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Yellowstone Act
On March 1, 1872, Congressed passed the Yellowstone Act, which made Yellowstone the very first national park. View the Law here -
The Lacey Act
Signed into law by President William McKiney, The Lacey Act states that it is unlawful to import, export, sell, acquire, or purchase fish, wildlife or plants that are taken, possessed, transported, or sold: 1) in violation of U.S. or Indian law, or 2) in interstate or foreign commerce.The Lacey Act protected both plants and wildlife by creating civil and criminal penalties View the Law here -
Missouri v. Illinois and the Sanitary District of Chicago
In a US Supreme Court case that began in November of 1900 and was decided on January 28, 1901, the state of Missouri filed a suit against Illinois to get them to stop polluting the Mississippi River with waste from the city of Chicago. The US Supreme Court ended up ruling in the favor of Illinois, and allowed them to continue to dump waste into the river. View the Case here -
Georgia v. Tennessee Copper Company and Ducktown Sulphur
In October, 1905, the state of Georgia began this original proceeding, alleging that defendants permitted discharge from their works of noxious gases which, being carried by air currents, ultimately settled upon its territory and destroyed the vegetation, and asking for appropriate relief. The case was heard on the merits and the issues determined in complainant's favor, May, 1907. View the Case here -
"Preservation of the Bison"
During an annual message to Congress, Present Roosevelt implored that provisions needed to be made for the preservation of the bison, who's population, once 70 million strong, was down to about 300, give or take. View the Message here -
The Burton Act
Congress passed the Burton Act in June of 1906, and this act limited the amount of water that could be diverted on the American side of Niagara Falls that was already being taken. In 1909, the Boundary Waters Treaty superceeded the Burton Act and placed limits on total water diversion from Niagara Falls and from all US and Canada boundary waters. -
The Raker Act
The Raker Act was passed by Congress in 1913 that permitted the building of the O'Shaughnessy Dam in Yellowstone National park. View the Act here -
The National Park Service
Congress established the National Park Service, which manages all US National Parks, many US National Monuments, and other historical properties. -
New York v. New Jersey and Passaic Valley Sewerage Commissioners
New York filed suit against New Jersey Sewage Commissioners to stop them from dumping sewage into the New York Harbor. Unfortunately, the US Supreme Court ruled in the favor of New Jersey and the dumping continued. View the Case here -
Emergency Conservation Work Act
The Emergency Conservation Work Act was the first major work relief act passed as part of President Franklin D. Roosevelt's New Deal programs. Sometimes referred to as the Reforestation Relief Act, the legislation provided for the creation of a government agency that would put unemployed people to work developing conservation infrastructure on lands owned by the federal, state, and local governments. -
The Soil Conservation and Domestic Allotment Act
The Soil Conservation and Domestic Allotment Act is a law that allowed the government to pay farmers to reduce production to conserve soil and prevent erosion as a result of the Dust Bowl. View the Law here -
The Bald Eagle Preservation Act
This law provides for the protection of the bald eagle (the national emblem) and the golden eagle by prohibiting, except under certain specified conditions, the taking, possession and commerce of such birds. The 1972 amendments increased penalties for violating provisions of the Act or regulations issued pursuant thereto and strengthened other enforcement measures. Rewards are provided for information leading to arrest and conviction for violation of the Act. -
The Antarctic Treaty
The Antarctic Treaty protected the Antarctic from being a dumping site for nuclear waste. To this day, about 46 countries have signed this treaty. View the Treaty here -
Clean Air Act
The Clean Air Act of 1963 established funding for the study and the cleanup of air pollution and was the first Clean Air Act. -
Cuyahoga River Fire
The Cuyahoga River in Cleveland caught on fire, due to the chemicals and pollution floating on it's surface. It sparked nationwide attention to the affects of pollution. -
The First Earth Day
1970 marked the first celebration of Earth Day, and was celebrated by around 20 million people. It is now celebrated annually around the world. -
The Montreal Protocol
The Montreal Protocol is an international treaty designed to protect the ozone layer by phasing out the production of numerous substances that are responsible for ozone depletion. Since it came into effect, harmful ozone depleting hydrocarbon production has significantly decreased. -
The Oil Pollution Act
The Oil Pollution Act mitigated and prevented civil liability from the future oil spills off the coast of the United States. It forms part of oil spill governance in the United States. -
San Francisco Oil Spill
The Cosco Busan oil spill occurred at 08:30 UTC-8 on 7 November 2007 between San Francisco and Oakland, California, in which 53,569 US gal (202,780 L) of IFO-380 heavy fuel oil, sometimes referred to as "bunker fuel", spilled into San Francisco Bay after the container ship Cosco Busan, operated by Fleet Management Ltd., struck Delta Tower of the San Francisco – Oakland Bay Bridge in thick fog. -
Deepwater Horizon Disaster
An explosion kills 11 people and badly injures 9 more people working on this modern drilling rig in the Gulf of Mexico. About 206 Million gallons of oil spill into the water and devastate fragile coastal environments from Louisiana to Florida.The well was finally declared safe and plugged on September 19th, 2010. -
Fukushima Reactor Melt-Down
Following a devastating earthquake and tsunami, nuclear reactor melt downs, explosions, and spent fuel fires at the Fukushima power complex create a major disaster for public health and environment as well as Japan's economy. Radiation spread as far east as the coast of California in the United States.
