Leg.review

In addition, there is a brief summary at the end of various chapters of The Habitable Planet at:

Below is an example of a summary table for selected pieces of legislation. In order to maximize your knowledge for thet AP exam, you should expand this table to include all the legislation listed above.

Statute	Area Covered	Key Points
Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA)	Hazardous and Solid Waste	Regulates the handling of wastes from “cradle to grave”: establishes rules for the handling of such waste from the time it is generated, while it is packaged, stored, while it is transported, and how it is disposed, and the disposal sites themselves Major areas of regulation include: --landfills --underground storage tanks --hazardous waste disposal --transportation manifests --permits to possess, treat, or dispose wastes --recordkeeping and reporting
Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA)	Hazardous Waste	Sets up a fund to clean up abandoned hazardous waste sites Establishes liability scheme for parties to collect from one another for $$ to clean up sites; EPA and others can sue to recoup cleanup $ Sets up guidelines on how to clean up sites EPA locates dumps and sets priorities of worst sites, known as National Priority List (NPL); Mining sites, nuclear sites, military sites (all government) plus industrial sites of all sorts Implemented “polluter pays principle”
Oil Pollution Act (OPA)	Oil Spills	Establishes liability for oil spills; establishes fund to clean up oil spills Mandates spill cleanup procedures
Pollution Prevention Act (PPA)	Pollutant Generation	Seeks to prevent pollution through the reduced generation of pollutants at their origin Companies required to report toxic releases each year EPA tests products and works with companies mostly on voluntary basis
Clean Air Act (CAA)	Air Pollutants	Requires EPA to set and enforce rules regarding: --mobile source limits (cars) --ambient air quality standards (smog) --hazardous air pollutant discharge standards (what can come out of smokestacks) --standards for new pollution sources (invent a polluting source?: talk to EPA before it can be used) --acid rain reduction --ozone depletion protection EPA works with areas that don’t attain clean air standards
Endangered Species Act (ESA)	Animals and Plants	EPA makes a list of endangered and threatened species Violation if one “harms” such a species: “harm” includes impacting environment Hint: also remember that if question involves birds,Migratory Bird Actprotects what can be done to birds
Clean Water Act (CWA)	All waters except oceans	Regulates and enforces program for discharges into U.S. waters Regulates wetland destruction/construction Establishes sewage treatment construction grants program
Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA)	Groundwater, lakes, and rivers used for consumption	Establishes primary drinking water standards Establishes groundwater protection program
Ocean Dumping Act (ODA)	Oceans	Regulates intentional disposal of materials into oceans
Emergency Planning and Community Right to Know Act (EPCRA)	Information	Requires reporting of toxic releases: the Toxic Release Inventory (TRI) Encourages response for chemical releases
Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA)	Chemicals	Regulates the testing and use of chemicals (amount produced, how handled, warning labels, limit uses)
Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA)	Pesticides	Governs pesticide use: amount and locations Creates a pesticide registry; bans some Food and Drug Administration also administers

Statute

Area Covered

Key Points

Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA)

Hazardous and Solid Waste

Regulates the handling of wastes from “cradle to grave”: establishes rules for the handling of such waste from the time it is generated, while it is packaged, stored, while it is transported, and how it is disposed, and the disposal sites themselves

Major areas of regulation include:

--landfills

--underground storage tanks

--hazardous waste disposal

--transportation manifests

--permits to possess, treat, or dispose wastes

--recordkeeping and reporting

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

Hazardous Waste

Sets up a fund to clean up abandoned hazardous waste sites

Establishes liability scheme for parties to collect from one another for $$ to clean up sites; EPA and others can sue to recoup cleanup $

Sets up guidelines on how to clean up sites

EPA locates dumps and sets priorities of worst sites, known as National Priority List (NPL); Mining sites, nuclear sites, military sites (all government) plus industrial sites of all sorts

Implemented “polluter pays principle”

Oil Pollution Act (OPA)

Oil Spills

Establishes liability for oil spills; establishes fund to clean up oil spills

Mandates spill cleanup procedures

Pollution Prevention Act (PPA)

Pollutant Generation

Seeks to prevent pollution through the reduced generation of pollutants at their origin

Companies required to report toxic releases each year

EPA tests products and works with companies mostly on voluntary basis

Clean Air Act (CAA)

Air Pollutants

Requires EPA to set and enforce rules regarding:

--mobile source limits (cars)

--ambient air quality standards (smog)

--hazardous air pollutant discharge standards (what can come out of smokestacks)

--standards for new pollution sources (invent a polluting source?: talk to EPA before it can be used)

--acid rain reduction

--ozone depletion protection

EPA works with areas that don’t attain clean air standards

Endangered Species Act (ESA)

Animals and Plants

EPA makes a list of endangered and threatened species

Violation if one “harms” such a species: “harm” includes impacting environment

Hint: also remember that if question involves birds,Migratory Bird Actprotects what can be done to birds

Clean Water Act (CWA)

All waters except oceans

Regulates and enforces program for discharges into U.S. waters

Regulates wetland destruction/construction

Establishes sewage treatment construction grants program

Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA)

Groundwater, lakes, and rivers used for consumption

Establishes primary drinking water standards

Establishes groundwater protection program

Ocean Dumping Act (ODA)

Oceans

Regulates intentional disposal of materials into oceans

Emergency Planning and Community Right to Know Act (EPCRA)

Information

Requires reporting of toxic releases: the Toxic Release Inventory (TRI)

Encourages response for chemical releases

Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA)

Chemicals

Regulates the testing and use of chemicals (amount produced, how handled, warning labels, limit uses)

Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA)

Pesticides

Governs pesticide use: amount and locations

Creates a pesticide registry; bans some

Food and Drug Administration also administers

More than a dozen major statutes or laws form the legal basis for the programs of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
(More about the full text of these laws.)

National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA); 42 U.S.C. 4321-4347
NEPA is the basic national charter for protection of the environment. It establishes policy, sets goals, and provides means for carrying out the policy.
NEPA full text | More about NEPA

Chemical Safety Information, Site Security and Fuels Regulatory Relief Act Public Law 106-40, Jan. 6, 1999; 42 U.S.C. 7412(r)
Amendment to Section 112(r) of the Clean Air Act
Factsheets and full text

Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and
Liability Act (CERCLA or Superfund) 42 U.S.C. s/s 9601 et seq. (1980)
CERCLA summary | CERCLA full text

The Emergency Planning & Community Right-To-Know Act (EPCRA); 42 U.S.C. 11011 et seq. (1986)
EPCRA summary | EPCRA full text

The Endangered Species Act (ESA); 7 U.S.C. 136;16 U.S.C. 460 et seq. (1973) ESA summary | ESA full text

Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA); 7 U.S.C. s/s 135 et seq. (1972)
FIFRA summary | FIFRA full text

Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FFDCA) 21 U.S.C. 301 et seq.
FFDCA full text

The Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA); 29 U.S.C. 651 et seq. (1970)
OSHA summary | OSHA full text

The Pollution Prevention Act (PPA); 42 U.S.C. 13101 and 13102, s/s et seq. (1990)
PPA summary | PPA full text

The Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA); 42 U.S.C. s/s 321 et seq. (1976)
RCRA summary | RCRA full text

The Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization Act (SARA); 42 U.S.C.9601 et seq. (1986)
SARA summary | SARA full text