Environmental Laws and Regulations
Define the role of "A Sand Country Almanac."
*"A Sand Country Almanac"* (1949) -Aldo Leopold- considered father of wildlife ecology >*Encouraged a deeper understanding of humanity's place in the ecosystem*
Identify the events that lead to the creation of the early conservation movement.
*19th Century Industrialism* -Increased population >City crowding- sewage and sanitation -Increased demand for raw materials >Mining and logging -Factories >Air pollution
Explain the role of the Air Pollution Act.
*Air Pollution Act* (1955) -Non Regulatory bill -Money for air pollution research
Identify the events that lead to the creation of the Clean Air Act.
*Amendment of 1965 (Motor Vehicle Air Pollution Control Act)*: Worked to establish standards for automobile emissions. *Amendment of 1969*: Extended authorization for research on low emissions fuels and automobiles.
Explain the role of the Brownfields Program.
*Brownfields Program* (1995) -Brownfields do not reach level of pollution to make the superfund site list -Property which the expansion, redevelopment, or reuse of which may be complicated by the presence or potential presence of a hazardous substance, pollutant, or contaminant. -Cleaning up and reinvesting in these properties protects the environment, reduces blight.
Explain the role of the monitoring station at Mauna Loa, HI.
*CO2 Monitoring at Mauna Loa Hawaii* (1956) -ocean acidification and global warming is a result of increasing CO2 levels.
Explain the role of the Clean Air Act.
*Clean Air Act* (1963) -*First act to control pollution* >Developed methods for monitoring & controlling pollution
Define CERCLA.
*Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA)* -Program established for long term clean up of abandoned sites contaminated with hazardous wastes and pollutants.
Environmental Disasters Oil Spills- Deepwater Horizon
*Deepwater Horizon* (2010) -200 million gallons of oil spilled over 87 days -In January 2013, Transocean agreed to pay US$1.4 billion for violations of the US Clean Water Act. -BP plead guilty of gross negligence and willful misconduct under the Clean Water Act (CWA). (2014) >BP's actions were described as "reckless," while the judge said Transocean's and Halliburton's actions were "negligent." >BP was fined approximately 7.8 billion. >Also found guilty of 11 counts of felony manslaughter, one count of felony obstruction of Congress, and violations of the Migratory Bird Treaty Acts.
Identify the major acts and events surrounding air pollution.
*Donora Smog* (1948) -Smog lasted 5 days in Donora, Pennsylvania. >7,0000 sickened, 20 died (There were 14000 people in the town so 50% of the town was sickened.) *Great Smog of London* (1952) -Smog as a result of *coal burning* lasted 4 days in London, England. >100,000 sickened, 4,000 died (immediately) *CO2 Monitoring at Mauna Loa Hawaii* (1956)
Identify the cause of the Donora Smog.
*Donora Smog* (1948) -Smog lasted 5 days in Donora, Pennsylvania. >7,0000 sickened, 20 died (There were 14000 people in the town so 50% of the town was sickened.) -U.S. Steel's Donora Zinc Works and its American Steel & Wire plant released *Hydrogen fluoride*, *Fluorine gas* from zinc smelting, and *Sulfur oxide.* >Combined with *temperature inversion* (temperature increases with altitude, rather than decreases), *Inversion layer* (lay of warm air trapped between two layers of cold air normally around "warm fronts") created smog. >which normally occurs during winter months
Explain the role of the EPA and CAA.
*EPA* (1970) -*Clean Air Act rewritten, EPA established.* -*EPA enforces CAA by monitoring emissions *
Identify the major acts and events surrounding water pollution.
*Earth Day* (1970) -April 22 -Santa Barbara Oil Spill (1969) >100,000 barrels of crude oil spilled -Cuyahoga River "Catching Fire" (1969) >Cleveland, Ohio >Major industrial >Spark from a passing train lit oil >Had caught fire a previous 13 times (1912 -5 people died)
Explain the environmental assessment as set by the National Environmental Policy Act.
*Environmental Assessment* -Involves the public -Determine if the action has significant environmental effects? If yes, refer to EIS. If no, proceed.
Explain the environmental impact statement (National Environmental Policy Act).
*Environmental Impact Statement* (EIS) -Issues notice of intent -Conduct public scoping & engage the public -Publish draft EIS for public review and comment -Publish final EIS and make available to public -Sign record of decision
Identify the cause of the Great London Smog.
*Great Smog of London* (1952) -Smog as a result of *coal burning* lasted 4 days in London, England. >100,000 sickened, 4,000 died (immediately)
Define the role of the Land and Water Conservation Fund.
*Land and Water Conservation Fund* (1965) -Established by act of congress -*Provides matching grants for land/water acquisition for establishment and maintenance of parks* >Funding comes from leasing oil/gas drilling sites (i.e. Everglades, Appalachian Trail, Big Sur.)
Explain the importance of Love Canal.
*Love Canal* -Planned community in Niagara Falls, New York -Built on toxic waste dump site >Previously owned by Hooker Chemical Co. >Sold for 1$ to city of Niagara -21,000 tons of liquid waste began bubbling up through the ground >Carcinogens, dioxin (Endocrine disrupters- multigenerational) >Health Problems >Birth Defects (1979- 17 births: 2 normal, 9 birth defects, 2 still born, 4 miscarriages)
Define the role of the Audubon Society (early grassroots organization).
*National Audubon Society* (established 1905) -Named in honor of John James Audubon -*Bird conservation* -Bird conservation continued with Harriet Hemenway and Minna Hall >Conservation of birds and their habitats >Formed in response to slaughter of birds for feathers for millinery trade (hats); Hemenway and Hall convinced local ladies to stop wearing hats with feathers
Identify the events that lead to the creation of the Migratory Bird Treaty Act.
*National Audubon Society* (established 1905) Bird conservation continued with Harriet Hemenway and Minna Hall -Conservation of birds and their habitats -Formed in response to slaughter of birds for feathers for millinery trade (hats); Hemenway and Hall convinced local ladies to stop wearing hats with feathers
Define the role of the National Park Service.
*National Park Service* (1916) The National Park Service (NPS) is an agency of the United States federal government that manages all national parks, many national monuments, and other conservation and historical properties with various title designations. -US Department of the Interior -First national park- Yellowstone 1872 -Most visited- Great Smoky Mountains >2nd Grand Canyon
Define the role of the National Wilderness Protection Act.
*National Wilderness Preservation Act* (1964) *Protects federally managed wilderness areas* -109,511,966 million acres of protected wilderness -Wilderness areas in all but six U.S. states -Legal definition of wilderness- A wilderness... is hereby recognized as an area where the earth and its community of life are untrammeled by man, where man himself is a visitor who does not remain. An .... area of undeveloped Federal land retaining its primeval character and influence, without permanent improvements or human habitation, which is protected and managed so as to preserve its natural conditions...
Define the role of the Sierra Club (early grassroots organization).
*Sierra Club* (1892) -John Muir- father of the national parks system -*Promote "green" policies* -Mission >To explore, enjoy, and protect the wild places of the earth; >To practice and promote the responsible use of the earth's ecosystems and resources >To educate and enlist humanity to protect and restore the quality of the natural and human environment >To use all lawful means to carry out these objectives.
Define the role of "Silent Spring."
*Silent Spring* (1962) *DDT Awareness* -*Connected declining bird populations to DDT use (dichloro-diphenyl-trichloroethane)* >DDT widely used pesticide >Organochloride >Kills mosquitos (Malaria prevention)
Who was the author of "Silent Spring?"
*Silent Spring* (1962) -Written by Rachel Carson
Explain the role of the Superfund Act.
*Superfund Sites* (1980) aka CERCLA Superfund is the common name given to the law called the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act of 1980, or CERCLA. Superfund is also the trust fund set up by Congress to handle emergency and hazardous waste sites needing long-term cleanup.
Identify the people who were influential in the creation of the early conservation movement.
*Transcendentalist writers* -Celebrated nature & its restorative effects on humanity >Ralph Waldo Emerson >Henry David Thoreau
Explain the use of DDT and why it is problematic.
-*Connected declining bird populations to DDT use (dichloro-diphenyl-trichloroethane)* >DDT widely used pesticide >Organochloride >Kills mosquitos (Malaria prevention)
Explain how "A Sand Country Almanac" ethic is different from early conservation movement.
-*Criticized early conservation movement* >Too driven by economics and personal enjoyment -Called for ethic that *"enlarges the boundaries of the community to include soils, waters, plants , and animals, or collectively: the land"8
Identify the penalties for violation of the CAA.
-*EPA enforces CAA by monitoring emissions * >If a civil case- fines, clean up >If criminal case- jail time, fines, clean up
What events lead to the creation of "Silent Spring?"
-Americans began to question the use of chemicals. -Inspired a lot of people in the movement -*Directly resulted in the EPA being created*
Environmental Disasters- Bhopal (1984)
-Considered the worst environmental disaster -Union Carbide Plant- pesticide production -Methyl Isocyanide- CH3NCO >Water somehow got into tank >Highly reactive with water >Tank released 40 tons of MIC -Lacrymate, pulmonary edema, blindness, nausea, gastritis, sweating, fever, chills, liver damage, kidney damage
Explain the role of the Endocrine Disruptor Screening Program.
-Decreased male fertility due to *anti-androgens.* >Ex. Cryptorchidism, hypospadias, low sperm count, testicular cancer >Termed: testicular dysregulation -Caused by *endocrine disruptors* >Industrial chemicals >Pesticides from farm run-off >Fenitrothion- organophosphate insecticide -*EPA- Endocrine Disruptor Screening Program* -$1,000,000 per chemical to test -Push-back from chemical companies
Identify what is regulated by the CWA.
2/3rds of US waterways were unfit for fishing or swimming.
Identify the 3 Factors used for Hazard Ranking.
3 Factors 1. *Likelihood of release into the environment* 2. *What is released* >Characteristics of the waste (e.g. toxicity and waste quantity) 3. *Is any thing/body affected by the release*
Identify the 4 pathways for Hazard Ranking.
4 Pathways 1. *ground water migration* (drinking water) 2. *surface water migration* (drinking water, human food chain) 3. *soil exposure* 4. *air migration*
Identify the events that lead to the creation of "A Sand Country Almanac."
Advocate Leopold's idea of a "land ethic", or a responsible relationship existing between people and the land they inhabit. -Adapted by environmentalists of the 60s >Ecological awareness and preservation in humanity's best interests
Explain the influence of Silent Spring on American perception of chemical use.
Americans began to question the use of chemicals.
Explain the difference between a point source and non-point source (CWA).
CWA regulates discharge of pollutants U.S. waters -Both point and non-point sources: >*Point*- Single point of discharge, i.e. factories >*Non-point*-run-off from city streets
Explain what Migratory Bird Treaty Act regulates.
Cannot capture or kill any American migratory bird (Includes other countries, Britain, Japan, etc.)
Define the role of early grassroots organizations in current environmental laws.
Protect and preserve wild environments (nature).
Explain the role of the public as set by the National Environmental Policy Act.
Public involvement includes elected public officials who have to sign off on funds or allow an EIS to move forward.
Explain the process and the planning process necessary before a federal project must proceed in accordance to the National Environmental Policy Act.
Requires ALL federal agencies to prepare environmental assessments & environmental impact statements
Identify the laws research laboratories must follow and the penalties if they are not followed.
Research labs must follow appropriate chemical use: -Clean Air Act -Clean Water Act -Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) >Governs disposal of hazardous waste from >"cradle-to-grave" Enacted in 1976 -Violations result in fines
Define the role of Migratory Bird Treaty Act.
Resulted in *Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918* >Cannot capture or kill any American migratory bird (Includes other countries, Britain, Japan, etc.)
Identify who Subpart K apples to.
Subpart K applies to: Colleges and universities Teaching hospitals owned by or formally affiliated with a college or university Non-profit research institutes owned by or formally affiliated with a college or university
Explain the role of Subpart K.
Subpart K is a regulation designed for the unique hazardous waste generation of academic laboratories: Hundreds of different hazardous wastes that vary over time Small volumes of each waste Many points of generation Hazardous waste generated by students with high turnover, minimal training, and limited accountability
Define the role of the National Environmental Policy Act.
Legislation- *National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 1970* The National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) is a United States environmental law that promotes the enhancement of the environment and established the President's Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ).
Fifth Street & Buckeye Road Redevelopment Project- Brownfield
-East Washington Fluff Site- metal salvage yard, >Collaboration between the City of Phoenix, Arizona Department of Environmental Quality, Arizona Department of Health Services, Maricopa County and the EPA. >$250,000 brownfields grant from the City of Phoenix to help mitigate remediation and construction costs. -9.6-acre property- abandoned by its owner in 1986. >6,000 tons of hazardous materials piled up to 18 feet above and 9 to 18 feet below the surface. >Property was designated a Water Quality Assurance Revolving Fund Registry (WQARF) site, also known as a state Superfund site. -Local, state and federal government agencies worked with a private Harrison Properties Inc. >Conducted environmental investigations >Clean up surface waste, place a protective cap, and assist with redevelopment. -Benefits include enhanced community health, neighborhood revitalization, environmental protection, and job creation.
Explain the mission of the Sierra Club.
-Mission >To explore, enjoy, and protect the wild places of the earth; >To practice and promote the responsible use of the earth's ecosystems and resources >To educate and enlist humanity to protect and restore the quality of the natural and human environment >To use all lawful means to carry out these objectives.
Identify the events that lead to the creation of the National Environmental Policy Act.
-Silent Spring -Highway Revolts- in response to bulldozing communities and ecosystems
Define the process of CERCLA.
-Sites are given a score and placed on a *National Priorities List* (NPL) >Based upon Hazard Ranking System or is deemed top priority by the state -The *Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry* has issued a health advisory that recommends removing people from the location. -*EPA* determines that the site poses a significant threat to public health.
Define the role of the National Priorities List and how a site is placed on the NPL.
-Sites are given a score and placed on a *National Priorities List* (NPL) >Based upon Hazard Ranking System or is deemed top priority by the state -The *Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry* has issued a health advisory that recommends removing people from the location. -*EPA* determines that the site poses a significant threat to public health.
What was the topic of "Silent Spring?"
Connected declining bird populations to DDT use (dichloro-diphenyl-trichloroethane)
Explain the events involved in the Flint, MI water crisis.
Consequences of Water Pollution: -To save money the state (Flint, Michigan) switched from Lake Huron water to water from the Flint River. -*Flint river highly polluted* >Pollution was exceedingly corrosive >*Corrosion destroyed old pipes leaching lead into the water supply* -*Federal State of Emergency declared in January 2016* >Residents instructed to use only bottled water >Early 2017 water quality returned to acceptable levels but residents told to keep using bottled water until all old lead pipes replaced ~2020
Identify the criteria for a park to be included in the National Park Service.
Criteria: -natural beauty -unique geological features -unusual ecosystems -recreational opportunities
Identify who enforces the Migratory Bird Treaty Act.
Enforced by *Fish and Wildlife Service*- prohibits the removal of all listed species or their parts (feathers, eggs, nests, etc.)
Identify the penalties for violation of the CWA.
Enforced by EPA >Law allows citizen suits >Criminal & Civil Penalties (Jail time or fines)
Identify who enforces the CWA.
Enforced by EPA.
Explain the role of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
Environmental Protection Agency (1970) -The EPA is an agency of the United States federal government whose mission is to protect human and environmental health.
Identify the requirements of Subpart K.
Important Parts of Subpart K: Requires hazardous waste determinations to be made by trained professionals, rather than students. Requires hazardous waste to be removed from the laboratory every twelve months. Requires the development of a Laboratory Management Plan
Identify who found the Sierra Club.
John Muir- father of the national parks system
Explain the role of the Clean Water Act (CWA).
The 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. *Clean Water Act* (1972) -*First act to control pollution*
Explain the role of the Federal Water Pollution Act.
The Federal Water Pollution Control Act of 1948 was the first major U.S. law to address water pollution. *Federal Water Pollution Act* (1948) -*First U.S. law to address water pollution* >Provided funds for reducing/treating polluted water
Define the role of the hazard ranking system.
The Hazard Ranking System (HRS) is a scoring system used by EPA to assess the relative threat associated with actual or potential releases of hazardous substances at sites. (Sites are given a score and placed on a National Priorities List (NPL) based upon Hazard Ranking System or is deemed top priority by the state)
Define the role of the early conservation movement.
The goal of the conservation movement was to preserve important natural features in America.
