Chapter 42 Environmental Regulations Essay

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Chapter 42 Environmental Regulation A. Introduction: - An environmental impact statement - The Clean Air Act - The Clean Water Act - The Resource Conservation and Recovery Act - The Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) B. Body: I. An environmental impact statement: - The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is an administrative agency that was established by the Congress in 1970. The EPA’s mission is coordinating the implementation and enforcement of the federal environmental protection regulations thus protecting human health, aesthetics, and natural systems from all forms of pollution. - The National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) requires that the federal government consider - The statement must contain: 1. Describing the environmental impact of the proposed action 2. …show more content…

Detailing any irreversible commitments of resources (Barnes, et al., 944) II. The Clean Air Act: 1. The Ambient Air Control Standards (NAAQs) concern the minimum levels of harmful pollutants that set by the EPA in accordance with the Clean Air Act. It has been set for six criteria pollutants: carbon monoxide, lead, nitrogen dioxide, sulfur oxide, ozone, and particulate matter. There are two types of standards for NAAQs: a. Primary standards are aimed to protect human health from harm. b. Secondary standards promote the public welfare and protect animals, plants, and properties from damages. 2. Acid Rain Controls require any electric – generating firms install clean coal technologies to lower oxides of sulfur and nitrogen. 3. Control of Air Toxics request industries install the maximum available control technology to meet levels of the emissions of toxic chemicals set by law. 4. New Source Controls: 5. Permits 6. Automobile Pollution: transportation sources have to meet the emission standards. 7. International Air Problems: III. The Clean Water Act: protects interstate and intrastate waters, including lakes, rivers, streams, estuaries and