Up until the 1960s, environmental regulation in the United States was mostly left to state and local governments. There was very little, if any, national control. Since most regulation occurred at the city and state government level, it was difficult for authorities to enforce laws beyond their own territories, especially if the source of the pollution emanated from another region or state. Busine…
The Clean Water Act (CWA) was enacted in 1977 in response to nationwide water pollution issues. The CWA established national programs for the prevention, reduction, and elimination of pollution in national navigable waters and groundwater. The CWA functions primarily by requiring persons or businesses engaging in polluting activities to obtain a permit from the EPA. This permit details the amount,…
The Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) was designed to correct flaws in the Clean Water Act. The SDWA requires that the EPA set primary drinking water regulations for any pollutants that may have an adverse effect on human health. It focuses on groundwater contamination whereas the CWA focuses on surface water contamination. The primary objectives of the SDWA are: to protect the nation's sources of dr…
The Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) was passed in 1976 to address management of the country's huge volume of solid waste. The law requires that the EPA regulate the management of hazardous waste, which includes waste solvents, batteries, and many other substances considered potentially harmful to human health and to the environment. RCRA controls all aspects of hazardous wastes from …
In 1973, the Endangered Species Act (ESA) was enacted to stop the extinction of many species of wild animals and plants in the United States, other nations, and at sea. It provided mechanisms for the conservation of ecosystems on which endangered species depend. It also discouraged the exploitation of endangered species in other countries by banning the importation and trade of any product made fr…
Administrative, civil, and even criminal sanctions may be used to enforce environmental laws. The possible types of restrictions may include denial or revocation of operational permits, the closing of operations, poor publicity, economic sanctions, fines, or even imprisonment. These sanctions occur at various levels of environmental enforcement--national, regional, and local. The United States has…
Please include a link to this page if you have found this material useful for research or writing a related article. Content on this website is from high-quality, licensed material originally published in print form. You can always be sure you're reading unbiased, factual, and accurate information.
Highlight the text below, right-click, and select “copy”. Paste the link into your website, email, or any other HTML document.
User Comments