Modern environmental policy in the United States began in the 1960s. Around
this time, the environmental movement started to put pressure on the federal
government to actively protect the country’s resources and preserve the world’s
ecosystems.
The National Environmental Policy Act
After an oil well exploded off the California coast in 1969, Congress
passed the National Environmental Policy Act, a very important law in the
history of environmental policy. The law required all federal agencies to
conduct an environmental impact statement before taking any action
that could affect the environment. The act also created the Council on
Environmental Quality and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
Other Key Environmental Laws
Since the National Environmental Policy Act, Congress has passed other
laws regulating pollution and cleaning up the environment, as explained in the
table on the next page.
IMPORTANT ENVIRONMENTAL LAWS SINCE 1970
|
Law
|
Date
|
Purpose/Impact
|
| Clean Air Act Amendments | 1970 | Restricted air pollution and authorized the EPA to
enforce air quality standards |
| Clean Water Act | 1972 | Set goal of cleaning up waters by 1983 |
| Federal Environmental Pesticide Act | 1972 | Banned the use of pesticides that are harmful to humans,
animals, and crops |
| Clean Water Act | 1974 | Set federal standards for drinking
water |
| Resource Conservation and Recovery Act | 1976 | Encouraged resource conservation and authorized federal
control of hazardous waste |
| Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and
Liability Act | 1980 | Established a “superfund” for cleaning up toxic waste
|
| Clean Air Act Amendments | 1990 | Required reformulated gasoline to be used in large
cities and reduced some gases |
| Food Quality and Protection Act | 1996 | Authorized the federal government to regulate the use of
pesticides in food production |
| Chemical Safety Information, Site Security, and Fuels
Regulatory Relief Act | 1999 | Regulated security and risk management plans at chemical
and fuel plants |
| The Small Business Liability Relief and Brownfields
Revitalization Act | 2002 | Provided funds to clean up brownfields (environmentally
damaged urban areas) |
