ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses the legal framework, history, and scope of the major federal environmental regulations. Prior to 1969, environmental laws were geared primarily to the protection of navigable waterways and the conservation of natural resources. The Rivers and Harbors Act of 1899, the oldest federal environmental law in the United States, prohibited the dumping of refuse into a navigable water body or its tributaries without a permit. Many of the federal regulations require the states to develop plans, known as state implementation plans, for the implementation of the federal regulations. The 1977 Clean Air Act Amendments added to the attainment requirements in non-attainment areas by calling for the prevention of significant deterioration (PSD) for attainment areas. The PSD applies to new sources of pollutants or major modifications at existing sources of pollutants. The Energy Policy Act contained a host of provisions relating to energy exploration, consumption, and conservation in the United States.
