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Clean Air Acts of 1955, ‘63, ‘67, ‘70, ‘77, ‘90

Clean Air Acts of 1955, ‘63, ‘67, ‘70, ‘77, ‘90. This was a national law instituted in the US, however many other countries followed suite soon after The administration that was in office was President Eisenhower

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Clean Air Acts of 1955, ‘63, ‘67, ‘70, ‘77, ‘90

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  1. Clean Air Acts of 1955, ‘63, ‘67, ‘70, ‘77, ‘90 • This was a national law instituted in the US, however many other countries followed suite soon after • The administration that was in office was President Eisenhower • Act stated that air pollution was dangerous towards the general health of the citizens and authorized the Surgeon General to investigate, research, and educate about the dangers of air pollution • It was the EPA that first brought up the issue of air pollution and is presently the leading agency that deals with such problems • In the beginning this law was a failure • People simply did not listen • In the past 10 years restrictions have allowed for the Act to be a complete success, emissions have gone down and the public is healthier • http://www.epa.gov/air/caa/, http://www.cleanairtrust.org/cleanairact.html, http://ametsoc.org/sloan/cleanair/index.html

  2. Cuyahoga River Fire 1969 • This disaster took place on the Cuyahoga River that runs through Northeast Ohio • Pollution from Cleveland steel mills was responsible for the disaster • Because the river was so polluted by oil and other flammable pollution a fire was able to start, and floated on top of the water • This was the 8th time a fire has occurred dating back to 1868 • Firemen were called in and quickly put out the large fire in 30 min. • Over $50,000 of damage occurred this time, however the combination of all the fires has resulted in $1.5 million in damage • The large environmental activism of the late 60’s helped to save the Cuyahoga river and resulted in the Clean Water Act of 1972 • http://www.ohiohistorycentral.org/entry.php?rec=1642, http://www.epa.gov/glnpo/aoc/cuyahoga.html, http://www.cuyahogariver.net/

  3. The National Environment Policy Act (NEPA) • A national policy put in place in 1969 during the Nixon administration. • Requires federal agencies to consider the environmental impacts their proposed actions will have, think of reasonable alternatives to those actions and incorporate environmental values into their decision making processes. • Environmental Protection Agency responsible for regulation and enforcement of this act. • Now a central aspect of the EPA and has inspired similar acts to be put in place in other countries. • Has worked well so far, as Environmental awareness has spread and continues to spread across the globe.

  4. The Burning of the Cuyahoga River • In Cleveland, Ohio the Cuyahoga River caught fire several times due to the build up of oil on its surface. • Fires occurred from 1868 to 1969. • Pollution that sparked the fire caused by the manufacturing plants along the river and the lack of government regulation. • After the June 22, 1969 fire, the EPA and other organizations took notice and began steps to clean the river and remove the industrial sludge that had formed a layer on top. • Helped to spur the Clean Water Act and Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement. • Today, the river is clean and usable, and now “flows” rather than “oozes.”

  5. Slide One http://www.epa.gov/Compliance/nepa/ http://www.eli.org/pdf/seminars/NEPA/NEPA%20Today.pdf http://ceq.hss.doe.gov/nepa/regs/nepa/nepaeqia.htm Slide Two http://www.ohiohistorycentral.org/entry.php?rec=1642 http://www.epa.gov/glnpo/aoc/cuyahoga.html http://www.cuyahogariverrap.org/YOTR/yotr.html Citations

  6. Alien Species Prevention & Enforcement Act1992 • This act was based mostly in Hawaii • The president at the time was Bill Clinton • The act stated that plants or animals protected under the Lacey Act were not to be shipped in the U.S. mail. It prohibited the shipping of “certain injurious animals, plant pests, plants and materials under federal quarantine” along with the plants and animals stated in the Lacey Act • It was to be supervised by the Department of Agriculture, the Department of Interior, the Postal Service, and the state of Hawaii • So far the act has been successful Citations: • http://www.invasivespeciesinfo.gov/laws/publiclaws.shtml • http://www.fws.gov/laws/lawsdigest/aliensp.html • http://www.webref.org/agriculture/a/alien_species_prevention_and_enf.htm

  7. Chernobyl1986 • The disaster took place at Chernobyl, a nuclear power plant in Ukraine • The people responsible for the accident were the workers on duty at the time who were doing a very bad job of supervising the plant while routine tests were done • There was a steam explosion and fire that released nuclear particles into the atmosphere • After the incident, all plans for nuclear power plants were halted in Belarus, construction plans for the nuclear plants in Ukraine were put on hold, the head of the independent Russian nuclear energy inspectorate announced there would not be another Chernobyl because of the safety standards that he put into place • The health of many people was greatly affected, cancer developed and birth defects also became evident. It was clear that the nuclear particles released into the air had affected everyone around the plant. Citations • http://www.world-nuclear.org/info/chernobyl/inf07.htm • http://library.thinkquest.org/3426/ • http://www.chernobyl.info/index.php?userhash=363024&navID=51&lID=2

  8. Antarctic Treaty – Madrid Protocol • International treaty • signed in Madrid in 1991 under the Bush administration, enforced in 1998 under the Clinton administration • The purpose is to provide protection for the environment and dependent ecosystems by ensuring that the environment is a fundamental value in the planning and conduct of all human activities in Antarctica • The Protocol: • limits unpleasant impacts on the environment • adverse effects on climate or weather patterns • adverse effects on air or water quality • changes in the atmospheric, terrestrial (including aquatic), glacial or marine environments; • changes in the productivity of species • endangering species • degradation of areas of biological, scientific, historic, aesthetic or wilderness significance • requires prior assessment of the environmental impacts of all activities • monitoring to assess predicted impacts and to detect unforeseen impacts • Administered by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) • Recognized as one of the most successful sets of international agreements, which set an example of peaceful cooperation to protect the environment. The Protocol has helped regulate activities and keep Antarctica undisturbed and protected because of the support of the Treaty Parties. • www.aad.gov.au • www.coolantarctica.com • www.informaworld.com • www.scar.org/treaty/

  9. Love Canal (NY) 1942 to 1953 • A landfill in the Niagara Falls, New York • Hooker Chemical and Plastics Corporation were responsible for the chemical disaster • William T. Love- envisioned a canal connecting the two levels of the Niagara River which is separated by Niagara Falls. • Hooker Chemical and Plastics Corporation acquired the use of the site in 1947 and buried 21,000 tons of toxic waste there over the next five years.Then without knowledge of the chemicals, the city built homes and schools over the landfill and people started to feel the effects of the hazardous waste. • Effects • cancer, birth defects, miscarriages • heavy rains flooded basements, as a result, houses began to reek of chemicals, and residents experienced chemical burns on their feet. • The Federal Disaster Assistance Agency assisted in funding the City of Niagara Falls to cure the Love Canal site • The Love Canal Area Revitalization Agency (LCARA) was founded to restore the area • The government relocated more than 800 families and reimbursed them for their homes • The United States Congress passed the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA), or the Superfund Act, that holds polluters accountable for their damages and helps in the clean-up of toxically polluted residential locations . • www.epa.gov/history/ • www.books.google.com/books?isbn=0813336473 • www. jersey.uoregon.edu • www.ejnet.org/

  10. Cameron Miller Period 1 Earth Summit 1992 (Rio de Janeiro & Johannesburg) • Cause: International • Countries involved: 172 • Agency responsible: U.N. • Summary: The Earth Summit was a U.N.-held conference that consisted of over 35,000 environmental activists. This huge gathering of countries, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, was set up to discuss four topics: patterns in production (such as radioactive waste, lead gasoline, etc.), renewable energy sources instead of fossil fuels, increase of public transportation and decrease of vehicle emissions, and “growing scarcity of water”. Something accomplished by this conference was an agreement not to do any activities on indigenous peoples’ land that would “cause environmental degradation or that would be culturally inappropriate”. Also, the Convention on Biological Diversity was started at the Earth Summit as well as United Nations Environment Programme, the Global Environmental Monitoring System, the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES), and the World Heritage Biosphere Reserve Program. • Citation: http://www.un.org/geninfo/bp/enviro.html http://www.bookrags.com/research/united-nations-earth-summit-1992-enve-02/http://www.arabhumanrights.org/publications/unconf/unced/riodeclaration92e.html

  11. Cameron Miller Period 1 Stephen Jay Gould • 1941-2002 • Primary Country: New York, USA • Major Accomplishments: Stephen Jay Gould was an extremely famous paleontologist who worked mainly with evolutionary science. He published a book called The Panda’s Thumb which talked about the “modification of the wrist bone that allows the panda to strip leaves from bamboo shoots which Gould argued must have occurred all at once or it would not have been preserved by natural selection”. For helping fill in the blanks in Charles Darwin’s theories, he received the 1975 Schuchert Award by the Paleontological Society. He was responsible for the punctuated equilibrium theory which said that rapid evolution occurred in some cases “with speciation occurring almost immediately”. • Citation: http://www.stephenjaygould.org/ http://www.mnsu.edu/emuseum/information/biography/fghij/gould_stephen.html http://www.notablebiographies.com/Gi-He/Gould-Stephen-Jay.html

  12. Pittman- Robertson Act (Wildlife Restoration Act) (1937) National Law Approved by Franklin D. Roosevelt September, 2 1937 The purpose of this law is to provide funding for the restoration, rehabilitation, and improvement of wildlife habitat, wildlife management research, and the distribution of information produced by the projects. There was an 11% tax on all hunting equipment, and that money goes directly towards restoring and protecting wildlife habitats. The USFWS (U.S Fish and Wildlife Service) is the primary agency This is efficient because the act provides a “user-pay, user-benefit” because every time hunting, boating, shooting, and fishing equipment is purchased their money goes towards restoring wildlife.

  13. Charles Darwin (1809-1882) • Lived in Shrewsbury, England • He was a scientist who came up with the idea of “natural selection” in 1838 • “Natural selection” - the force that promotes change in species over generations. It produces new species from changes that accumulate in the population over long periods of time • This benefits the environment because organisms are more likely to survive and reproduce which creates diversity • Wrote many books such as On the Origin of Species which discussed evolution and diversity

  14. Courtney Stein Period 3 9/16/09 Citations • http://permanent.access.gpo.gov/lps52835/federalaid.fws.gov/wr/fawr.html#A • http://www.fishwildlife.org/legislation.html • http://www.fws.gov/laws/lawsdigest/fawild.html • http://www.visionlearning.com/library/module_viewer.php?mid=111 • http://evolution.berkeley.edu/evolibrary/article/evo_25 • http://www.aboutdarwin.com/

  15. Nuclear Waste Policy Act of 1982 • WHO AND WHEN? • National treaty created in 1982 • Ronald Regan was in office • PURPOSE? • It encourages the development of repositories to help dispose of high-level radioactive waste • The waste is put underground so water cannot spread radioactivity • It helps to develop a transportation system transport nuclear waste safely • WHO’S INVOLVED? • The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) • Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC)

  16. EFFICANCY • They have faced a number of challenges, • Legislative mandates • Regulatory modification • Fluctuating funding levels • Conflicting needs and expectations of various interest groups • The identification and scheduling of disposal sites has not been finalized, the date has changed from 1998 to 2010. • The major disposal site is not finalized, causing waste to be sitting in over 129 sites in 39 different sites until the site is authorized. • Contracts must be made • Once the sites are finalized the process can continue and the transportation can begin

  17. WHEN? • March 24, 1989 • WHERE? • Alaska, Bligh Reef and Prince William Sound • WHO? • Exxon Valdez oil tanker • WHAT? • The oil tanker was going around Bligh Reef when it tipped over and spilled 10.8 million gallons of unrefined Alaskan crude oil. • Wind and tides carried the oil south into the sound and onto beaches • It covered 1200 miles of rocky beaches Exxon Valdez (Alaska) 1989

  18. Continued… • Exxon was given a deadline of September 15th to clean up the site • Exxon employed 10,000 workers to help clean up • Environmental groups worked to save oiled seals, otters and birds • Aleyska Pipeline Service company, a nonprofit company, designed Service Escort Response Vessels to help prevent another spill and to supply immediate aid if another occurred. • Initially cleanup was not a success • Microorganisms were sprayed onto some beaches

  19. Hayley Litchfield Period 3 APES NWPA Citations • http://www.eoearth.org/article/Nuclear_Waste_Policy_Act_of_1982,_United_States • http://www.enotes.com/major-acts-congress/nuclear-waste-policy-act • http://www.scionline.org/index.php/Category:Nuclear_Waste_Policy_Act Exxon Valdez Citations • http://www.valdezalaska.org/history/oilSpill.html • http://www.eoearth.org/article/Exxon_Valdez_oil_spill • http://topics.nytimes.com/topics/reference/timestopics/subjects/e/exxon_valdez_oil_spill_1989/index.html

  20. Ocean Dumping Act - ODA(1972) • United States National Law • 85 other countries signed similar acts prohibiting waste disposal in water • Richard Nixon president when signed, U.S congress passed law • Aim to regulate intentional disposal of materials into ocean waters that endanger human health and welfare, the marine environment, and the earth's ecological systems, and that may have dire economic consequences • Originally allowed EPA to enforce law • The law has been successful in helping to reduce the amounts of sewage and materials being disposed of in water • Large fines enforce law • Water that has been contaminated in earlier years is still highly toxic and prohibits many water activities and marine life

  21. Lester R. Brown b.1934 • Born New Jersey • Worked in Washington D.C, United States • Environmentalist and novelist • Founder and president of the WorldWatch institute 1974 • Analyzes international problems> famine and overpopulation • Moved to India to pursue work with rural agricultural problems • Analyst at U.S Department of Agriculture Foreign Agricultural Service • Founded Overseas Development Council in 1969 • Published document in 26 languages with environmental trends and problems • Promotes environmentally- sound consumer products • Founded Earth Policy Institute • Dedicated to planning a sustainable future • Plan B • Plan to replace all fossil fuel burning automobiles with a new economic model • Wrote many books pertaining to this topic

  22. Citations Ocean Dumping Act • http://www.pollutionissues.com/Na-Ph/Ocean-Dumping.html • http://www.eoearth.org/article/Ocean_Dumping_Act,_United_States • http://digital.library.unt.edu/govdocs/crs/permalink/meta-crs-1007:1 Lester R. Brown • http://www.earth-policy.org/index.php?/about_epi/C32/ • http://library.thinkquest.org/26026/People/lester_r__brown.html • http://www.librarything.com/author/brownlesterr

  23. Atomic Energy Act 1946

  24. Fundamental U.S. law • AEA regulates the use of nuclear materials and facilities in the United States. • AEA provides authority that sets the standards for the use of nuclear materials to promote the nation’s common defense, protect its citizens health, and minimize potential danger to life or property. • Congress created the law. • AEC (Atomic Energy Commission) was originally created to monitor this law. • NRC (Nuclear Regulatory Commission) was later created to replace the AEC. • Energy Reorganization Act of 1974 gave responsibility to the NRC to regulate various commercial, industrial, academic, and medical uses of nuclear materials and nuclear energy.

  25. Minamata Bay 1956

  26. Minamata City, Kumamoto prefecture, Japan. • Chisso Corporation was at fault for the disaster, for their wrongful and negligent acts. • 3,000 infected, 1,784 people died, 10,000 people received financial aid from Chisso. • Chisso Corporation did very little to prevent the problems from occurring.

  27. Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species(CITES)1973 International Treaty Major Countries Involved- 80 countries around the world- Most Important- Indonesia and the U.S. as well as; Iceland, Norway, Japan, Western Europe, China, ect. Function-Its aim is to ensure that international trade in specimens of wild animals is stopped and extinction does not occur. It also is, regulation of wildlife trade for conservation and animal species are sustainable. Prevent biodiversity Group Responsible for Regulation and Enforcement –IUCN (The World Conservation Union) implemented through U.S.Endangered Species Act (ESA) Perceived Efficacy- CITES has increased the monitoring of the plant and animal trade, but continues to face difficulties in implementation. Stopped a lot of unnecessary trade, but still is a concern to many countries around the world.

  28. Paul Ehrlich-Born 1932 • Primary State Studied/ worked at- California, at Stanford University • Role in Environment- Professor of Population Studies in the department of Biological Sciences. Helped determine if the population was increasing to fast for sustainable living situations. He is an expert on environmental issues. • Importance- Known for the Prediction of the “Population Bomb” a best selling book. He believed, earth's inhabitants would multiply at a faster rate than world's ability to supply food. • Major Event- Published the Book, “Population Bomb” in 1968 • Important Facts- - His predictions that there going to be a famine in the 1970’s that would wipe out the population was proved to be false concept. - He was known as the Bing Professor at Stanford because he was so intelligent in the subject of Biology

  29. Citations- • http://www.fws.gov/international/DMA_DSA/CITES/CITES_home.html -Cites .http://www.nationalaglawcenter.org/assets/crs/RL32751.pdf- Cites http://blog.islandpress.org/author/paulehrlich- Paul Ehrlich http://www.nationalcenter.org/dos7111.htm- Paul Ehrlich

  30. Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act of 1938 (FFDCA) • (1954,1958,1962,1996) • It is a national law • President Roosevelt was in office when the original act was created • This law required the Food and Drug administration to set residue tolerances for unavoidable poisonous substances in our food. Congress then set a new section to the FFDCA stating that there must be residue tolerances for all pesticides in agricultural commodities. The law authorized the FDA to issue standards for food and have factory inspections. This law was created after a legally marketed toxic elixir killed many people. • The FDA was responsible for Regulation and Enforcement until the EPA was formed, which is now the authority to establish tolerances for pesticide residues. • This law has been successful because it protects people from being harmed by poisons and other pesticides. http://www.eoearth.org/article/Federal_Food,_Drug,_and_Cosmetic_Act,_United_States http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/203396/Federal-Food-Drug-and-Cosmetic-Act http://www.fda.gov/RegulatoryInformation/Legislation/default.htm

  31. Aldo Leopold (1887-1948) • Aldo Leopold grew up in Iowa, USA • Leopold was a scientist and scholar, exceptional teacher, philosopher, and gifted writer. • Leopold went to Yale with a degree in forestry. He taught at the University of Wisconsin. He is sometimes credited as the founding father of wildlife ecology. • Leopold believed that the same tools people used to disrupt the landscape could also be used to rebuild it. • He wrote a book called A Sand County Almanac which is known all around the world. He was into forestry, wildlife management, conservation biology, sustainable agriculture, restoration ecology, private land management, environmental history, literature, education, esthetics, and ethics. His almanac led to a philosophy that helped many to discovering what it means to live in harmony with the land and with one another. • Today, Leopold’s essays are taught in literature, history, and philosophy. http://www.aldoleopold.org/ http://digicoll.library.wisc.edu/AldoLeopold/ http://www.naturenet.com/alnc/aldo.html

  32. Food Quality Protection Act1996 (FQPA) National law passed by Congress, under the Bill Clinton Administration Environmental Protection Agency was responsible for the FQPAThis law enforced stricter safety standards, particularly for infants and children, and a complete re-evaluation of all existing pesticide uses. FQPA has been very successful, and work will continue. Completed 9,637 of the 9,721 tolerance reassessment decisions required by FQPA (over 99%). Recommended the revocation of 3,200 tolerances Recommended the modification of 1,200 tolerances Confirmed the safety of 5,237 tolerances http://www.epa.gov/opp00001/regulating/laws/fqpa/index.htm

  33. Thomas Malthus 1766-1834 • Born in London, later went on to Cambridge University • Economist • Known for his Essay on Population • The human population would grow to a point where they would eventually exceed the world's resources needed to support it. http://www.blupete.com/Literature/Biographies/Philosophy/Malthus.htm#Conclusionhttp://homepage.newschool.edu/het//profiles/malthus.htm

  34. IUCN Red List 1948 International Treaty International collaborative effort, there are no specific countries involved It is a global approach for evaluating the status of plant and animal species. The organization plays an important role in guiding conservation activities of governments The IUCN Red List is compiled and produced by the ICUN Species Programme Internationally recognized as the most authoritative inventory on the conservation status of species globally, and has been extremely successful in drawing attention to biodiversity loss http://www.iucnredlist.org/static/programme#introduction http://nlquery.epa.gov/epasearch/ http://www.regionalredlist.com/site.aspx?pageid=111

  35. Chernobyl, UkraineApril 1986 • The nuclear accident occurred at the Cherynobyl nuclear power plant • The disaster was a result of a flawed reactor design that was operated by inadequately trained personnel and without proper regard to safety • Once the disaster occurred, emergency workers responeded immediately and attempted to clean up the radioactivity on the site • At the beginning of May, and estimated 40,000 residents that were within a 10 km radius of the plant were evacuated • As a result, the safety of all Soviet-designed reactors has improved vastly. Modifications have been made to overcome the defficiences in all RBMK reactors still operating • International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has been formed to bring together operators and Western engineers to focus on safety improvements http://www.world-nuclear.org/info/chernobyl/inf07.html http://www.oecdnea.org/html/law/chernobyl/DUSSART_DESART.pdf http://www.unu.edu/unupress/unupbooks/uu21le/uu21le0i.htm

  36. Sustainable Fisheries Act Passed under administration of President Clinton October 11, 1966 National Law The Act amends the Magnuson Fishery Conservation and Management Act . It’s amends are: -fixing increased fishing pressure -need for fishery resource conservation -fixing direct/indirect loss of habitats While there have been some success stories, the act is mainly a failure (not being enforced enough) Councils have failed to define the nation’s parameters where fishing is allowed and where it isn’t: confuses fishermen Agency Responsible: Department of Commerce (National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration)

  37. Thomas Malthus He published an essay called “An Essay on the Principles of Population” (1766-1834) England -Attended Jesus College in Cambridge -Professor of Political Economy at Haileybury College In his revised essay he: -introduced the possibility of "moral restraint” this would bring the unchecked population growth rate down   Malthus came up with the theory that natural plants and animals produce more offspring than we can produce food and necessities for Moral restraint - voluntary abstinence which leads to neither misery nor vice Charles Darwin looked to him when formulating his theory on natural selection *Important because it was our first glance of how the population is hurting the environment and our natural resources*

  38. Laws, Events, & VIPs Project By Emma Getsinger APES: Period 3

  39. The Lacey Act (16 U.S.C. SS 3371-3378) • National conservation law; introduced by Iowa Rep. John F. Lacey, signed by President William McKinley • May of 1900 • Bans commerce of illegally sourced plants and their products, including wood and timber products. • Prohibits trade in wildlife, fish, and plants that have been illegally taken, possessed, transported, or sold. • Extremely powerful tool for the U.S. agencies, fighting wildlife crime and the illegal logging industry. • Very Successful • One of the broadest, most comprehensive forces in the federal arsenal to stop wildlife crime. • Extremely powerful tool for the U.S. agencies, fighting wildlife crime and the illegal logging industry. http://www.eia-global.org/lacey/P6.EIA.LaceyReport.pdf http://www.animallaw.info/articles/ovuslaceyact.htm http://www.aphis.usda.gov/newsroom/hot_issues/lacey_act/index.shtml

  40. The Love Canal (New York) • Niagara Falls, New York • Named after William T. Love • It was a canal excavated to create a “dream city” that could be generated by the power from Niagara Falls. • In the 1920s, turned into a chemical and municipal landfill sight. • 21, 000 tons of toxic waste buried beneath the neighborhood right by Hooker Chemical. • In spring of 1978, the canal exploded. • Chemical waste was in backyards, trees and plants were turned black; the air was filled with the choking smell of chemicals. • Birth Defects began and traces of leukemia were found in the humans that had been there during the explosion. • Citizens were eventually evacuated. • 96 families had been evacuated. • Because of this disaster, EPA recently proposed a system to ensure that the more than 35 million tons of hazardous wastes produced in the U.S. each year, including most chemical wastes, are disposed of safely. http://www.epa.gov/history/topics/lovecanal/01.html http://www.eoearth.org/article/Love_Canal,_New_York http://www.health.state.ny.us/environmental/investigations/love_canal/

  41. Enacted by Congress on December 11, 1980 Major Amendments enacted in 1986 (known as the Superfund Amendment and Reauthorization Act, or SARA). National Law Occupational Safety & Health Administration was involved The law created a tax on the chemical and petroleum industries and provided broad Federal authority to respond directly to releases or threatened releases of hazardous substances that may endanger public health or the environment. The EPA was responsible for regulation and enforcement The Law has been successful, and it is important that it continues to be followed Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation Liability Act( CERCLA, “Superfund”)

  42. Exxon Valdez The disaster was on March 24, 1989 This took place on the Bligh Reef in Prince William Sound, Alaska, where the ship, the “Exxon Valdez” grounded while trying to avoid icebergs in the Alaskan waters. The Captain, Captain Hazelwood was in quarters at the time, allowing him being the source of the blame Within six hours of the grounding, the Exxon Valdez spilled approximately 10.9 million gallons of its 53 million gallon cargo of Prudhoe Bay crude oil. Eight of the eleven tanks on board were damaged. This was the largest oil spill in U.S. waters. More than 11,000 personnel, 1,400 vessels and 85 aircraft were involved in the cleanup, along with shoreline cleanup that lasted for months. Today, scientists continue to study the affected shorelines to understand how an ecosystem like Prince William Sound responds to, and recovers from, an incident like the Exxon Valdez oil spill.

  43. Mining Act of 1872 This is a National Act that was designed to promote westward expansion in the USA. The Republican president Ulysses S. Grant, was in office when this bill was signed. This Act enabled anyone in the west the right to enter and claim public land for the prospect of minerals, no matter what other values may have existed on the land like wildlife habitat, recreation, or water resources. Under the Mining Law there are no provisions for environmental protection and no requirements for reclaiming and restoring the land when the miners are through. There has been no revisions to the act, but the Secretary of Agriculture has regulated and continues to regulate mining to protect the environment. This Act has been successful, but today Environmentalists are finding some problems including... They believe it is unfair that the Mining companies are receiving huge amounts of money for the natural resources they are taking from public land because they do not have to pay anything back to the government. Also, the Mining Law did not address the environment or land reclamation after people are done using it, and abandoned mines are extremely dangerous for the surrounding habitat. The gold rush of 1849 prompted the creation of the Mining Act of 1872.

  44. Minamata Bay (1932-1986) • Minamata is a small factory town in Japan dominated by the Chisso Corporation. It is on theShiranui Sea, which its people depend greatly upon. • The Chisso Corporation, a fertilizer, petrochemical, carbicle, and plastic-maker company, is responsible for this disaster. From 1932 to 1968 they dumped 27 tons of mercury compounds into the Minamata Bay. • This disaster came in the form of disease, and became known as, “Minamata Disease.” • In 1958 the Chisso Corporation began to dump the waste intothe Minamata River instead of the Minamata Bay, hoping to diminishaccusations toward the company. But, nothing came with that and they continued to contaminate the water sources, and the people. • They also installed “Cyclator,” which was designed to treat waste water, but the often ignored this crucial step in the production process. • The Chisso Corporation also began making deals with the victims of “Minamata Disease,” saying they would pay for their misfortunes but not accept responsibility. • In 1959 thefisherman began protesting the Chisso Corporation, but nothing came of the protests because they stopped after threats from the Chisso management. • In 1993, 40 years after the disaster, the Japanese Court was still resolving a suitable compensation for the victims. • Today the Chisso Corporation: • Does NOT dump ANY type of waste into the bay. • No longer uses the chemicals that caused “Minamata Disease.” • Has implemented environmentally safe technology in their production process. The waste being  poured into the Bay.

  45. Citations • Slide 1:http://www.anarchydivine.com/john/writings/mineact.html, http://www.scenicsantaritas.org/mininglaw.asp, http://www.onlinenevada.org/national_mining_act_of_1872. • Picture on Slide 1: http://www.water.ca.gov/swp/images/history/goldrush.jpg • Slide 2: http://www1.american.edu/TED/MINAMATA.HTM, http://www1.umn.edu/ships/ethics/minamata.htm, http://www.hamline.edu/personal/amurphy01/es110/eswebsite/ProjectsSpring03/ebarker/Minamata%20Web%20Page.htm • Picture on Slide 2: http://www-personal.umich.edu/~tobin/Smith2.jpg

  46. Surface Mining Control & Reclamation Act (August 1977) • National law • Jimmy Carter was in office when this was passed- the congress felt the need to regulate mining activity • The act regulates the amount of mining that is occurring. In addition, it establishes a mandatory uniform for mining activities. Lastly, the law watches effect that coal mining has on the environment. • This act is enforced by the Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement in the Department of the Interior. They promote the regulations that are needed to make the act be successful. • Overall, this act has been very successful. Something that would need to be worked on would be the enforcement of people other than the office. For example, it would be good if states began enforcing the law to make sure it all happened.

  47. James Lovelock (1919) • Born and raised in England, but worked at many different universities in the US. • His general role with the environment is that he was a scientist and an author. • His major accomplishments are formulating the Gaia Hypothesis, which was accepted by many environmentalist. • In addition, he discovered methyl chloride as a natural atmospheric gas (1975). • The thing that really made James Lovelock famous was his writing of over 200 scientific papers, which unlocked the mystery of many things. • He has written 4 books on his Gaia Hypothesis, which would probably be the aspect of Lovelock that made him most famous.

  48. Sources • Surface Mining Control & Reclamation Act- • http://www.ca.uky.edu/Agripedia/GLOSSARY/smcra.htm • http://www.eoearth.org/article/Surface_Mining_Control_and_Reclamation_Act_of_1977,_United_States • http://wildlifelaw.unm.edu/fedbook/smcra.html • James Lovelock • http://www.ecolo.org/lovelock/lovedeten.htm • http://www.independent.co.uk/environment/environment-in-crisis-we-are-past-the-point-of-no-return-523192.html • http://www.kheper.net/topics/Gaia/Lovelock.htm

  49. Soil Conservation Act(1935) The Soil Conservation Act was a national law in the United States under the Roosevelt administration. After more than 30 years of research Hugh Bennett, a soils scientist, the Soil Erosion Service was an interior department of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. One of the main reasons for the development of this agency was as a response to the deadly Dust Bowl storms. The agency took soil surveys of various places in the U.S. The agency also took steps toward conservation. For example, they provided soil salinity control. It also publishes maps of soil erosion and various other soil problems. The agency also had a group of engineers that focused on improved efficiency of soil use. Although the U.S. continues to have soil problems today, then have been much lessened by the efforts put forth from the Soil Conservation Act. Links: http://library.thinkquest.org/26026/Politics/soil_conservation_act.html http://www.enotes.com/major-acts-congress/soil-conservation-domestic-allotment-act http://www.fws.gov/laws/lawsdigest/soilcon.html Wesley Blummer

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