Key Environmental Legislation for APES Exam Prep

ONE MONTH TO GO… TEN LAWS TO KNOW

  • As we begin the final countdown and wrap up to APES test day, these major pieces of legislation are crucial tools to enhance understanding of government responses to environmental crises. They serve as references for how laws can or should be utilized to improve, protect, and prevent issues related to our environment.

  • It is vital to research each law thoroughly, ensuring to record the full name of the law as applicable. For each piece of legislation, summarize the text and know the following details:
      - Who: Key individuals or organizations involved in the law's introduction and implementation.
      - What: The core objectives and provisions of the law.
      - Where: Geographic coverage and jurisdiction.
      - When: Year of enactment and any significant amendments.
      - Why: The major events and reasons that led to the initiation of the law.

  • Additionally, it is essential to cross-reference the laws with the topics of study in AP Environmental Science (APES).

LEGISLATION

  • Clean Air Act
      - DATE ENACTED: 1970 (amendments in 1977, 1990)
      - SUMMARY: The Clean Air Act (CAA) establishes the framework for regulating air emissions from stationary and mobile sources. It requires the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to set National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) to protect public health and the environment.
      - NOTES, DETAILS, ETC.: The law has been instrumental in reducing air pollution and has considerably improved air quality over the decades. Major amendments in 1990 focused on reducing acid rain and ozone depletion.
      - APES TOPICS THIS LAW APPLIES TO: Air Quality; Public Health/Toxicity; Pollution.

  • Montreal Protocol
      - DATE ENACTED: 1987
      - SUMMARY: The Montreal Protocol is an international treaty designed to phase out substances that deplete the ozone layer. It aims to protect the ozone layer by banning the production and use of ozone-depleting chemicals.
      - NOTES, DETAILS, ETC.: The Protocol has led to significant reductions in the use of chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) and other harmful substances, demonstrating a successful model of international cooperation.
      - APES TOPICS THIS LAW APPLIES TO: Ozone Depletion; Climate Change.

  • CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species)
      - DATE ENACTED: 1975
      - SUMMARY: CITES is an international agreement aimed at ensuring that international trade in specimens of wild animals and plants does not threaten their survival. It is legally binding for member countries to regulate or ban trade in endangered species.
      - NOTES, DETAILS, ETC.: CITES works through a system of permits and includes a variety of species categorized by different levels of protection.
      - APES TOPICS THIS LAW APPLIES TO: Biodiversity; Conservation.

  • Endangered Species Act
      - DATE ENACTED: 1973
      - SUMMARY: This U.S. law aims to protect and recover imperiled species and the ecosystems upon which they depend. It provides for the conservation of threatened and endangered plants and animals and their habitats.
      - NOTES, DETAILS, ETC.: The Act has led to the recovery of several species, enacting critical habitat protections.
      - APES TOPICS THIS LAW APPLIES TO: Biodiversity; Conservation.

LEGISLATION CONTINUED

  • Kyoto Protocol
      - DATE ENACTED: 1997 (effective in 2005)
      - SUMMARY: The Kyoto Protocol is a treaty that commits its Parties to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, based on the premise that global warming exists and human-made carbon dioxide emissions have caused it.
      - NOTES, DETAILS, ETC.: This Protocol set specific targets for industrialized countries, emphasizing the use of market mechanisms for emission reductions.
      - APES TOPICS THIS LAW APPLIES TO: Climate Change; Greenhouse Gas Emissions.

  • CERCLA (Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act)
      - DATE ENACTED: 1980
      - SUMMARY: CERCLA, also known as Superfund law, is a federal statute designed to clean up sites contaminated with hazardous substances and pollutants.
      - NOTES, DETAILS, ETC.: It empowers the federal government to respond directly to releases or threatened releases of hazardous substances.
      - APES TOPICS THIS LAW APPLIES TO: Waste Management; Contaminated Land.

  • Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA)
      - DATE ENACTED: 1974
      - SUMMARY: The SDWA protects public health by regulating the nation's public drinking water supply. It authorizes the EPA to set drinking water quality standards.
      - NOTES, DETAILS, ETC.: Amendments have strengthened the Act to include protections against contaminants.
      - APES TOPICS THIS LAW APPLIES TO: Water Quality; Public Health.

  • Delaney Clause of Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act
      - DATE ENACTED: 1958
      - SUMMARY: This clause prohibits the approval of any food additive that is found to induce cancer in humans or animals, even in small amounts.
      - NOTES, DETAILS, ETC.: It reflects a precautionary approach to food safety and public health.
      - APES TOPICS THIS LAW APPLIES TO: Food Safety; Public Health.

  • Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA)
      - DATE ENACTED: 1976
      - SUMMARY: RCRA governs the disposal of solid and hazardous waste, ensuring that wastes are managed in an environmentally sound manner.
      - NOTES, DETAILS, ETC.: The Act emphasizes waste management, recycling, and resource recovery.
      - APES TOPICS THIS LAW APPLIES TO: Waste Management; Recycling.

  • Clean Water Act
      - DATE ENACTED: 1972 (amendments in subsequent years)
      - SUMMARY: The Clean Water Act aims to restore and maintain the integrity of the nation's waters by preventing point and nonpoint source pollution.
      - NOTES, DETAILS, ETC.: It sets levels of water quality standards and requires states to establish water quality standards for their waters.
      - APES TOPICS THIS LAW APPLIES TO: Water Quality; Pollution Control.