Laws, Regulations, and Statutes
Pollution Prevention and Toxics
- Asbestos Hazardous Emergency Response Act (AHERA) - Requires local educational agencies to inspect their schools for asbestos-containing building material and prepare management plans that make recommendations for the reduction of asbestos hazards.
- Asbestos School Hazard Abatement Act (ASHAA) - The purpose of this subchapter is to provide for the establishment of Federal regulations which require inspection for asbestos-containing material and implementation of appropriate response actions in the Nation's schools; to mandate safe and complete periodic reinspection of school buildings following response actions; and to require the Administrator to conduct a study to find out the extent of the danger to human health posed by asbestos in public and commercial buildings and the means to respond to any such danger.
- Pollution Prevention Act (PPA) of 1990 (PDF) (10 pp., 39KB, about PDF) (PPA Summary) - Establishes pollution prevention as the national policy for controlling industrial pollution at its source.
- Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) (PDF) (106 pp., 263KB, about PDF) (TSCA Summary) - Ensures that chemicals sold and used in the United States do not pose an unreasonable risk to health and the environment.
General information
- Introduction to laws and regulations - Laws and regulations are a major tool in protecting the environment. A basic description of how laws and regulations come to be, what they are, and where to find them.
- Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act (EPCRA) - Also known as Title III of SARA, EPCRA was enacted by Congress as the national legislation on community safety. This law was designated to help local communities protect public health, safety, and the environment from chemical hazards.
- Major Environmental Regulations - More than a dozen major statutes or laws form the legal basis for the programs of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
- Federal Register - Publishes daily rules, proposed rules, and notices of Federal Agencies.
- Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) - Codifies rules published in the Federal Register by Executive departments and agencies of the Federal Government. The CFR is divided into 50 titles which represent broad areas subject to Federal regulation, with environmental regulations contained mainly in title 40.
- Dockets, Electronic Dockets, and Information Centers - Provides public access to rulemakings, regulatory actions and proceedings. When a rulemaking or non-rulemaking action is announced, a docket is established in “EPA Dockets” with an assigned tracking number to accumulate materials throughout the process. Dockets may contain Federal Register documents, a variety of supporting documentation, and public comments. www.regulations.gov serves as EPA’s electronic public docket and on-line comment system.
- U.S. Code - Codifies by subject matter the general and permanent laws of the United States, including TSCA and PPA.
- Federal and State Government Regulations and Program References - Includes information on state environmental programs, including pollution prevention programs.