Studied by 3 people
What does the Clean Air Act (1970) authorize the EPA to establish?
National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) to protect public health and the environment.
What major amendment was added to the Clean Air Act in 1990?
It addressed acid rain and set up a cap-and-trade system for industrial sulfur dioxide emissions.
What does the Clean Water Act (1972) regulate?
It establishes the basic structure for regulating discharges of pollutants into U.S. waters and regulates quality standards for surface waters.
What is the primary purpose of the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) of 1980?
To address hazardous waste practices and manage cleanup of hazardous waste sites.
What does the Delaney Clause require regarding food additives?
It requires the FDA to ban food additives found to cause or induce cancer in humans or animals.
What is the main function of the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA)?
It gives the EPA authority to regulate solid and hazardous waste from 'cradle to grave'.
What does the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) protect?
It protects waters that are used or potentially used for drinking water sources.
What is the significance of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES)?
It regulates international trade of species that are threatened with extinction.
What was the goal of the Montreal Protocol (1987)?
To reduce ozone-depleting chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs).
What was established by the Kyoto Protocol (1992)?
An international agreement to regulate greenhouse gas emissions by 2%.
What is the key temperature limit set by the Paris Agreement?
Limiting warming to 2 degrees Celsius.
The Clean Water Act was enacted in _____.
1972
The main goal of the Clean Air Act is to establish _____ to protect air quality.
National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS).
The acronym CERCLA stands for the Comprehensive Environmental Response, _____.
Compensation, and Liability Act.
The Delaney Clause affects the regulation of _____ in food.
additives.
The Safe Drinking Water Act ensures the protection of _____ used for drinking water.
sources.
The Montreal Protocol aimed to reduce substances that deplete the _____.
ozone layer.
The Kyoto Protocol was an international agreement to regulate _____ emissions.
greenhouse gas.
The goal of the Paris Agreement is to limit global warming to ____ degrees Celsius.
2
CITES is known for regulating the international trade of species threatened with _____.
extinction.
The Resource Conservation and Recovery Act provides EPA the authority to regulate waste from '_____ to grave.'
cradle.
What is the purpose of the Endangered Species Act (ESA)?
To protect and recover imperiled species and the ecosystems upon which they depend.
What is the main goal of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA)?
To promote environmental awareness and ensure that all branches of government consider the environment before undertaking any major federal action.
Federal Water Pollution Control Act
Grants EPA Authority to set water pollution standards. Establishes the basic structure for regulating discharges of pollutants into the waters of the United States and regulating quality standards for surface waters.
Made point-source discharge unlawful. Point source means coming from a single identifiable source such as industrial factories, sewage treatment plants, and agricultural feedlots.
Nonpoint Source pollution, such as from urban runoff or irrigation, is more difficult to legislate.
What does the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) prohibit?
The taking of marine mammals, with certain exceptions, to protect these species and their habitats.
What is the goal of the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA)?
To regulate the introduction of new or already existing chemicals.
What are the key provisions of the Clean Power Plan?
To reduce carbon pollution from power plants and encourage cleaner energy sources.
What is a brownfield site?
A property that may be complicated by the presence of hazardous materials, pollutants, or contaminants.
What does the Urban Growth Boundary (UGB) aim to do?
To control urban sprawl by delineating a physical boundary around urban development.
What is the concept of sustainable development?
Meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.
What does the Clean Air Act aim to reduce?
Air pollutants that can harm public health and the environment.
What pollutants are regulated under the Clean Air Act?
Pollutants such as sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, carbon monoxide, and lead.
Who is responsible for enforcing the Clean Water Act?
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and state governments.
What are Superfund sites?
Contaminated locations in the U.S. identified for cleanup because of hazardous waste.
What power does the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) grant the EPA?
Regulate the handling and disposal of hazardous waste, from creation to disposal.
What major requirement does the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) impose?
Establishes enforceable standards for drinking water quality.
What is an outcome of the Endangered Species Act (ESA)?
Protection and recovery of endangered and threatened animal and plant species.
What is the focus of the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA)?
Protection and conservation of marine mammal populations.
What does the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) require from manufacturers?
Report information on chemicals that may pose risks to health or the environment.
Clean Air Act (1970)
Allows EPA to regulate air emissions. is a comprehensive Federal law that regulates all sources of air emissions. The 1970 CAA authorized the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to establish National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) to protect public health and the environment.
Regulates amount of ground-level ozone (O3), particulate matter (PM2.5 and PM10), lead, sulfur dioxide, and nitrogen dioxide
1990 amendment addressed acid rain: set up a cap-and-trade system for industrial sulfur dioxide emissions
This law is also used as the basis for vehicle emissions standards
Clean Water Act (1972)
Federal Water Pollution Control Act
Grants EPA Authority to set water pollution standards. Establishes the basic structure for regulating discharges of pollutants into the waters of the United States and regulating quality standards for surface waters.
Made point-source discharge unlawful. Point source means coming from a single identifiable source such as industrial factories, sewage treatment plants, and agricultural feedlots.
Nonpoint Source pollution, such as from urban runoff or irrigation, is more difficult to legislate.
CERCLA (1980)
Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act. It was passed in 1980 in response to some alarming and decidedly unacceptable hazardous waste practices and management going on in the 1970s.
Superfund - budget funded by environmental, petroleum and chemical taxes paid.
Basically, suppose there is a hazardous waste site, or superfund site. The EPA will first try to find the group responsible for it, take them to court, and make them pay for the cleanup. If that fails, there is a government fund dedicated to the cleanup.
ESA
Endangered Species Act (1973)
Prohibits the taking of, or habitat disruption of species on the endangered list .
Regulated by the US Fish and Wildlife Services and the National Marine Fisheries Services.
The US federal government can designate species as endangered or threatened. If so, a species cannot be hunted or harassed, and its critical habitat cannot be destroyed.
This law can cause controversy when it interferes with building or construction projects. For example, one dam was delayed for years because of the potential damage to a species of fish.
RCRA (1976)
Resource Conservation and Recovery Act
Gave EPA the authority to regulate solid waste and hazardous waste from “cradle to Grave”
Cradle to grave means that designated types of waste must be regulated from the moment they are first made, all through any periods of use, during disposal, and at long term disposal sites.
This law includes landfill regulations.
SDWA(1974)
Safe Drinking Water Act
Protects waters that are used, or potentially used, for drinking water sources
Gives EPA the authority to track industrial chemicals
Applies to public water sources but not private wells. Sets maximum contaminant levels.
Delaney Clause of Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act
The Delaney Clause, incorporated into the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act by the Food Additives Amendment of 1958, requires the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to ban food additives which are found to cause or induce cancer in humans or animals as indicated by testing.
CITIES(1973)
Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species
This is an international agreement. 184 countries are part of it.
Regulates international trade of species that are threatened with extinction. Examples of items covered by the agreement would include live animals, furs/pelts from endangered species, or ivory. Depending on the item, commercial trade may be forbidden, or it may require special permits to import or export it.
Montreal Protocol
1987 Established a plan to reduce ozone depleting CFCs (chlorofluorocarbons)
Strengthened later by the Copenhagen Protocol
Was largely successful: the hole in the ozone layer over the southern hemisphere is expected to recover.
Does NOT ban nitrous oxide (N2O), which means N2O is now the biggest ozone depleting substance in the atmosphere.
Convention on climate change (1983)
Treaty started at the 1992 Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro
Attempts to establish a commitment to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to 1990 levels
This standard was controversial, as it puts a greater burden on developing countries than developed countries because a developing country will have a lower 1990 emission level. Many representatives from developing countries feel this restriction limits industrialization and development.
Kyoto Protocol (1992)
International Agreement to regulate Greenhouse gas emissions by 2%
You do not need to know later climate change agreements, such as the Copenhagen Accord (2009) or Paris Agreement (2015), but you may use them as examples on free response questions. A key part of the Paris Agreement was limiting warming to 2 degrees Celsius. You should know that number.
Note 
Flashcard (22)