Environmental Policy and Regulation PDF

Chapter 4 Environmental Policy and Regulation  Learning Objectives By the end of this chapter the reader will be able to: Contrast key environmental health regulatory agencies at three levels. State four principles that guide environmental policy development. Compare five ma...

Chapter 4 Environmental Policy and Regulation  Learning Objectives By the end of this chapter the reader will be able to: Contrast key environmental health regulatory agencies at three levels. State four principles that guide environmental policy development. Compare five major environmental laws. Describe environmental policies designed to protect vulnerable groups. Apply the steps in the policy-making process to a specific example.  Role of Policy and Environmental Challenges Protection from environmentally associated health hazards Regarded as a fundamental human right  Environmental Policy “A statement by an organization [either public, such as government, or private] of its intentions and principles in relation to its overall environmental performance. Environmental policy provides a framework for action and for the setting of its environmental objectives and target” Example: United States: the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969  Principles of Environmental Policy Development Precautionary principle Environmental justice Environmental sustainability The polluter-pays principle  Precautionary Principle States that “preventive, anticipatory measures... [should] be taken when an activity raises threats of harm to the environment, wildlife, or human health, even if some cause-and-effect relationships are not fully established”  Environmental Justice Denotes the equal treatment of all people in society irrespective of their racial background, country of origin, and socioeconomic status  Environmental Sustainability Adheres to the philosophical viewpoint “that a strong, just, and wealthy society can be consistent with a clean environment, healthy ecosystems, and a beautiful planet”  Polluter-Pays Principle “Polluter should bear the expenses of carrying out the pollution prevention and control measures... to ensure that the environment is in an acceptable state”  Figure 4.5 The policy cycle. Modified from data presented in D@dalos, Policy Cycle: Teaching Politics. Available at: http://www.dadalos-d.org/politikdidaktik/politik/policy-zyklus.htm. Accessed February 14, 2017. Relationship of Risk Assessment to Policy Process Risk assessment is closely aligned with the policy process through the balancing of economic and other costs with health and societal benefits that may accrue through specific policy alternatives.  Risk Management Involves the adoption of steps to eliminate identified risks or lower them to acceptable levels – Often determined by a government agency that has taken into account input from the public  Examples of Risk Management Licensing laws Standard-setting laws Control-oriented measures Monitoring  Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Process that reviews the potential impact of anthropogenic activities with respect to their general environmental consequences  Health Impact Assessment (HIA) “Method for describing and estimating the effects that a proposed project or policy may have on the health of a population” Examples of projects that may affect health: – Large dams, mines, power plants, airports – Development corridors, urban redevelopment  Case Studies of Environmental Health Policies EPA strategic plan (2009–2014) Water policy reform in South Africa Environmental policies in economies in transition Control of pollution across international boundaries Figure 4.12 Overview of environmental health regulation agencies.  World Health Organization (WHO) Major international agency Responsible for environmental health at the global level Provides leadership in minimizing adverse environmental health outcomes associated with pollution, industrial development, and related issues  US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Mission: protect human health and the environment Established by the White House and Congress in July of 1970 in response to the growing public demand for cleaner water, air, and land  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) Federal agency Responsible for conducting research and making recommendations for the prevention of work-related injury and illness Created in the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 along with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)  Clean Air Act of 1970 Comprehensive federal law Regulates air emissions from stationary and mobile sources Authorizes EPA to establish National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) to protect public health and public welfare and to regulate emissions of hazardous air pollutants  Figure 4.14 The 1990 Clean Air Act. Reproduced from United States Environmental Protection Agency. The Plain English Guide to the Clean Air Act. EPA-456/K-07-001. Research Triangle Park, NC;2007. Cover page.  Clean Water Act The Federal Water Pollution Control Act of 1948 First major US law to address water pollution Amended in 1972 and 1977 to become the Clean Water Act (CWA) Established basic structure for regulating pollutants discharged into the US waters  Safe Drinking Water Act of 1974 Established to protect the quality of drinking water in the US Authorizes EPA to establish minimum standards to protect tap water Requires all owners or operators of public water systems to comply with these primary (health-related) standards  National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 One of the first laws ever written that establishes the broad national framework for protecting our environment NEPA’s basic policy is to ensure that all branches of government give proper consideration to the environment before undertaking major federal action that significantly affects the environment. Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) of 1996 Provides for federal regulation of pesticide distribution, sale, and use – All pesticides distributed or sold in the US must be registered (licensed) by EPA. – Before EPA registers a pesticide under FIFRA, the applicant must show that using the pesticide according to specifications “will not generally cause unreasonable adverse effects on the environment.”  Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) of 1976 Provides EPA with authority to require reporting, record-keeping, and testing requirements, and restrictions relating to chemical substances and/or mixtures Various sections of TSCA provide authority to maintain the TSCA Inventory, under Section 8, which contains more than 83,000 chemicals  CERCLA 1980 Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act Provides federal “Superfund” to clean up waste – Uncontrolled or abandoned hazardous waste sites – Accidents, spills, and other emergency releases of pollutants and contaminants into the environment EPA was given power to seek out those parties responsible for any release and ensure their cooperation in the cleanup.  Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) of 1976 EPA controls hazardous waste from the “cradle- to-grave.” – Includes the generation, transportation, treatment, storage, and disposal of hazardous waste Enabled EPA to address environmental problems that could result from underground storage tanks Focuses on waste minimization and phasing out land disposal of hazardous waste as well as corrective action for releases  Endangered Species Act of 1973 Provides a program for the conservation of threatened and endangered plants and animals and the habitats in which they are found The US Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) maintains a worldwide list of endangered species – Birds, insects, fish, reptiles, mammals, crustaceans, flowers, grasses, and trees