Environmental Flashback

National Park Service Act

Aug 25, 1916

This established the National Park Service in the United States. The Park Service is a part of the U.S. Department of the Interior and its purpose is to preserve nature for future generations.

DDT banned

Apr 19, 1940

it was banned because it was harming wildlife, the environment, and human health.

Bald eagle Protection Act

Apr 23, 1940

You cannot abuse the eagles or interfere with their substantial lifestyle.

Antarctic Treaty System

Jun 23, 1961

Silent Spring Published

Sep 27, 1962

Silent Spring was written by Rachel Carson, it was to warn the public of the impacts on wildlife from unregulated pesticide use.

Clean Air act

Dec 17, 1963

it requires the EPA to develop and enforce regulations to protect the public from airborne contaminants known to be hazardous to human health.

Endangered Species Preservation Act

Apr 23, 1966

It provided a means for listing native animal species as endangered and giving them limited protections. The Departments of Interior, Agriculture, and Defense were to seek to protect listed species, and, insofar as consistent with their primary purposes, preserve the habitats of such species.

National Environmental Policy Act

Jan 1, 1970

Congress recognized that nearly all federal activities affect the environment in some way and mandateed that before federal agencies make decisions, they must consider the effects of their actions on the quality of the human environment.

First Earth Day

Apr 22, 1970

It marks the anniversary of what many consider the modern environmental movement. An estimated 20 million Americans gathered in a well publicized environmental demonstration. The rallies, teach-ins, speeches, and publicity gambits almost all went smoothly, amid a heady and triumphant atmosphere that was further enhanced by perfect spring weather.

Clean air act reauthorized

Apr 23, 1970

expanded the federal mandate, requiring comprehensive federal and state regulations for both industrial pollution sources and mobile sources. It also significantly expanded federal enforcement.

EPA formed

Dec 2, 1970

It was established to consolidate in one agency a variety of federal research, monitoring, standard-setting and enforcement activities to ensure environmental protection. The EPA has been working for a cleaner, healthier environment for the American people.

U.N. environment Program

Jun 23, 1972

Coordinates the U.N.’s environmental activities, and assist developing countries develop environmentally sound policies.

Clean water act

Oct 18, 1972

A law governing water pollution, by reducing the amounts of toxic substances released into water sources and setting regulations that water sources need to meet.

Endangered species act

Dec 28, 1973

Protects endangered wildlife from going extinct by setting rules and regulations to conserve their way life and habitat.

Endangered Species Conservation Act

Dec 28, 1973

It provides a program for the conservation of threatened and endangered plants and animals and the habitats in which they are found. The lead federal agencies for implementing the ESA are the FWS and the NOAA. Endangered species include birds, insects, fish, reptiles, mammals, crustaceans, flowers, grasses, and trees.

Resource conservations and recovery act

Apr 23, 1976

governs the disposal of solid and hazardous waste. It was put in place because of the growing volume of industrial waste.

Toxic Substances Control Act

Apr 23, 1976

It provides the EPA with authority to require reporting, record-keeping and testing requirements, and restrictions to chemical substances and mixtures. Certain substances generally excluded from TSCA include food, drugs, cosmetics, and pesticides.

Love Canal Disaster

Jan 23, 1979

A city sat on top of 21,000 tons of toxic industrial waste that had been curried underground in the 1940s and ‘50s by a company. The waste began to build up and the problem became unavoidable, people sold their homes to the federal government and evacuated the area. This disaster led to the formation of the Superfund Program (1980) that helps pay for the cleanup of toxic sites.

Three Mile Island accident

Mar 28, 1979

Worst accident in commercial nuclear power plant history, it released small amounts of radioactive material into the atmosphere

Chernobyl nuclear reactor explosion

Apr 26, 1986

A sudden unexpected poser surge caused the reactor vessel to rupture, and then it caught fire which sent a plume of highly radioactive fallout into the atmosphere.

Exxon Valdez Oil Spill

Mar 24, 1989

A 987-foot tank vessel Exxon Valdez struck Bligh Reef in Prince William Sound, Alaska, and was the largest oil spill in U.S. history. The oil slick spread over 3,000 square miles and onto over 350 miles of beaches in Prince William Sound.

Establishment of US Green Building Council

Apr 23, 1993

Rick Fedrizzi, David Gottfried, and Mike Italiano established the U.S. Green Building Council. Their mission was to promote sustainability in the building and construction industry.

Public health service act

Apr 23, 1994

A division of the United States Department of Health and Human Services.

Food Quality Protection Act

Aug 3, 1996

The law includes sweeping new food safety protections and requires major changes in how pesticides are regulated. Its goal is improving environmental and public health protection, especially for children.