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Definition
| Safe Drinking Water Act (1974); EPA sets maximum contaminant levels (MCL’s) to protect drinking water safety; does not apply to most wells |
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| Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization Act (1986); expanded CERCLA coverage to deal with medical bills of those affected |
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| Toxic Substances Control Act (1976); EPA able to require reporting, record-keeping and testing requirements and restrictions relating to chemical substances and/or mixtures; addresses the production, importation use and disposal of specific chemicals |
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| Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodent Act (1964); control pesticides; authorized Secretary of Agriculture to refuse registration to pesticides that are unsafe/ineffective and to remove them from the market; no one may sell, distribute or use a pesticide unless it’s registered by EPA |
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| Endangered Species Act (1973); administered by the fish and wildlife service works to protect “listed” species and their habitats |
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| Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (1980); known as superfund; uses primarily tax dollars on chemicals to help clean up degraded sites (brownfields) where a culpable party can’t be determined |
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| Clean Water Act (1972); protects habitat and recreational activities on “navigable waters” as well as wetlands |
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| Clean Air Act (1970); targets Sox, Nox, Co, lead, ground level ozone and particulates; inter-tradable quotas (ITQ’s) on sulfur (1990) to manage emissions from coal fired power plants |
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| National Environmental Protection Act (1969); federal agencies must complete an environmental impact statement (EIS) for projects on public lands |
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| Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (1976); manage hazardous pollutants from “cradle to grave”; includes generation, transportation, treatment, storage, and disposal of hazardous wastes; set framework for management of non-hazardous solid wastes; allows EPA to address environmental problems stemming from underground tanks storing hazardous substances |
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| Nuclear Waste Policy Act (1982); establish recommendations for storage of nuclear waste in deep underground sites; Yucca Mountain is first approved by Congress |
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| Convention of the International Trade of Endangered Species (1975); regulates global trade of endangered organisms via economic constrictions; IUCN (International Union for the Conservation of Nature) “red lists” troubled species |
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