Imgres 1

Laws and Acts Timeline

  • Hardrock Mining and Reclamation

    Hardrock Mining and Reclamation
    authorizes and governs prospecting and mining for economic minerals, such as gold, platinum, and silver, on federal public lands. This law, approved on May 10, 1872, codified the informal system of acquiring and protecting mining claims on public land, formed by prospectors in California and Nevada from the late 1840s through the 1860s, such as during the California Gold Rush.
  • KEY!!!!!

    KEY!!!!!
    Dark Blue- Water
    Light Blue- Air
    Pink- Wildlife/Animals
    Red- Nuclear Things
    Orange- Hazardous Waste
    Green- Land/Conservation
  • Forest Reserve Act of 1891

    Forest Reserve Act of 1891
    This act was was passed and put into place by President Benjamin Harrison. The Forest Reserve Act of 1891 put in place the means to protect wooded areas as "forest reserves", this act came to mind after exploitative logging.
  • Lacey Act

    Lacey Act
    The Lacey Act makes it unlawful to sell, export, import, acquire, and purchase fish, wildlife or fish that have been taken, possessed, transported, or sold that are in violation of the U.S or Indian Law, or in interstate or foreign commerce involving any fish, wildlife, or plants taken, possessed, or sold in violation of State or foreign law.
  • Antiquities Act

    Antiquities Act
    The Antiquities Act allows the president to preserve and protect America's wild and historical sites as national monuments.
    Here's what the president can use the Antiquities Act for;
    •Protect special natural, historical and cultural areas as national monuments
    •Change monument boundaries
    •Direct resources toward monument management
    •Re-designate monuments as national parks
  • National Park Service Act

    National Park Service Act
    This act created the National Park Service, which was a new federal bureau responsible for protecting the 35 national parks and monuments then managed by the department and those to be established.
  • Migratory Bird Act

    Migratory Bird Act
    This act makes it illegal to take, possess, import, export, transport, sell, purchase, barter, or offer to sale any migratory bird, or the parts, nests, or eggs of any of these birds except under the terms of a valid permit.
  • Taylor Grazing Act

    Taylor Grazing Act
    This act was signed by President Roosevelt, it was passed to "stop injury to the public grazing lands by preventing overgrazing and soil deterioration; to provide for their orderly use, improvement, and development; and to stabilize the livestock industry dependent upon the public range."
  • Migratory Bird Hunting Stamp Act

    Migratory Bird Hunting Stamp Act
    The act requires a waterfowl hunter of 16 years of age or older to possess a valid Federal hunting stamp.
  • Soil Conservation Act of 1935

    Soil Conservation Act of 1935
    The act combated soil erosion and preserved natural resources. The act worked toward controlling floods, preventing impairment of reservoirs and maintaining the navigability of rivers and harbors, protecting public health, public lands, and relieving unemployment.
  • Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act

    Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act
    This act is a Federal statute that governs the registration, distribution, sale, and use of pesticides in the United States. The act was created because of the concerns on the toxic effect of pesticides and residues on applicators, non-target species, the environment, and food. The main objective of this act was to ensure that pesticides will not cause an unreasonable risk to human health or the environment.
  • Water Pollution Control Act

    Water Pollution Control Act
    The act was to prepare comprehensive programs for eliminating or reducing the pollution of interstate waters and tributaries and improving the sanitary condition of surface and underground waters. The act was to make improvements necessary to conserve waters for public water supplies, propagation of fish and aquatic life, recreational purposes, and agricultural and industrial uses.
  • International Union for the Conservation of Nature

    International Union for the Conservation of Nature
    Their vision is a world that values and conserves nature. They keep a list of threatened species, known as the red list.
  • Price-Anderson Act

    Price-Anderson Act
    The act was created to cover liability claims of members of the public for personal injury and property damage caused by a nuclear accident involving a commercial nuclear power plant.
  • The Wilderness Act

    The Wilderness Act
    This act allowed Congress to create "wilderness areas", in these areas there were to be no roads, vehicles or permanent structures. The act also prevents logging and mining. This act created the National Wilderness Preservation System, too. The Wilderness Act automatically put 9.1 million acres of American land into the National Wilderness Preservation System.
  • Land and Water Conservation Act

    Land and Water Conservation Act
    This act was a bipartisan commitment to safeguard natural areas, water resources and our cultural heritage, and to provide recreation opportunities to all Americans. The act was to provide funds to national parks, wildlife refuges, rivers and lakes, etc. by using the revenues from the depletion of one natural resource- offshore oil and gas -to support the conservation of another vital resource- land and water.
  • Clean Air Act

    Clean Air Act
    The act is a federal law designed to protect human health and the environment from the effects of air pollution. Under this act, the EPA is required to regulate the emission of pollutants that endanger public health and welfare. This act has cut ground-level ozone, reduced mercury emissions by 45% since 1990, reduced the main pollutants that contribute to acid rain.
  • Resource Recovery Act

    Resource Recovery Act
    The act established a major research program, run by the EPA, to develop new and innovative ways of dealing with solid waste. It also gave the EPA the responsibility of providing State and local governments with technical and financial help in planning and developing resource recovery and waste disposal systems.
  • Clean Water Act

    Clean Water Act
    The act establishes the basic structure for regulating discharges of pollutants into the waters of the U.S and regulating quality standards of surface waters. The EPA has implemented control programs such as setting wastewater standards for industry. We have also set water quality standards for all contaminants in surface waters. The EPA was able to do all of those amazing things because of the CWA.
  • Federal Water Pollution Control Act

    Federal Water Pollution Control Act
    the primary federal law in the United States governing water pollution. Its objective is to restore and maintain the chemical, physical, and biological integrity of the nation's waters by preventing point and nonpoint pollution sources, providing assistance to publicly owned treatment works for the improvement of wastewater treatment, and maintaining the integrity of wetlands.
  • Occupational Safety and Health Act

    Occupational Safety and Health Act
    Goal: to ensure employers provide workers with an environment free from dangers to their safety/health
  • Marine Mammal Protection Act

    Marine Mammal Protection Act
    Prohibits the killing of all marine mammals in the U.S. and prohibits the import or export of any marine mammal body parts.
  • National Wildlife Refuge System Act

    National Wildlife Refuge System Act
    The act provided guidelines and directives for administration and management of all areas in National Wildlife Refuge system including "wildlife refuges, areas for the protection and conservation of fish and wildlife that are threatened with extinction, wildlife ranges, game ranges, wildlife management areas, and waterfowl production areas.
  • Endangered Species Act

    Endangered Species Act
    The act provides for the conservation of species that are endangered or threatened throughout their range. It also protects the ecosystems on which they depend. The ESA replaced the Endangered Species Conservation Act of 1969.
  • Safe Drinking Water Act

    Safe Drinking Water Act
    This federal law protects public drinking water supplies throughout the nation. Under the SDWA, the EPA sets certain standards for drinking water quality for the citizens.
  • Resource Conservation and Recovery Act

    Resource Conservation and Recovery Act
    This act gives the EPA the authority to control hazardous waste from the beginning to the end. This means the generation, transportation, treatment, storage, and disposal of hazardous waste.
  • Solid Waste Disposal Act

    Solid Waste Disposal Act
    enacted in 1976, is the principal federal law in the United States governing the disposal of solid waste and hazardous waste.
  • National Energy Act

    National Energy Act
    The National Energy Act of 1978 was a legislative response by the U.S. Congress to the 1973 energy crisis. It includes the following statutes:
    Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act
    Energy Tax Act
    National Energy Conservation Policy Act
    Power Plant and Industrial Fuel Use Act
    Natural Gas Policy Act
  • Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act of 1980

    Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act of 1980
    Otherwise known as CERCLA or Superfund. The act created a Federal "Superfund" to clean up uncontrolled or abandoned hazardous-waste sites.
  • Law of the Sea Convention

    Law of the Sea Convention
    the international agreement that resulted from the third United Nations Conference on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS III), which took place between 1973 and 1982. The Law of the Sea Convention defines the rights and responsibilities of nations with respect to their use of the world's oceans, establishing guidelines for businesses, the environment, and the management of marine natural resources.
  • United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS)

    United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS)
    (1982) International agreement that set rules for the use of the world's oceans use, navigation rights, research, protection of marine environment, including restricting overfishing
  • Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FFDCA)

    Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FFDCA)
    A set of laws passed by Congress giving authority to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to oversee the safety of food, drugs, and cosmetics
  • Toxic Substances Control Act

    Toxic Substances Control Act
    Allows EPA screen existing & new chemicals for toxicity
    Gives EPA ability to track industrial chemicals currently produced/imported into the US
    Screens chemicals and can require reporting/testing of those that may pose hazard
  • Ocean Dumping Ban Act

    Ocean Dumping Ban Act
    Bans ocean dumping of sewage sludge and industrial waste
  • Roadless Area Conservation Rule

    Roadless Area Conservation Rule
    Requires 1/3 of national forest system's total acreage to be off-limits to all road building & logging
    Preserves all current opportunities for public access & recreation, including hiking, fishing, hunting, camping, as well as $ and jobs that these activities generate in local areas
  • Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act

    Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act
    • The "Superfund Act," designed to ID and clean up abandoned hazardous waste dumpsites
    • Provides broad federal authority to clean up releases or threatened releases of hazardous substances that may endanger public health or the environment
    • Was created to protect people, families, communities and others from heavily contaminated toxic waste sites that have been abandoned
    • Goal: Clean up abandoned hazardous waste site
  • FIFRA

    FIFRA
    Provides for federal regulation of pesticide distribution, sale, and use. All pesticides distributed or sold in the United States must be registered (licensed) by EPA. Before EPA may register a pesticide under FIFRA, the applicant must show, among other things, that using the pesticide according to specifications "will not generally cause unreasonable adverse effects on the environment.''
  • International Conference on Population and Development

    International Conference on Population and Development
    The conference delegates achieved consensus on the following four qualitative and quantitative goals:
    • Universal education by 2015
    • Reduction of infant and child mortality
    • Reduction of maternal mortality
    • Access to reproductive and sexual health services including family planning
  • Nuclear Waste Policy Act

    Nuclear Waste Policy Act
    US government must develop a high level nuclear waste site by 2015
  • Oil Spill Prevention and Liability Act

    Oil Spill Prevention and Liability Act
    was signed into law in August 1990, largely in response to rising public concern following the Exxon Valdez incident. The OPA improved the nation's ability to prevent and respond to oil spills by establishing provisions that expand the federal government's ability, and provide the money and resources necessary, to respond to oil spills.
  • Food Quality Protection Act

    Food Quality Protection Act
    Set pesticide limits in food & all active/inactive ingredients must be screened for estrogenic/endocrine effects
    Act amended FIFRA and FFDCA by changing way EPA regulates pesticides
    Some of the major requirements include stricter safety standards, especially for infants and children, and a complete reassessment of all existing pesticide tolerances
  • Energy Policy Act

    Energy Policy Act
    Energy Policy Act
    • (1992) Provides federal support for renewable energy technology and introduced radiation protection standards for Yucca Mountain
    • Establishes commercial building codes for energy use
    • Establishes efficiency standards for heating and air-conditioning equipment and lamps
  • Convention on Biological Diversity

    Convention on Biological Diversity
    Established a treaty to protect biodiversity.
    •Conservation
    •Sustainable use
    •Equitably share the benefits that emerge from the commercial use of resources (i.e. pharmaceutical drugs).
  • Consumer Product Safety Act

    Consumer Product Safety Act
    The act gives CPSC the power to develop safety standards and pursue recalls for products that present unreasonable or substantial risks of injury or death to consumers. It also allows CPSC to ban a product if there is no feasible alternative.
  • Surface Mining & Reclamation Act

    Surface Mining & Reclamation Act
    Requires coal strip mines to reclaim the land
    Regulates the environmental effects of coal mining in US
  • National Wild and Scenic Rivers Act

    National Wild and Scenic Rivers Act
    Protects rivers with due to aesthetic, recreational, wildlife, historical, or cultural reasons
  • Marine Plastic Pollution Research and Control Act

    Marine Plastic Pollution Research and Control Act
    it applies to ship-generated garbage, and it aims to reduce the amount of garbage—both plastics and other persistent wastes—that ships dump into the oceans. It also prohibits all ships from dumping plastics into the sea.
  • Low-Level Radioactive Policy Act

    Low-Level Radioactive Policy Act
    All states must have facilities to handle low-level radioactive wastes
  • Kyoto Protocol

    Kyoto Protocol
    • (1997) International agreement with binding targets for industrialized countries to reduce greenhouse gas emissions
    • Goal: Control global warming
    • Requires actual emissions to be monitored & recorded in log & places more significant burden on developed nations
  • Water Resources Planning Act

    Water Resources Planning Act
    Provided plans to formulate & evaluate water related land resource projects & to maintain a continuing assessment of adequacy of water supplies in US
  • Pollution Prevention Act

    Pollution Prevention Act
    in the United States created a national policy to have pollution prevented or reduced at the source wherever possible. It also expanded the Toxics Release Inventory.
  • Renewable Resource Planning Act

    Renewable Resource Planning Act
    • Mandates periodic assessments of forests & rangelands in US
    • Directs that the assessment be conducted by US Forest Service & consider a broad range of renewable resources (include outdoor recreations, fish, wildlife, water, range, timber, minerals)
    • Rate forest on how well its doing
  • Emergency Planning & Community Right-to-know Act (EPCRA)

    Emergency Planning & Community Right-to-know Act (EPCRA)
    • Federal legislation that requires information to be shared about chemical facilities and uses of chemicals
    • Goal: to encourage and support emergency planning efforts at the state/local levels and to provide the public and local governments with information concerning potential chemical hazards present in their communities
  • Coastal Zone Management Act

     Coastal Zone Management Act
    Establishes marine sanctuaries in US to protect habitat of marine animals and plants form pollution and development
  • Safe Water Drinking Act

    Safe Water Drinking Act
    Allows EPA to set maximum contaminant levels for pollutants in drinking water that may have adverse effects on human health
  • Montreal Protocol

    Montreal Protocol
    International agreement to reduce production and consumption of ozone-depleting substances
    Goal: Phase out ozone-depleting substances
  • Public Rangelands Improvement Act

    Public Rangelands Improvement Act
    Requires US Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management to develop management guidelines for public lands
  • Energy Policy Pt. 2

    Energy Policy Pt. 2
    • (2005) Guaranteeing loans, grants, and subsidies for technology that avoids generating greenhouse gases, the act helps nuclear reactor design (coal) and all forms of renewable energy
  • US Marine Mammal Protection Act

    US Marine Mammal Protection Act
    Prohibits taking, capturing or harassing marine mammals in US waters and by US citizens, and the importing marine mammals and marine mammal products into US
  • Oil Pollution Act

    Oil Pollution Act
    To prevent further oil spills form occurring in the US, company required to make a plan to prevent spills that may occur (must also have containment and cleanup plan in case of emergency)
  • CITES (Convention of International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora)

    CITES (Convention of International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora)
    Controls the international trade of threatened plants and animals.
    International agreement between 175 countries.
  • National Environmental Policy Act

    National Environmental Policy Act
    Environmental Assessments (EAs) and Environmental Impact Statements (EISs), which are assessments of the likelihood of impacts from alternative courses of action, must be done before any project affecting federal lands can be started
  • Antarctic Treaty

    Antarctic Treaty
    • Goal: preserve continent of Antarctica & ensure that it doesn't become site of any territorial disputes/international discord
    • Sets limits on types of activities that can occur on continent of Antarctica
    • Restricts military activity (only military that supports scientific research) & prohibits storage of nuclear waste/detonation of nuclear devices
  • Madrid Protocol

    Madrid Protocol
    • Addition to Antarctic Treaty
    • Increased environmental protection by requiring assessments of possible environmental effects of any activities
    • Requires development of plans outlining responses to environmental emergencies & prohibits mining
    • Prohibits introduction of non-native species (except humans)