Established the National Wilderness Preservation System and instructed federal land management agencies, including the National Park Service (NPS), to manage wilderness areas and preserve wilderness character.

The Clean Air Act (1970)

A bill containing detailed provisions that regulate air emissions from different sources.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

National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES)

A permit program implemented by authorized state governments and the EPA under the Clean Water Act. Industrial facilities and municipalities that discharge pollutants into navigable waters must hold a permit from the EPA or authorized state agencies before they can discharge these pollutants. Examples of pollutants include, but are not limited to, rock, sand, dirt, and agricultural, industrial, and municipal waste discharged into waters of the United States.

The Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization Act (SARA) (1986)

Amended CERCLA reflecting EPA's experience in administering the complex Superfund program during its first six years and made several important changes and additions to the program -Strengthened enforcement tools and increased the size of the fund to $8.5 billion -Required EPA to revise the Hazard Ranking System to ensure that it accurately assessed the relative degree of risk to human health and the environment posed by uncontrolled hazardous waste sites that may be placed on the National Priorities List (NPL) -Created the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act (EPCRA)

Pesticide Registration Improvement Act (PRIA) (2004)

An amendment to FIFRA which created a registration service fee system for applications for specified pesticide registration, amended registration, and associated tolerance actions, which set maximum residue levels for food and feed.

Federal Insecticide, Fungicide & Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) (1972)

Bulit upon the 1947 bill governing the registration, distribution, sale, and use of pesticides in the United States placing enforcement power with the EPA and Department of Agriculture -Requires that farmers, utility companies, and other users of pesticides register when they purchase pesticides and that all pesticides used in the United States be approved and licensed by the EPA -If a threatened or endangered species will be adversely affected, the EPA can issue an emergency suspension of certain pesticides

The Emergency Planning & Community Right-to-Know Act (EPCRA) (1986)

Created to help communities plan for chemical emergencies. Requires industry to report on the storage, use and releases of hazardous substances to federal, state, and local governments. Requires state and local governments, and Indian tribes to use this information to prepare for and protect their communities from potential risks. -Created under The Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization Act (SARA) (Title III)

The Safe Drinking Water Act (1974)

Established to protect the quality of drinking water -EPA is authorized to establish purity standards for both aboveground and underground sources that are either designated for, or potentially designated for, human consumption -EPA must complete a detailed risk and cost assessment, and best available peer-reviewed science, when developing these standards. -Health-related and nuisance-related standards are enforced in cooperation with state governments

The Clean Water Act (1972)

Makes it unlawful for any person to discharge any pollutant from a source point into "Waters of the United States" unless they have obtained a special permit allowing such activity from the EPA. -Original Act left WOTUS undefined leading to numerous court battles -A 2020 ruling defines WOTUS only as 4 categories of jurisdictional waters (1. Territorial seas and tradigital navigable waters, 2. Perennial and intermittent tributaries to those waters, 3. Certain lakes, ponds, and impoundments, 4. Wetlands adjacent to jurisdictional waters

The Occupational Safety & Health Act (OSHA) (1970)

Passed to ensure worker and workplace safety with the goal that employers provide their workers a place of employment free from recognized hazards to safety and health, such as exposure to toxic chemicals, excessive noise levels, mechanical dangers, heat or cold stress, or unsanitary conditions -This act created a two new agencies under the Department of Labor. One for research and and one for administration of the Act in all 50 states -State acts must have provisions in place which meet, if not exceed, the federal requirements

The Marine Protection, Research, and Sanctuaries Act (MPRSA) (or The Ocean Dumping Act) (1988)

Prohibits dumping into the ocean material that would unreasonably degrade or endanger human health or the marine environment unless a permit is obtained

Migratory Bird Treaty Act (1918)

Prohibits the take (including killing, capturing, selling, trading, and transport) of protected migratory bird species without prior authorization by the Department of Interior U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

The Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) (1976)

Provides EPA with authority to require reporting, record-keeping and testing requirements, and restrictions relating to chemical substances and/or mixtures -Substances not included: food, drugs, cosmetics, pesticides, tobacco, nuclear materials,or munitions -Addresses the production, importation, use, and disposal of specific chemicals including polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), asbestos, radon and lead-based paint

The Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA) (1980)

Provides a Federal "Superfund" to clean up uncontrolled or abandoned hazardous-waste sites as well as accidents, spills, and other emergency releases of pollutants into the environment. EPA was given power to seek out parties responsible for any release and assure their cooperation in the cleanup. -EPA uses the Hazard Ranking System (HRS) which is based on the size of the site, the toxic materials found there, and the site's hazard to human health. The HRS assigns sites a score from 0-100 -EPA can identify polluters ("Potentially Responsible Parties (PRP)") responsible for the site to pay for the cleanup -A 2008 SC ruling made it so that polluters only had to pay a portion of the cleanup costs -Excludes petroleum -Does not mandate parties set asside funds for cleanup in the case of a spill/leak

National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) (1969)

Serves the purpose of ensuring the government researches and gives proper consideration to potential environmental effects before undertaking any major federal action, such as construction of a new highway -One of the first laws ever written that establishes the broad national framework for protecting our environment -The government must complete Environmental Assessments (EAs) and Environmental Impact Statements (EISs) for any action they contemplate

The Endangered Species Act (1973)

Serves the purpose of protecting and recovering imperiled species and the ecosystems upon which they depend. -Administered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) and the Commerce Department's National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS). -The Service has primary responsibility for terrestrial and freshwater organisms, while the responsibilities of NMFS are mainly marine wildlife such as whales and anadromons fish such as salmon

Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) (1976)

The public law that creates the framework for the proper management of hazardous and non-hazardous solid waste. -EPA develops regulations, guidance and policies that ensure the safe management and cleanup of solid and hazardous waste, and programs that encourage source reduction and beneficial reuse. -An amendment to the Solid Waste Disposal Act of 1965 -- the first statute that specifically focused on improving solid waste disposal methods

Oil Pollution Act (1990)

Under this law, any onshore or offshore oil facility, oil shipper, vessel owner, or vessel operator that discharges oil into navigable waters or onto an adjoining shore may be liable for clean-up costs, as well as damages for harm to natural resources, private property, and local economies. It also created an oil clean-up and economic compensation fund and required oil tankers using U.S. ports to be double hulled by the year 2011. -An amendment to the CWA after the 1989 Exxon Valdez spill