The Clean Air Act (CAA), codified in U.S.C. Title 42, Chapter 85, is a central piece of legislation in the field of environmental law which promulgates uniform national standards for a wide range of air pollutants and sources. The CAA...
hazardous waste
Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA)
Overview
The Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA), codified in 42 U.S.C. Chapter 103, is a large piece of legislation passed in 1980 that gives the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) the ability to...
environmental law
Environmental law refers to a variety of protections which share the goal of protecting the environment.
Federal LawThe National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) was passed in 1970 along with the Environmental Quality...
international environmental law
International environmental law (sometimes international ecological law) is a field of international law regulating the behavior of states and international organizations concerning the environment. See: Phillipe Sands, et al, Principles of...
natural resources
Natural resources, as defined in the Code of Federal Regulations (40 C.F.R.), encompass land, fish, wildlife, biota, air, water, ground water, drinking water supplies, and other such resources belonging to, managed by, held in trust by,...
pollution
Pollution is the contamination of air, water, or earth by harmful substances. Concern for pollution developed alongside concerns for the environment. The advent of automobiles, increase of chemical and nuclear wastes, and accumulation of...
Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA)
The Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) is an act that serves mainly to regulate disposal of land-based waste, with a specific focus on hazardous land waste. The ultimate objective of the RCRA is reducing land waste and promoting...
Superfund
Superfund is the shorthand name often used to refer to the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA). CERCLA is codified in 42 U.S.C. Chapter 103. It is a large piece of legislation that gives the...
toxic tort
A toxic tort is a subcategory of torts involving injuries to plaintiffs caused by toxic substances. Such cases are often brought under the doctrine of product liability. While toxic tort cases traditionally dealt with injuries arising from...
ultrahazardous activity
Ultrahazardous Activity (also known as abnormally dangerous or extrahazardous activity) refers to actions of individuals and entities that involve a high level of danger which typically carries strict liability. Ultrahazardous activity, by...