Regulatory Topics
EPA develops and enforces regulations that span many environmental topics, from acid rain reduction to wetlands restoration. By selecting a topic, you will be directed to more detailed information, which may include related laws and regulations, compliance and enforcement information, and policies and guidance.
Topics:
Air
Under the Clean Air Act (CAA), EPA sets limits on certain air pollutants, including setting limits on how much can be in the air anywhere in the United States. The Clean Air Act also gives EPA the authority to limit emissions of air pollutants coming from sources like chemical plants, utilities, and steel mills. Individual states or tribes may have stronger air pollution laws, but they may not have weaker pollution limits than those set by EPA.
-
Air Topics:
- Indoor Air
- Mold
- Radiation
-
Stationary Sources:
- Acid Rain
- Common Air Pollutants - Carbon Monoxide, Ground-level Ozone, Lead, Nitrogen Oxides, Particulate Matter, and Sulfur Dioxide
- Cross State Air Pollution Rule (CSAPR)
- New Source Performance Standards (NSPS)
- New Source Review (NSR)/Prevention of Significant Deterioration (PSD)
- Ozone Layer Protection
- Operating Permits/Title V
- Toxic Air Pollutants
- Transportation - Vehicles, Engines, and Fuels
- Visibility/Haze
Cross-Cutting Issues
Topics that cut across various environmental laws, regulations, or programs.
-
Cross-Cutting Topics:
- Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR)
- Animal Feeding Operations (AFOs) / Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs)
- Animal Waste
- Asbestos
- Children’s Health
- Climate Change
- Conservation
- Energy
- Endangered Species, Wildlife, and Marine Life
- Environmental Justice
- Federal Advisory Committees
- Import/Export
- International Cooperation
- Lead
- Mercury
- Nanotechnology
- Permits/ID Numbers
- Pollution Prevention (P2)
- Small Businesses
- Supplemental Environmental Projects (SEPs)
- Tribal Governments
Emergencies
EPA's emergency management activities and regulations help protect the environment and human health from releases or discharges of oil, chemicals and other hazardous substances.
Land and Cleanup
EPA conducts and supervises investigation and cleanup actions at a variety of sites where oil or hazardous chemicals have been released into the environment or when there is a threat of the release of these substances. Cleanup activities also may take place at active and abandoned waste sites, federal facilities and properties, and where above or underground storage tanks have leaked.
Pesticides
EPA and the states (usually that state's agriculture office) register or license pesticides for use in the United States. EPA receives its authority to register pesticides under the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA). Additionally, under the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act (FFDCA), EPA establishes tolerances (maximum legally permissible levels) for pesticide residues in food.
Toxic Substances
Under a broad range of federal statutes, EPA gathers health, safety and exposure data, requires necessary testing, and controls human and environmental exposures for numerous chemical substances and mixtures. EPA regulates the production and distribution of commercial and industrial chemicals in order to ensure that chemicals made available for sale and use in the United States do not harm human health or the environment.
Waste
EPA regulates household, industrial, and manufacturing solid and hazardous wastes under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA). RCRA's goals are to protect us from the hazards of waste disposal; conserve energy and natural resources by recycling and recovery; reduce or eliminate waste; and clean up waste that which may have spilled, leaked or been improperly disposed of.
Water
EPA enforces federal clean water and safe drinking water laws, provides support for municipal wastewater treatment plants, and takes part in pollution prevention efforts aimed at protecting watersheds and sources of drinking water.
Frequent Questions