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20 people die, and over 600 people go to the hospital after sulfur dioxide emissions from a nearby steel and wire plant descend in the form of smog, made worse by a temperature inversion that trapped the sulfuric poison in the valley of the town.
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Heavy smog in New York City exacerbates asthma and other lung conditions, killing 170-260 people. More New Yorkers will die again in 1962 and 1966 with more “smog episodes.”
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the air pollution control act passes congress, becoming the first piece of legislation to address air pollution. despite its declaration to combat air contamination, the act puts regulation largely in the hands of individual states and gives no means of enforcement to the federal government.
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Congress amends the Air Pollution Control Act of 1955 to fund a study conducted by the U.S. Surgeon General to investigate the health effects caused by automobile exhaust. In the United States alone, there are 74 million cars on the road.
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the water quality act passes, enhancing federal control over water quality initially set by the federal water pollution control act of 1948. these federal standards will become the baseline for statewide water quality levels.
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The Wild and Scenic Rivers Act provides a system that identifies and adds rivers across the United States to a protected list. By 1989, over 1,385 miles of rivers will be protected in Alaska alone.
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Stewart Brand publishes The Whole Earth Catalog , which lists a variety of products helpful for self-sustainable living.
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The crew of Apollo 8 takes the first photograph of the Earth from space. The photograph, named “Earthrise,” will become the iconic image of the environmental movement.
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the santa barbara oil well blowout spills over 200,000 gallons of oil into the ocean for 11 days straight. due to the destruction and extreme pollution of the california coastline, the spill leads directly to reforms in the energy industry.
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In recognition of the growing media attention given to the approaching Earth Day, President Richard Nixon stresses the importance of environmental issues in his State of the Union Address.
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The Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) is established to provide citizens with the tools to draft environmental laws and lobby for their passage.
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The Coastal Zone Management Act mandates coastal states to develop management plans to offset the negative impact of humans on coastal areas.
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congress passes the endangered species act in order to prevent the extinction of animals in the united states. this act restructured the 1966 legislation regarding endangered species and directed the U.S. fish and wildlife service and the NOAA to carry out its stipulations.
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The EPA is charged with settling and monitoring water quality standards with the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA), covering every public water system across the country.
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the eastern wilderness areas act protects over 200,000 acres of national forests. this legislation is the first to protect lands that were once logged or previously inhabited.
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the nimbus-7 spacecraft is launched as the first satellite with the technology to take comprehensive worldwide measurements of the ozone layer.
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the energy tax act creates an incentive for ethanol use. this is the first instance of using tax credits to encourage fuel efficiency and renewable energy.
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The meltdown of the Three Mile Island nuclear power plant in Middletown, PA, causes the evacuation of 140,000 people. It will take more than ten years to clean up fully
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President Reagan signs the Ocean Dumping Ban Act of 1988, a law that prohibits all waste dumping in the ocean starting in 1992.
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The Exxon Valdez tanker spills 11 million gallons of oil, killing more than 250,000 birds and covering over 1,300 square miles of ocean with oil. The accident is the largest oil spill in the history of the U.S.
