Environmental Law
| New Source Performance Standards |
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| The Clean Air Act defines a "new" source as one that is constructed or substantially modified after the publication of an air pollution emissions regulation that pertains to it. A standard of performance is required to reflect the best system of reducing air pollution emissions, taking into account the cost of achieving the emissions reductions, the impact of the system on health and environment that is not air-quality related, and the energy requirements of the system. These standards are called "new source performance standards." Once the standards are established by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and become effective, it is unlawful for any new source to operate in such a way that violates the standards. More... |
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| Transportation of Low-Level Radioactive Waste |
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| Low-level radioactive waste requires special disposal in sites licensed by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) in order to shield the public and the environment from long-term exposure to it; therefore, thousands of shipments of low-level waste occur every year. More... |
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| The Environmental Protection Agency's Draft Report on the Environment 2003 |
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| In June of 2003, the Environmental Protection Agency published its first-ever comprehensive report on the U.S. environment entitled EPA's Draft Report on the Environment 2003 (ROE). The ROE, 167 pages in length, reviews in detail the status of the nation's progress in the areas of air quality, water quality, land management, human health, and ecological conditions. More... |
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| Sulfur dioxide |
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| Sulfur dioxide is one of the six common pollutants--referred to by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as "criteria pollutants"--for which the EPA sets air quality standards under the mandates of the Clean Air Act. Sulfur dioxide in the atmosphere comes mostly from electric power generation plants that burn fossil fuels such as coal and oil. It is also produced by industrial operations, from vehicles that burn gasoline and diesel fuel, and the burning of other fossil fuels such as home heating oil. More... |
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| The EPA's NOx SIP Call |
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| The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) instituted a ruling requiring 22 states to submit revised state implementation plans (SIPs) that incorporated new, lower nitrogen oxides (NOx) emissions. This ruling is commonly called the NOx SIP call, which refers to the EPA's authority to "call in" new SIPs. The purpose of the rule is not to require NOx reductions in any particular state but to reduce the overall transport of ozone that contributes to nonattainment of air quality standards for ozone in some downwind states. More... |
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