AGENCIES AND LAWS

AGENCIES

UNITED NATIONS (UN)  Gets countries talking internationally  Goal of world peace

UNITED NATIONS ENVIRONMENT PROGRAMME (UNEP)  Gathers environmental information  Conducts research  Assesses problems  Negotiates some environmental treaties (CITIES and Montreal Protocol)

WORLD BANK  provides technical and financial assistance to developing countries  objectives of reducing poverty and promoting growth.  4 goals:  1) educating government officials  2) creating infrastructure  3) developing financial systems  4) combating corruption

WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION (WHO)  improve human health by monitoring and assessing advice to countries.  5 objectives:  1) promoting development, to improve health  2) fostering health security to defend against outbreaks of emerging diseases  3) Strengthening health care systems  4) coordinating and synthesizing health research  5) enhancing partnerships with other organizations

UNITED NATIONS DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME (UNDP)  Primary mission: addressing and facilitating issues of democratic governance, poverty reduction, crisis prevention and recovery, environment, and energy issues and prevention of the spread of HIV/AIDS.  Trying to get a better life through develpoment

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR (DOI)  An executive department of the US government  responsible for the management and conservation of most federal land and natural resources

US DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE (UDSA)  An executive department of the US government  responsible for developing and executing government policy on farming, agriculture, forestry and food.

US FOREST SERVICE  An agency of the US Department of Agriculture that administers the nation’s 155 national forests and 20 national grasslands.

FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION (FDA)  An agency of the US Department of Health and Human Services  responsible for protecting and promoting public health through the regulation ad supervision of food safety, drugs, vaccines, blood transfusions, medical devices, electromagnetic radiation emitting devices, and veterinary products.

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCIES (EPA)  An agency of the US government  created for the purpose of protecting human health and the environment by writing and enforcing regulations based on laws passed by Congress.

OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION (OSHA)  Agency of the US Department of Labor  responsible for the enforcement of health and safety regulations.  Main mission: to prevent injuries, illnesses and death in the workplace.

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY (DOE)  Main goal: to advance the energy and economic security of the US, includes scientific discovery, innovation, and environmental responsibility.

US FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE (USFWS)  An agency of the US Department of the Interior  dedicated to the management of fish, wildlife, and natural habitats.

BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT (BLM)  An agency of the US Department of Interior (DOI)  administers America’s public lands and subsurface mineral estate underlying federal, state and private lands.

MINERALS MANAGEMENT SERVICE/BUREAU OF OCEAN ENERGY MANAGEMENT, REGULATION AND ENFORCEMENT  An agency of the US Department of the Interior  managed the nation’s natural gas, oil and other mineral resources on the outer continental shelf.

LAWS

CLEAN AIR ACT (CAA)  Established primary and secondary air quality standards.  Required states to develop implementation plans.  Sets limits and goals to reduce mobile source air pollution and ambient air quality standards.

CLEAN WATER ACT (CWA)  Regulates and enforces all discharge into water sources and wetland destruction/construction

COMPREHENSIVE ENVIRONMENTAL RESPONSE, COMPENSATION LIABILITY ACT (CERCLA)  Established federal authority for emergency response and clean-up of hazardous substances that have been spilled, improperly disposed, or released into the environment

CONVENTION ON INTERNATIONAL TRADE IN ENDANGERED SPECIES (CITIES)  Controls the exploitation of endangered species through international legislation.  Bans hunting, capturing and selling of threatened species and bans the import of ivory.

ENDANGERED SPECIES ACT (ESA)  Protects species that are considered to be threatened or endangered.  Includes migratory birds and their habitats.

KYOTO PROTOCOL (KP)  Agreement among 150 nations requiring greenhouse gas emission reduction.

LACY ACT (LA)  A conservation law prohibiting the transportation of illegally captured or prohibited animals across state lines.  It was the first federal law protecting wildlife, and is still in effect, though it has been revised several times.  Today the law is primarily used to prevent the importation or spread of potentially dangerous non-native species.

MONTREAL PROTOCOL (MP)  Banned the production of aerosols and initiated the phase out of all CFC's.

NATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY ACT (NEPA)  Authorized the Council on Environmental Quality as the oversight board for general conditions  directs federal agencies to take environmental consequences into account in decision making  requires EIP statement be prepared for every major federal project having environmental impact.

RESOURCE CONSERVATION AND RECOVERY ACT (RCRA)  Management of non-hazardous and hazardous solid waste including landfills and storage tanks.  Set minimal standards for all waste disposal facilities and for hazardous wastes.

SAFE DRINKING WATER ACT (SWDA)  The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is allowed to set the standards for drinking water quality and oversees all of the states, localities, and water suppliers who implement these standards