Environmental Laws From

1966-1975

By: Rachel Agostino

• 1962:

-Reaction to Silent Spring by Rachel Carson is immediate and nationwide. Influenced by the book, in 1970 DDT is banned.

-London smog; 750 die.

- Birds are dying at an alarming rate due to oil pollution at sea.

Events Prior to 1966• 1960: -US Congress funds two-year Public Health Service study

on air pollution from cars.

• 1961: -JFK to United Nations: "Every inhabitant of this planet must contemplate the day when this planet may no longer be habitable .. The weapons of war must be abolished before they abolish us."

Events Prior to 1966 Continued…• 1963: Nuclear Test Ban Treaty between U.S. and U.S.S.R. (Russia) stops above ground

tests of nuclear weapons.

• 1965: Weather inversion creates four day air pollution incident in New York City; 80 die.

The Endangered Species Preservation Act -1966

• Listed native animals as endangered species and gave them protection under the law.

• Requires U.S Fish and Wildlife Service to designate land as habitat for endangered species.

• Departments of Interior, Agriculture, & Defense have to seek and protect species.

- Preservation of habitats - ex: Omega Institute

National Wildlife Refuge System Act-1966

• Wildlife Refuges: systems of federally owned land -National Forests

-National Parks

• The act gives guidance to the refuge system.-Refuge planning- Gives refuge managers directions for making decisions

about proper uses of refuges.

1967: Torrey Canyon oil tanker crashes off the coast of England, resulting in a spill of over 29 million gallons of oil devastating the coastlines of England and France.

• capacity of 60,000 tons• was the first major oil spill• 50 miles of French and 120 miles of Cornish coast were

contaminated• Around 15,000 sea birds were killed, along with huge

numbers of marine organisms.

1967

1968: Garrett Hardin publishes his article Tragedy of the Commons.

• Basic meaning: Individuals acting independently, solely, and rationally consulting their own self-interest will ultimately destroy a shared limited resource even when it is clear that it is not in anyone's long term interest for this to happen.

1968

Wild and Scenic Rivers Act -1968

• Created to preserve rivers with natural, cultural, and recreational values for future generations

• There are three main types of Wild and Scenic Rivers:

-Wild river areas

-Scenic river areas

-Recreational river areas

1969: -Santa Barbara Oil Spill: Oil from Union Oil's offshore wells contaminated beaches in Southern California and aroused public anger against pollution.

- Environmental Protection Agency was created.

- Cuyahoga River bursts into flames that were 5 stories high due to oil and chemical pollution.

1969

The Endangered Species Conservation Act -1969

• Amendment to The Endangered Species Conservation Act of

1966 to include species in danger of worldwide extinction • Prohibits importation and sales of species in the U.S

April 22, 1970: The first nationwide Earth Day celebration is organized, celebrated, and creates a national political presence for environmental concerns.

1970

The Clean Air Act (CAA)-1970

• Enforces a program for reducing air pollution.

• Public health protection is the primary goal.

• Protection of our environment from damage caused by air pollution is the second goal.

Resources Recovery Act (RCRA)-1970

• Defines solid and hazardous waste

• Authorizes EPA to set standards for facilities that generate or manage hazardous waste

• Establishes a permit program for hazardous waste treatment, storage, and disposal facilities.

1972: - W. Eugene Smith completes his photographic essay about Minemata, Japan and the crippling effects of mercury pollution

-Published in Life magazine, the deeply moving images would become icons of the environmental movement.

- First bottle recycling bill passes in Oregon- DDT is banned in the US

1972

Federal Water Pollution Control (a.k.a Clean Water) Acts

-1972• Sharply reduces direct pollutant discharges into waterways,

• Finances municipal wastewater treatment facilities• Manages polluted runoff

• Created to achieve the broader goal of restoring and maintaining the chemical, physical, and biological integrity of the nation's

waters

The Marine Protection, Research, and Sanctuaries

(a.k.a Ocean Dumping) Act-1972

• States that ocean dumping cannot occur unless a permit is issued.

• Two basic aims: to regulate intentional ocean disposal of materials and to authorize related research.

1973: Arab oil embargo panics U.S. and causes prices to quadruple. • causes conservatives to favor nuclear and coal sources while

liberals explore alternatives. • President Nixon insists that US can be energy independent by

1980.

1973

The Endangered Species Act (ESA)-1973

• Determinates and lists species as endangered and threatened.

• Prohibits unauthorized taking, possession, sale, and transport of endangered species.

• Provides authority to acquire land for the conservation of listed species.

• Grants aid to States that establish and maintain active and adequate programsfor endangered and threatened wildlife and plants.

The Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) -1974

• Passed by Congress to protect public health by regulating the nation's public drinking water supply.

• Authorizes the EPA to set national health-based standards for drinking water to protect against both naturally-occurring and man-made contaminants that may be found in drinking water.

Energy Policy and Conservation Act-1975

• Purpose was to serve the nation’s energy demands and promoting conservation methods when feasibly obtainable

• Specifies alternative fuel as any fuel not derived from petroleum

References

• http://www.fws.gov/endangered/esasum.html • http://www.rivers.gov/

• http://www.americantrails.org/resources/feds/NatTrSysOverview.html

• http://www.epa.gov/Compliance/nepa/

• http://www.cleanairtrust.org/cleanairact.html

• http://www.state.nj.us/dep//enforcement/noise-control.html

• http://resourcerecoveryact.org/

• http://www.eoearth.org/article/Hazardous_Materials_Transportation_Act_of_1975,_United_States

• http://www.eoearth.org/article/Energy_Policy_and_Conservation_Act_of_1975,_United_States• http://www.epa.gov/OGWDW/sdwa/basicinformation.html

• http://www.fws.gov/laws/lawsdigest/ESACT.html

• http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/pr/laws/esa/

• http://www.eoearth.org/article/Ocean_Dumping_Act,_United_States

• http://www.epa.gov/history/topics/mprsa/index.htm

• http://www.runet.edu/~wkovarik/envhist/8sixties.html