User:Tatijohnson1/Environmental toxicology

U.S. Policies
A large number of Americans believe that the federal government must further emphasize the importance of protecting the environment. Approximately 69% of Americans focal on the lack of safety precautions taken to preserve water and air quality, and 67% holding great concern regarding climate change and the related effects. In order to aid in protecting the environment and preserve the natural resources to which it supplies the human species with, several agencies have worked with the government to implement environmental policies throughout the U.S.

The National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) was one of the first major governing policies established in 1970. NEPA is focal on providing the substructures necessary in order to ensure all levels of government authority assess the potential impacts their federal activities may have on the environment prior to taking action. Whether it is direct or indirect adjustments and action, NEPA serves the main purpose of providing guidance to EPA reviewers evaluating NEPA documents. The initial impacts of NEPA were widely acknowledged in its ability to enhance interpretation within Courts. These Courts interpreted that NEPA ought to expand beyond direct environmental impacts from any projects, but also interpreted indirect actions from federal projects.

The formation of NEPA encouraged the establishment of the Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) which has been crucial in further pushing policy areas. CEQ is responsible for the assessment of cumulative impacts that may be identified in NEPA. Cumulative impacts refer to the joint incremental effects that arise as a result of human environmental interference. Although cumulative impacts are important to address, they are not often prioritize or evaluated to the fullest extent within NEPA documents. This is said because cumulative impacts are often difficult to analyze due to the accumulation of factors that are necessary to consider. In addition, these cumulative effects posing threats to the environment commonly gives rise to numerous consequential events and complexities that occur simultaneously. The difficulties of environmental analysis, consequential considerations and lack of accurate information are all factors that are required to be actively assessed. Successfully, the CEQ has worked to created various useful programs such as the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (RCRA), The Toxic Substance Control Act, and the Resources Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA and The Safe). CEQ was essential in creating the foundation for the “current environmental legislation except for Superfund and asbestos control legislation.”

Toxic Substance Control Act
The Toxic Substance Control Act, also known as TSCA, is a federal law that is characterized by enabling the EPA to engage in chemical regulation. This involved the screening, production and importation of chemicals into and throughout the U.S. The TSCA was created in order to monitor and prevent unreasonable and harmful risks imposed on the environment as well as public health. TSCA specifically targets “The manufacture, importation, storage, use, disposal, and degradation of chemicals in commercial use”. Although the TSCA regulates majority of the chemical substances that infiltrate the U.S, there are Research and Development (R&D) exemptions which allow some chemical substances to surpass the TSCA requirements. this exemption status is granted if:

-       The substance is imported and/or manufactured in small quantities

-       The substance is primarily for non-commercial use, such as scientific analysis or research purposes

-       Under qualified supervision

In terms of EPA authorization, this council enables the following: “1. Pre-manufacture testing of chemicals to determine health or environmental risk 2. Review of chemicals for significant risk prior to the start of commercial production 3. Restriction or prohibition on the production or disposal of certain chemicals 4. Import and export control of chemicals prior to their entering or leaving the USA.