Environmental Law: Federal Environmental Law

• Resource Conservation & Recovery Act of 1976, P.L. 94-580, 90 Stat. 2795, 42 U.S.C. 6901 et seq. ("RCRA").  RCRA provides for the management of hazardous waste from "cradle to grave," meaning from the initial creation through threatment, transportation, storage and final disposal of such waste.  It also strengthened protection of ground water.
• Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980, P.L. 96-510, 94 Stat. 2767, 26 U.S.S. 4611 et seq, 42 U.S.C. 9601 et seq. ("CERCLA").  CERCLA is the "Superfund" law.  It filled a gap in RCRA by addressing the cleanup of inactive and abandoned sites.  CERCLA imposed reporting and cleanup requirements on responsibile parties.  It allowed the Federal governmnet to clean up sites and recover costs.  The "Superfund" is financed by specific taxes and is replenished by recovered costs.
• Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization Act of 1986, P.L 99-499, 100 Stat. 1613, 26 U.S.C. 4611 et seq, 42 U.S.C. 9601 et seq ("SARA").  SARA added more detail to CERCLA by defining cleanup standards and adding settlement provisions to ease the burden of litigation.  Title III became the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act of 1986.  Title III requires companies to make public information concerning hazardous substances and requires establishment of community and governmental plans and responses to emergencies. 

Environmental research usually begins with secondary sources, then statutes, and then moves to the regulations.  You can find the rules under which the Environmental Protection Agency operates in Title 40 of the Code of Federal Regulations.  KF 70.A3 C63  In addition to the EPA, the Department of the Interior, the Department of Agriculture, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration and other agencies have their own sets of regulations.

In addition to print books, a breadth of information can be found through our online resources.  See a librarian for more specific help.