Term
| Environment Protection Agency (EPA) |
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Definition
| Created by Congress in 1970 to issue regulations pertaining to environment protection laws |
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Term
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Definition
| Federal legislation that establishes standards to reduce air pollution |
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Term
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Definition
| Lawsuit that can be brought by a private individual against a polluter or against the EPA when the individual believes that government standards would have been violated |
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Term
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Definition
| Passed by Congress in 1972, seeks to make all navigable waters suitable for fishing and swimming |
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Term
| Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) |
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Definition
| Legislated to establish rules for solid waste disposal |
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Term
| National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) |
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Definition
| Creates a federal authority to assess and mitigate potential environmental harm caused by federal projects |
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Term
| Endangered Species Act (ESA) |
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Definition
| Prohibits harmful treatment of any species that is recognized on its list |
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Term
| Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA) |
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Definition
| Passed by Congress in 1980, creates a fund that is used to finance the EPA and to empower the EPA to recover cleanup costs from private parties |
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Term
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Definition
| Removal of hazardous conditions created by pollution and the release of contaminants |
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Term
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Definition
| California Environmental Protection Agency |
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Term
| environmental impact statement (EIS) |
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Definition
| Must be prepared for all projects that might affect the quality of the environment for humans |
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Term
| California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) |
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Definition
| Designed to provide state government with wide discretion for ensuring harmony between man and nature and preserving a mechanism to preserve natural resources |
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Term
| Environmental Impact Report (EIR) |
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Definition
| Responsibility of the party who wishes to engage in a project that falls within the purview of CEQA |
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Term
| Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) |
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Definition
| Assessment tool used by the government prior to a project's undertaking to minimize potential harmful effects |
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