Environmental Legislation

10 Pieces of Legislation and Environmental Policies for APES

Clean Air Act

• regulates the emissions of pollutants into the air

• CO2 is not regulated under this act

Clean Air Act

Criteria Air Pollutants in this act are:

• N - NOx - Nitrogen Dioxide (released from fossil fuel combustion)

• O - Ozone (O3) (formed due to NOx breakdown in sunlight)

• S - SOx - Sulfur Dioxide (released from coal combustion)

• C - CO - Carbon Monoxide (released from incomplete combustion)

• L - Lead - formerly found in gasoline - heavy metals like mercury also included

• P - Particulate Matter (released from construction and mining)

Clean Water Act

regulates how water looks and dumping of pollutants into waterways as point pollution

CITES (Convention on the International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Flora and Fauna)

regulates the trade of endangered species internationally

CERCLA (Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act)

• created superfund account in which businesses contribute to cleanup costs of contaminated sites

• regulates the closure and cleanup of contaminated sites

Montreal Protocol

• international agreement

• phase out CFC’s for use of HCFC’s then eventually banned their use to repair ozone layer (stratospheric ozone)

Kyoto Protocol

• international agreement that aimed to lower Greenhouse Gas emissions

Endangered Species Act

• USA law to protect at-risk species

• species placed on the Endangered Species List are overwhelmingly protected from extinction

Safe Drinking Water Act

regulates how water tastes and aims to protect the drinking water of the USA

Delaney Clause

part of the Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act that banned cancer causing additives in food

(RCRA) Resource Conservation and Recovery Act

• regulates hazardous waste and create a “cradle to grave” monitoring system

• regulates and monitors sanitary landfills