Federal Environmental Laws: An Overview of Regulations and Frameworks, Study notes of Environmental Science

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Federal Environmental Laws Legal Frameworks • Command and Control Laws - Facilities – Air, Water, Hazardous Waste, DW – Ambient Standards, Technology Standards, Permits, Monitoring • Planning/Land Use - Projects – NEPA/SEPA, ESA, Washington State GMA – Plans, studies, consultation, public involvement – Will cover more during week 6 • Product Regulation – Large Universe – Pesticides (FIFRA), Toxic Substances Control Act – Testing (before market and after market), controls on product use Frameworks, Con’t • Clean-up – Large Universe – Superfund (CERCLA), Oil Pollution Act, Wa Model Toxics Control Act • Right-To-Know - Facilities – EPCRA, Safe Drinking Water Act Amendments • Not all neat/clean divisions – CAA regulations on CFCs Patterns to Look For • Applicability/Universe of Facilities – Who/what is regulated (waters of the US) • Enforcement vs Regulatory Assistance – Inspections, penalties – Grants/loans - Compliance assistance • Role of the Public/Citizens – Comments, petitions – Citizen suits • Federal/State/Local Roles – Which laws are delegable? – Role of feds in state/local programs • Who Can Sue? For What? When? – Liability issues • Voluntary/Market Approaches – Cap and trade, emissions banking Clean Air Act (1970) • First clean air legislation with major regulatory authorities • National Ambient Air Quality Standards – State Control Programs to Achieve NAAQS – Special controls for non-attainment areas – Big impact on WA state metro areas – WA State areas are meeting standards • Technology Based Standards for New/Modified Sources – How this (New Source Review) is done has become a major controversy CAA - con’t • Mobile Source (car/truck) controls – Emission standards for categories of sources – Regulation of fuels (i.e. lead) • 1990 Amendments – Stratospheric Ozone Provisions - Title VI • Implements Montreal Protocol • Production of CFCs stopped, distribution of new products banned • Predictions call for long recovery time Clean Water Act (1972) • National Water Quality Criteria – State Water Quality Standards and Water Body Assessments • National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System – Individual/General Permits – Discharge Monitoring Reports • Technology Based Standards for Categories of Sources CWA (cont’d) • Grant Programs – Publicly Owned Treatment Works (POTW-sewage plant) - about 70 billion to date – Still Major Gaps in needs vs. funding • 1987 Amendments – Storm water discharge regulations – Non-Point Source Program CWA - Wetlands • Covered in CWA Section 404 • Permit requirements for dredge/fill in navigable waters, including wetlands • Jointly implemented by EPA/Corps – State Issues 401 Certification • Corps Issues Permits • EPA issues guidance, has veto power • Largely federal program, few states have full delegation Safe Drinking Water Act - 1974 WA State Environmental Laws • State Environmental Protection Act • Shoreline Protection Act • Growth Management Act • Model Toxics Control Act • State versions of CAA, CWA, RCRA, SDWA Public Resource/Land Management • National Wildlife Refuge System Administration Act -1966 • Wilderness Act - 1964 • Federal Land Policy and Management Act - 1976 • Farm Bills Farm Bill • New bill enacted every few years - Most recent is 2002 – Conservation Reserve Program - Sodbuster • Purchasing land to retire from production – Wetlands Reserve Program - Sodbuster • Purchasing of easements on farm wetlands – Environmental Quality Incentives Program • Financial support for environmental improvement practices • Major reductions on erosion – From 21 to less than 2 tons/acre/year on CRP lands • Administered by USDA& NRCS Wildlife/Species Protection • Endangered Species Act - 1973 • Marine Mammal Protection Act - 1972 • Fish and Wildlife Coordination Act - amended 1958 Cultural/Historic Resources • Historic Sites, Buildings and Antiquities Act of 1935 • Archeological and Historic Preservation Act, as amended - 1974 • National Historic Preservation Act - 1965 • Archeological Resources Protection Act of 1979 Water Resources • Estuary Protection Act - 1968 • Wild and Scenic Rivers Act - 1968 • Marine Protection, Research, and Sanctuaries Act of 1972 • Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act, as amended - 1978 Energy Related Laws • Federal Power Acts - 1920, 1935 – Relicensing of Hyrdo Projects – Now handled by FERC • Energy Conservation Act - 1975 – Fuel efficiency standards for cars • Energy Security Act of 1980 • PNW Power Planning & Conservation Act • Energy Policy Acts - 1992, 2005 References • Clean Air Act – http://www.epa.gov/air/criteria.html – http://www.epa.gov/oar/oaqps/greenbk/ – http://www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/air/other/namaps/Web_Map_Intro.htm – http://www.esrl.noaa.gov/csd/assessments/2006/chapters/Q11.pdf CWA • http://www.epa.gov/waterscience/criteria/ • http://apps.ecy.wa.gov/wqawa/viewer.htm • http://www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/wq/tmdl/index.html • http://www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/sea/pac/ppds_info/section_404.pdf • http://www.epa.gov/owow/wetlands/guidance/ • http://www.epa.gov/owow/wetlands/pdf/404c.pdf • http://www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/wq/stormwater/ SDWA • http://dnr.metrokc.gov/wlr/watersup/waterweb.htm • http://www.epa.gov/safewater/contaminants/index.html • http://www.seattle.gov/util/About_SPU/Water_System/Water_Quality/ Water_Quality_Annual_Reports/index.asp • http://www.doh.wa.gov/ehp/dw/ RCRA • http://www.fedcenter.gov/assistance/facilitytour/hazardous/whatis/flowchart/ • http://www.ecy.wa.gov/pubs/96436.pdf • http://www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/hwtr/reg_comp_guide/pages/ regs_hazwaste.html • http://www.epa.gov/oust/ltffacts.htm TSCA • http://www.epa.gov/opptintr/chemtest/pubs/summarylist.htm • http://www.epa.gov/pbt/pubs/pbtstrat.htm • http://www.hud.gov/offices/lead/leadstatutes.cfm FIFRA • http://www.epa.gov/pesticides/label/ • http://www.epa.gov/history/topics/fifra/01.htm ESA • http://www.fws.gov/pacific/bulltrout/colkla/criticalhab.htm • http://www.fws.gov/endangered/hcp/NOSURPR.HTM • http://sunsite.utk.edu/ncedr/casestudies/hcp/weyerhaeuser.htm Superfund • http://epaosc.net/region_list.asp?region=10 • http://yosemite.epa.gov/r10/cleanup.nsf/webpage/Washington+Cleanup+Sites! OpenDocument&Count=250 &ResortAscending=3 • http://www.epa.gov/brownfields/html-doc/2869sum.htm EPCRA • http://oaspub.epa.gov/enviro/fii_master.fii_retrieve? county_name=king&state_code=WA&all_programs=YES&program_search=1&report=1 &page_no=1&output_sql_switch=TRUE& database_type=TRIS