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Environmental Legislation/Agreements
A list of environmental laws and agreements
48
Environmental Studies
12th Grade
09/07/2010

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Cards

Term
Atomic Energy Act (AEA)
Definition
Provides for the development and regulation of the uses of nuclear materials and facilities in the US.
Term
Clean Air Act (CAA)
Definition
Established primary and secondary air quality standards. Required states to develop implementation plans. Sets limits and goals to reduce mobile source air pollution and ambient air quality standards.
Term
Clean Water Acts (CWA)
Definition
Regulates and enforces all discharge into water sources and wetland deconstruction/construction.
Term
Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation Liability Act (CERCLA Superfund)
Definition
Established federal authority for emergency response and clean-up of hazardous substances that have been spilled, improperly disposed, or released into the environment
Term
Consumer Product Safety Act (CPSA)
Definition
Purpose is to protect the public against unreasonable risks of injury associated with consumer products.
Term
Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITIES)
Definition
Controls the exploitation of endangered species through international legislation. Bans hunting, capturing and selling of threatened species and bans the import of ivory.
Term
Emergency Planning & Community Right-To-Know Act (EPCRA)
Definition
Requires reporting of toxic releases: the Toxic Release Inventory (TRI); Encourages response for chemical releases
Term
Endangered Species Act (ESA)
Definition
Protects species that are considered to be threatened or endangered. Includes migratory birds and their habitats.
Term
Energy Policy Act (EPA)
Definition
The Act originally publicizes radiation protection standards for the Yucca Mountain repository.
Term
Energy Policy and Conservation Act (EPCA)
Definition
Authorizes the president to draw from the petroleum reserve as well as established a permanent home-heating oil reserve in the Northeast. Clarifies when the president can draw from these resources.
Term
Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FDA)
Definition
Assures the safety, wholesomeness, efficacy, and truthful packaging and labeling of food, drugs, cosmetics, and medical devices.
Term
Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA)
Definition
Requires that all pesticides are registered and approved by the FDA and creates a pesticide registry.
Term
Federal Water Pollution Control Act (FWPCA)
Definition
Authorized the surgeon general of the Public Health Service, with others, to prepare comprehensive programs for eliminating or reducing the pollution of interstate waters and tributaries and improving the sanitary condition of surface and underground waters.
Term
Food Quality Protection Act (FQPA)
Definition
Set pesticide limits in food, & all active and inactive ingredients must be screened for estrogenic/endocrine effects
Term
Hardrock Mining and Reclamation (HMA)
Definition
The bill provides that the secretary of the interior will establish a royalty rate of from 2% to 5% of the value of locatable mineral production from any new mines on federal mineral lands.
Term
Hazardous Material Transportation Act (HAZMAT)
Definition
Governs the transportation of hazardous materials and wastes.
Term
International Environmental Protection Act (IEPA)
Definition
Authorized the president to assist countries in protecting and maintaining wildlife habitat and provides an active role in conservation by the Agency for International Development.
Term
Kyoto Protocol (KP)
Definition
Agreement among 150 nations requiring greenhouse gas emission reduction.
Term
Lacey Act (LA)
Definition
A conservation law prohibiting the transportation of illegally captured or prohibited animals across state lines. It was the first federal law protecting wildlife, and is still in effect, though it has been revised several times. Today the law is primarily used to prevent the importation or spread of potentially dangerous non-native species.
Term
Law of the Sea Convention (LOSC)
Definition
International agreement that sets rules for the use of the world's oceans, which cover 70 percent of the Earth's surface.
Term
Low Level Radioactive Policy Act (LLRPA)
Definition
All states must have facilities to handle low level radioactive wastes
Term
Madrid Protocol
Definition
Moratorium on mineral exploration for 50 years in Antarctica
Term
Marine Plastic Pollution Research and Control Act (MPPRCA)
Definition
Regulates the dumping of wastes into oceans and coastal waters
Term
Migratory Bird Hunting Stamp Act (MBHSA)
Definition
Requires purchase of a stamp by waterfowl hunters. Revenue generated is used to acquire wetlands. Since its inception, the program has resulted in the protection of approximately 4.5 million acres (18,000 kmĀ²) of waterfowl habitat.
Term
Mining Act of 1872 (MA)
Definition
United States federal law that authorizes and governs prospecting and mining for economic minerals, such as gold, platinum, and silver, on federal public lands.
Term
Montreal Protocol (MP)
Definition
Banned the production of aerosols and initiated the phase out of all CFC's.
Term
National Appliance Energy Act (NAEA)
Definition
Set minimum efficiency standards for numerous categories of appliances.
Term
National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA)
Definition
Authorized the Council on Environmental Quality as the oversight board for general conditions; directs federal agencies to take environmental consequences into account in decision making; requires EIP statement be prepared for every major federal project having environmental impact.
Term
National Park Act (NPA)
Definition
Created Yosemite and Yellowstone National Parks.
Term
Noise Control Act (NCA)
Definition
Promotes a national environment free from noise that jeopardizes health and welfare. Establishes research, noise standards, and information dissemination.
Term
Nuclear Waste Policy Act (NWPA)
Definition
Established a site to identify for, and construct, an underground repository for spent nuclear reactor fuel and high-level radioactive waste from federal defense programs.
Term
Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA)
Definition
Created to protect worker and health. Its main aim was to ensure that employers provide their workers with an environment free from dangers to their safety and health, such as exposure to toxic chemicals, excessive noise levels, mechanical dangers, heat or cold stress, or unsanitary conditions.
Term
Ocean Dumping Act (ODA)
Definition
Makes it unlawful for any person to dump or transport for the purpose of dumping sewage, sludge, or industrial waste into ocean waters.
Term
Oil Pollution Act (OPA)
Definition
It states "A company cannot ship oil into the United States until it presents a plan to prevent spills that may occur. It must also have a detailed containment and cleanup plan in case of an oil spill emergency."
Term
Pollution Prevention Act (PPA)
Definition
Requires facilities to reduce pollution at its source. Reduction can be in volume or toxicity.
Term
Quiet Communities Act (QCA)
Definition
Provides for the coordination of federal research and activities in noise control. Authorized FAA funds for development of noise abatement plans around airports.
Term
Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA)
Definition
Management of non-hazardous and hazardous solid waste including landfills and storage tanks. Set minimal standards for all waste disposal facilities and for hazardous wastes.
Term
Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA)
Definition
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is allowed to set the standards for drinking water quality and oversees all of the states, localities, and water suppliers who implement these standards
Term
Soil and Water Conservation Act (SWCA)
Definition
Provides for a continuing appraisal of US soil, water, and related resources, including fish and wildlife habitats, and a soil and water conservation program to assist landowners.
Term
Soil Conservation Act (SCA)
Definition
Established the soil conservation service, which deals with soil erosion problems, carries out soil surveys, and does research on soil salinity.
Term
Solid Waste Disposal Act (SWDA)
Definition
To find better and more efficient ways to dispose of solid waste; promotes shredding and separation of waste and burning of remaining materials to produce stream or generate electricity; promotes recycling.
Term
Stockholm Declaration (SD)
Definition
United Nations Conference on Human Environment having considered the need for a common outlook and principles to inspire and guide the peoples of the world in the preservation and enhancement of the human environment.
Term
Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act (SMCRA)
Definition
Requires restoration of abandoned mines.
Term
Taylor Grazing Act (TGA)
Definition
A United States federal law that regulates grazing on federal public land. The Secretary of the Interior has the authority to handle all of the regulations, and he became responsible for establishing grazing districts. Before these districts are created there must be a hearing held by the state.
Term
Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA)
Definition
EPA is given the ability to track the 75,000 industrial chemicals currently produced or imported into the United States. EPA repeatedly screens these chemicals and can require reporting or testing of those that may pose an environmental or human-health hazard. EPA can ban the manufacture and import of those chemicals that pose an unreasonable risk.
Term
Water Resources Planning Act (WRPA)
Definition
Provides for a plan to formulate and evaluate water and related land resources.
Term
Wild and Scenic Rivers Act (WSRA)
Definition
Selected rivers in the United States are preserved for possessing outstandingly, remarkable scenic, recreational, geologic, fish and wildlife, historic, cultural, or other similar values.
Term
Wilderness Act (WA)
Definition
Allowed congress to set aside federally owned land for preservation.
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