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Delaney Clause of Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act
Prohibits the appeal of any food additive found to cause cancer in humans or animals. It was a strict zero-risk policy reflecting the public's concern about carcinogens in the food supply. Over time, it has been criticized as overly rigid and has been partially superseded by more risk-based approaches in food safety regulation. -
Clean Air Act
The Clean Air Act is a federal law to control air pollution to help protect public health, as well as the environment. It lets the EPA set and enforce air quality standards for harmful pollutants. -
Clean Water Act
Fundamental U.S. environmental law aimed at reducing pollution in the nations waterways and ensuring safe surface water quality. It regulates the discharge of pollutants into water bodies, and sets water quality standards for contaminants. The act has played a key role in improving the health of rivers, lakes, and wetlands across the country. -
Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species
This is an international agreement aimed at ensuring that global trade of wild animals does not threaten their survival. It helps to regulate trade through permits/protections for species listed in its three appendices. -
Endangered Species Act
The Endangered Species Act is a U.S. law protecting plants and animals that are at risk of extinction. It helped to empower the federal government to list endangered/threatened species to conserve their habitats. -
Safe Drinking Water Act
This is a U.S. law that ensued the quality and safety of Americans' drinking water. It authorized the EPA to set national health-based standards for drinking water to protect against both natural and man-made contaminants, the SDWA also oversees states, localities, and water supplies to ensure compliance and protect public health. -
Resource Conservation and Recovery Act
U.S. federal law that governs the proper management and disposal of solid and hazardous waste. It gives the EPA authority to control waste from its creation to its disposal, including treatment, storage, and cleanup. The act aims to protect human health and the environment from the potential hazards of waste disposal. -
Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, Liability Act, CERCLA
This act is also known as Superfund, it was enacted to clean up sites contaminated with hazardous substances. It gives the EPA authority to compel them to clean polluted areas. -
Montreal Protocol
International treaty designed to phase out the production and consumption of substances that deplete the ozone layer, such as CFCs. It is considered one of the most successful environmental agreements, with all United Nations member states participating. The protocol has significantly contributed to the recovery of the ozone layer and continues to evolve through amendments addressing new threats. -
Kyoto Protocol
The Kyoto Protocol is am international treaty, in order to bring down industrialized countries use of greenhouse gases. It set a legally binding emission reduction for developed countries.