PSCI 3325 Lecture Notes - Lecture 35: Clean Water Act, Toxic Substances Control Act Of 1976, National Environmental Policy Act
25 Jan 2017
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National environmental protection act: nixon, assigned implementation of nepa, created by executive order, not congress. Water pollution: federal water pollution control act amendments, safe drinking water, 1974. Air pollution: clean air act and amendments, 1970, 1977, 1990. Car industry wanted a federal law because local laws were so different in every location. Easier to worry about one emission standard. Figured there would be influence in dc, a reasonable standard that they could comply in: punctuated equilibrium, garbage can model. Political motive, put problem and solution together. Led to the clear air act: 1970 identified 6 different pollutants. Get them down below acceptable levels on human health concerns: 1977 amendment, 1990 dealt with acid rain from high sulfuric coal. Toxic wastes: toxic substances control act. Gives the epa the authority to overview those. Original law was: chemicals were safe and legal unless the epa thought otherwise. Sheer number of chemicals already in use were hard to quantify and overview.
