Environmental Policies

• _____ ______ Published September 27, 1962

  • Rachel Carson's Silent Spring brought attention to the effects of dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (____), a pesticide that was used to control insects in _____

  • DDT was banned in 1972 due to its impact to _____ but is still used in some countries (usually for malaria control)

  • DDT breaks down quickly in _____. It sticks strongly to soil, breaking down usually in less than 15 years, depending on the type of soil

  • DDT builds up in plants and the _____ issue of animals. It was used in agriculture

  • The most notable impact to animals was in the ______ system, including seizures

Silent Spring; DDT; agriculture; wildlife; sunlight; fatty; nervous

• The Impact of DDT on Bald Eagles

  • DDT caused "_____ ______" which made the eggshells of birds, including the bald eagle (the national symbol) too fragile for a parent to incubate. The shells broke under the bird. This is why the species was listed as endangered. By 1963 there were only 417 nesting pairs known to exist

  • This is an example of biomagnification (or ________)

eggshell thinning; bioaccumulation

• Bald Eagles (2021)

  • The US Fish and Wildlife Service estimates that there are 71,467 breeding pairs in the lower 48 states in 2018-2019

  • The species is ____ longer listed as threatened or endangered, but it is protected under the ____ ____ ____ Act (1918) and the _____ ______ ______ ______ ____ Act (1940). Both pieces of legislation prohibit killing, selling or otherwise harming eagles, their nests, or their eggs

no; Migratory Bird Treaty; Bald and Golden Eagle Protection

• The First Earth Day (April 22, 1970)

  • Earth Day was first celebrated on ____ _____, 1970

  • Now a celebration, the first Earth Day was a ____ for the environment

April 22; protest

• The Environmental Protection Agency (1970)

  • Created by 37th US President, ____ _____ [R] on December 2, 1970

  • The new government agency incorporated parts of pre-existing agencies, and empowered it to research, monitor, and enforce penalties on pollution in air, water, and soil

  • Established "____ ______" to understand improvements or worsening of pollution over time

  • Supported states to develop/expand their own pollution control programs, which many be ____ stringent than federal standards

Richard Nixon; environmental baselines; more

• Safe Drinking Water Act (1972)

  • Signed by President _____

  • Protect drinking water in the US (____ supply wells)

  • Covers all waters actually or potentially designed for ____ use (surface or groundwater sources)

  • EPA establishes minimum standards to protect tap water

    • Drinking water producers must comply with these standards

    • The maximum contaminant level (MCL) is the maximum level allowed of a contaminant in water which is delivered to any user of a public water system

Ford; public; drinking;

• Toxic Substances Control Act (1976)

  • Signed by President _____

  • Granted authority to the EPA to require reporting, record keeping and testing requirements, and restrictions relating to chemical substances and/or mixtures

  • Excluded: food, drugs, cosmetics, pesticides, others (these fall under later laws: Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (1996), Feder Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (2002))

  • Specifically addressed the production, importation, use, and disposal of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), asbestos, radon, and lead-based paint

Ford

• Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (1976)

  • Signed by President ______

  • Granted authority to the EPA to handle hazardous waste from "cradle to grave" including the generation, transportation, treatment, storage, and disposal of hazardous waste

  • Created a framework for management of non-hazardous solid wastes

  • 1984 amendments: Hazardous and Solid Waste Amendments (HSWA) - waste of minimization and phasing out land disposal of hazardous waste

    • Made EPA the enforcement authority

    • Created more stringent hazardous waste management standards

  • 1986 amendments enabled the EPA to address leaking underground storage tanks (petroleum and other substances)

Ford