Environmental Law
| Disposal of High-Level Radioactive Waste |
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| High-level radioactive waste is made up almost exclusively of the spent fuel from nuclear power plants and makes up by volume a very small percentage of all of the radioactive waste produced in the United States. However, because it contains potentially lethal amounts of radiation that cannot be decreased by any process except the passage of thousands of years, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission requires that special precautions be taken in the handling and disposal of high-level radioactive waste. More... |
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| Radon gas and the Radon Reduction Act |
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| Radon is a colorless, odorless gas that is a byproduct of the radioactive element radium. In 1988, Congress passed the Radon Reduction Act (RRA) as an additional subchapter of the Toxic Substances Control Act, which was enacted in 1976. The stated objective of the RRA was to reduce radon levels inside buildings to the same level as found in outside air. More... |
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| The Takings Clause and Environmental Regulatory Takings |
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| Under the United States Constitution, a government may not take private property for public use without compensation, whether federal, state, or local. More... |
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| 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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| Carbon monoxide |
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| Carbon monoxide 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. Although carbon monoxide poisoning is often associated with faulty heating equipment in houses and apartments, unhealthful carbon monoxide concentrations can accumulate outside as well. More... |
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