A list of important laws presented in AP Environmental Science. Based on the course offered by FLVS.
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| 369061785 | Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) | • The "Superfund Act," designed to ID and clean up abandoned hazardous waste dumpsites • Provides broad federal authority to clean up releases or threatened releases of hazardous substances that may endanger public health or the environment • Was created to protect people, families, communities and others from heavily contaminated toxic waste sites that have been abandoned • Goal: Clean up abandoned hazardous waste site | |
| 369061786 | Antarctic Treaty | • Goal: preserve continent of Antarctica & ensure that it doesn't become site of any territorial disputes/international discord • Sets limits on types of activities that can occur on continent of Antarctica • Restricts military activity (only military that supports scientific research) & prohibits storage of nuclear waste/detonation of nuclear devices | |
| 369061787 | Madrid Protocol | • Addition to Antarctic Treaty • Increased environmental protection by requiring assessments of possible environmental effects of any activities • Requires development of plans outlining responses to environmental emergencies & prohibits mining • Prohibits introduction of non-native species (except humans) | |
| 369061788 | Antiquities Act | Allows the President of the United States to create National Monuments; No involvement of Congress is required, allowing for a fast method of conservation. | |
| 369061789 | Clean Air Act | • Regulates ozone (O3), particulate matter, carbon monoxide (CO), nitrogen oxides (NOx), sulfur dioxide (SO2), and lead (Pb) • Legislation that protects and provides ways for improving the air quality in the United States • Sets standards for these 6 criteria pollutants called the National Ambient Air Quality Standards • Set Limits on SO2 Emitted by coal-fired (burning) power plants. Established SO2 pollution permits sold on the Chicago Board of Trade • Brings together federal, state, and local agencies to control levels of these pollutants from cars, factories, and other sources • Limits release of air pollutants | |
| 369090204 | Clean Water Act | • Primary federal law in the US governing surface water quality (NOT drinking water) • Establishes standards for water meeting needs for human recreation by setting maximum permissible amounts of water pollutants that can be discharged into waterway • Goal: to make surface waters swimmable & fishable | |
| 369090205 | Kyoto Protocol | • (1997) International agreement with binding targets for industrialized countries to reduce greenhouse gas emissions • Goal: Control global warming • Requires actual emissions to be monitored & recorded in log & places more significant burden on developed nations | |
| 369090206 | Montreal Protocol | International agreement to reduce production and consumption of ozone-depleting substances Goal: Phase out ozone-depleting substances | |
| 369090207 | Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) | • (1973) Agreement amount 175 nations that regulates species that may become extinct/endangered because of international trade • List species that cannot be commercially traded as live specimens or wildlife products • Goal: to ensure that international trade in specimens of wild animals and plants does not threaten their survival • Accords varying degrees of protection to more than 33,000 species of animals and plants | |
| 369090208 | United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) | (1982) International agreement that set rules for the use of the world's oceans use, navigation rights, research, protection of marine environment, including restricting overfishing | |
| 369090209 | United Nations Conference on the Human Environment (Stockholm Declaration) | • 1st international agreement about environmental principles and anthropogenic effects on the environment • Considered the need for a common outlook and for common principles to inspire and guide the peoples of the world in the preservation and enhancement of the human environment | |
| 369090210 | Emergency Planning & Community Right-to-know Act (EPCRA) | • Federal legislation that requires information to be shared about chemical facilities and uses of chemicals • Goal: to encourage and support emergency planning efforts at the state/local levels and to provide the public and local governments with information concerning potential chemical hazards present in their communities | |
| 369090211 | Endangered Species Act | • IDs threatened and endangered animals in US and puts their protection ahead of economic considerations • Forbids Federal Agencies from authorizing, funding or carrying out actions which may "jeopardize the continued existence of" endangered or threatened species. • Forbids any government agency, corporation, or citizen from taking (i.e., harming, harassing, or killing) endangered animals without a permit • Once a species is listed as threatened or endangered, the act also requires that "critical habitat" be designated for that species, including areas necessary to recover the species | |
| 369090212 | Energy Policy Act | • (1992) Provides federal support for renewable energy technology and introduced radiation protection standards for Yucca Mountain • Establishes commercial building codes for energy use • Establishes efficiency standards for heating and air-conditioning equipment and lamps • (2005) Guaranteeing loans, grants, and subsidies for technology that avoids generating greenhouse gases, the act helps nuclear reactor design (coal) and all forms of renewable energy | |
| 369090213 | Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FFDCA) | A set of laws passed by Congress giving authority to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to oversee the safety of food, drugs, and cosmetics | |
| 369090214 | Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) | Provides federal control of pesticide distribution, sale, and use. Regulates the effectiveness of pesticides EPA was given authority to not only to study the consequences of pesticide usage but also to require users (farmers, utility companies, and others) to register when purchasing pesticides | |
| 369090215 | Food Quality Protection Act | Set pesticide limits in food & all active/inactive ingredients must be screened for estrogenic/endocrine effects Act amended FIFRA and FFDCA by changing way EPA regulates pesticides Some of the major requirements include stricter safety standards, especially for infants and children, and a complete reassessment of all existing pesticide tolerances | |
| 369090216 | International Conference on Population and Development | The conference delegates achieved consensus on the following four qualitative and quantitative goals: • Universal education by 2015 • Reduction of infant and child mortality • Reduction of maternal mortality • Access to reproductive and sexual health services including family planning | |
| 369090217 | Lacey Act | Prohibits interstate transport of wild animals, dead or alive, without federal permit | |
| 369090218 | Safe Water Drinking Act | Allows EPA to set maximum contaminant levels for pollutants in drinking water that may have adverse effects on human health | |
| 369090219 | Ocean Dumping Ban Act | Bans ocean dumping of sewage sludge and industrial waste | |
| 369090220 | National Wild and Scenic Rivers Act | Protects rivers with due to aesthetic, recreational, wildlife, historical, or cultural reasons | |
| 369090221 | Surface Mining & Reclamation Act | Requires coal strip mines to reclaim the land Regulates the environmental effects of coal mining in US | |
| 369090222 | National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) | Environmental Assessments (EAs) and Environmental Impact Statements (EISs), which are assessments of the likelihood of impacts from alternative courses of action, must be done before any project affecting federal lands can be started | |
| 369090223 | Resource Conservation & Recovery Act (RCRA) | Primary law in the United States governing disposal of solid waste Controls hazardous waste with a "cradle to the grave" system Goals: Protect public from harm caused by waste disposal, encourage reduce, reuse, recycle, and clean up spilled/improperly stored wastes | |
| 369090224 | US Marine Mammal Protection Act | Prohibits taking, capturing or harassing marine mammals in US waters and by US citizens, and the importing marine mammals and marine mammal products into US | |
| 369090225 | Low-Level Radioactive Policy Act | All states must have facilities to handle low-level radioactive wastes | |
| 369090226 | Nuclear Waste Policy Act | US government must develop a high level nuclear waste site by 2015 | |
| 369090227 | Migratory Bird Hunting Stamp Act | Requires purchase stamp by waterfowl hunters Revenue generated is used to acquire important wetlands | |
| 369090228 | Occupational Safety and Health Act | Goal: to ensure employers provide workers with an environment free from dangers to their safety/health | |
| 369090229 | Oil Pollution Act | To prevent further oil spills form occurring in the US, company required to make a plan to prevent spills that may occur (must also have containment and cleanup plan in case of emergency) | |
| 369090230 | Toxic Substances Control Act | Allows EPA screen existing & new chemicals for toxicity Gives EPA ability to track industrial chemicals currently produced/imported into the US Screens chemicals and can require reporting/testing of those that may pose hazard | |
| 369090231 | Wilderness Act | Goal: to preserve large expanses of pristine lands | |
| 369090232 | Public Rangelands Improvement Act | Requires US Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management to develop management guidelines for public lands | |
| 369090233 | Coastal Zone Management Act | Establishes marine sanctuaries in US to protect habitat of marine animals and plants form pollution and development | |
| 371338517 | Roadless Area Conservation Rule | Requires 1/3 of national forest system's total acreage to be off-limits to all road building & logging Preserves all current opportunities for public access & recreation, including hiking, fishing, hunting, camping, as well as $ and jobs that these activities generate in local areas | |
| 371338518 | Renewable Resource Planning Act | • Mandates periodic assessments of forests & rangelands in US • Directs that the assessment be conducted by US Forest Service & consider a broad range of renewable resources (include outdoor recreations, fish, wildlife, water, range, timber, minerals) • Rate forest on how well its doing | |
| 371338519 | Forest Reserve Act | allowed president to set aside forest reserves from land in public domain | |
| 374024892 | Water Resources Planning Act | Provided plans to formulate & evaluate water related land resource projects & to maintain a continuing assessment of adequacy of water supplies in US |
