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| 13746627845 | 1906 - Protects Historical & Natural Features | The Antiquities Act - allows the President to set aside public natural areas as park and conservation land for: "... the protection of objects of historic and scientific interest." These areas are given the title of "National Monuments." Also allows the President to reserve or accept private lands for that purpose. | 0 | |
| 13746627846 | 1872 - Encouraged mining | General Mining Act of 1872. - All citizens of the United States of America 18 years or older have the right under the 1872 mining law to locate a lode (hard rock) or placer (gravel) mining claim on federal lands open to mineral entry. | 1 | |
| 13746627847 | 1970 - Protects Air Quality | Clean Air Act. - Sets standard for allowable pollution levels in air in order to protect human health and prevent environmental damage | 2 | |
| 13746627849 | 1972 - Primary federal law governing water pollution | Clean Water Act. - Regulates disposal of pollutants in bodies of water, including amounts, monitoring, and construction of water treatment. Aim is to achieve swimmable, fishable waters. | 3 | |
| 13746627850 | 1970 - Protect Environmental Quality | National Environmental Policy Act. - Requires federal agencies to integrate environmental policies into decisions and complete Environmental Impact Statements for any federal projects that might significantly affect the environment | 4 | |
| 13746627852 | 1973 - Preserve species threatened with extinction | Endangered Species Act. - Allows endangered species and critical habitats to be identified, mandates recovery plans, provides funding for implementing recovery plans, regulations apply on public and private land. | 5 | |
| 13746627853 | 1980 - Cleans up environment when perpetrators can't; "Superfund Act" | Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation & Liability Act (CERCLA). - An act to provide for liability, compensation, cleanup, and emergency response for hazardous substances released into the environment and the cleanup of inactive hazardous waste disposal sites. | 6 | |
| 13746627854 | 1990 - Controls Oil Spill Clean Up | Oil Pollution Act 1990. - Streamlined the EPA's ability to prevent catastrophic spills. A trust fund was also created to finance the cleanup of such spills when the responsible party is unable or incapable of doing so. | 7 | |
| 13746627855 | 1947 - Regulates & Registers Pesticides | Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA). - Sets regulation for pesticide use including registration of pesticides and pesticide users; requires education and exams for pesticide users, clear labeling, toxicity studies. | 8 | |
| 13746627856 | 1972 - Protect Whales/Dolphins/Seals etc. | Marine Mammal Protection Act -prohibits the removal of animals from their natural environment without a permit. Also created a program to prevent the stranding of marine animals or other isolated events. | 9 | |
| 13746627857 | 1976 - Controls Marine Fish Harvests | Magnuson-Stevens Fishery and Conservation Management Act (MSA) - protects essential fish habitats, ensures a safe and sustainable supply of seafood, prevents overfishing, and restores fish populations. Fishery Management Plans are created by FMP councils. | 10 | |
| 13746627858 | 1977 - Controls Post Mining Clean Up | Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act (SMCRA) - primary federal law that regulates the environmental effects of coal mining in the United States. SMCRA created two programs: one for regulating active coal mines and a second for reclaiming abandoned mine lands. | 11 | |
| 13746627859 | 1973- Controls international trade of animals and plants | Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES); aims to ensure that international trade in specimens of wild animals and plants does not threaten the survival of the species in the wild | 12 | |
| 13746778353 | 1974 - Ensures safe drinking water | Safe Drinking Water Act - EPA sets standards for safe drinking water quality | 13 | |
| 13746819879 | 1986 - Legalized thousands of undocumented immigrants who entered US before 1982 | Immigration Reform & Control Act - Increased the number of immigrants to US. Illegal to knowingly hire illegal immigrants | 14 | |
| 13746897023 | 1964 - created definition of wilderness | Wilderness Act - National parks service, us forest services, us fish and wildlife service and the bureau of land management are in charge of 106 million acres of federal wilderness | 15 | |
| 13746920313 | 1935 - Established the soil conservation service | Soil Conservation Act - deals with soil erosion problems, carries out soil surveys, and does research on soil salinity. | 16 | |
| 13746938068 | 1994 - international law for managing marine resources | United Nations Convention of the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS); defines the rights and responsibilities of nations with respect to their use of the world's oceans, establishing guidelines for businesses, the environment, and the management of marine natural resources. | 17 | |
| 13746993324 | 1985 - Provides subsidies to farmers who adopt soil conservation practices | Food Security Act of 1985 (Farm Bill) | 18 | |
| 13747024196 | 1987; Banned use of CFCs | Montreal Protocol - An agreement on protection of the ozone layer in which states pledged to reduce and then eliminate use of chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs). It is the most successful environmental treaty to date. | 19 | |
| 13747044149 | 1975; increased fuel economy | CAFE (Corporate Average Fuel Economy); set mile per gallon standards for a fleet of cars; increased fuel economy = lower energy usage | 20 | |
| 13747077041 | 1997 - attempt to reduce greenhouse gas emissions for developed countries | Kyoto Protocol; international treaty that commits parties to reduce greenhouse gas emissions; acknowledged anthropogenic climate change | 21 | |
| 13747178685 | 1938 - oversee safety of food, drug and medical devices | Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act; required manufacturers to provide package inserts, follow FDA guidelines to present evidence of safety for new drugs before marketing. This law also gives the FDA authority to issue food standards and inspect factories | 22 | |
| 13747204614 | 1976 - "Cradle to grave" authority over hazardous waste | Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) | 23 | |
| 13747238950 | 1996 - mandated a health-based standard for pesticides used in foods (*Amended FIFRA and FDCA) | Food Quality Protection Act (FQPA); provided special protections for babies and infants, streamlined the approval of safe pesticides, established incentives for the creation of safer pesticides, and required that pesticide registrations remain current. | 24 |
