BNL--47595
r
DE92 015660
" LECTURE NOTES FOR
INTRODUCTION TO ENVIRONMENTAL LAW
Prepared by:
Jerry J. Cadwell
December 1991
Engineering Technology Division
Department of Nuclear Energy
Brookhaven National Laboratory/Associated Universities, Inc.
• Upton, New York 11973
t
Prepared for."
U.S. Department of Energy
Washington, D.C. 20585 _, j? i_:,: _ _ _'_'%
DISTRIBUTION OF THIS DOCUMENT IS UNLIMITED
, ABSTRACT
This four-hour overview course is designed to briefly describe the environmental law system. The
course provides an overview that managers and technical people will find useful as a beginning course
or a course that puts formerly taken detailed courses in perspective. The course begins by defining
environmental law and describing the legal system that establishes compliance obi gations. Then, ali the
major Environmental Acts such as The Water Pollution Control Act, The National 2nvironmental Policy
• Act, Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA), and Comprehensive Environmental Response,
Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA) are briefly described and interrelated. Ali the environmental
DOE Orders, selected books, and other source material are referenced. Radioactive pollutants ar,_ not
, discussed; however, reference material is provided.
DISCLAIMER
This report was prepared as an account of work sponsored by an agency of the United States
Government. Neither the United States Government nor any agency thereof, nor any of their
,, employees, makes any warranty, express of implied, or assumesany legal liability or responsi-
bility for the accuracy, completeness, or usefulnessof any information, apparatus, product, or
processdisclosed, or represents that its use would not infringe privately owned rights. Refer-
cncc herein to any specific commercial product, process, o, service by trade name, trademark,
1, manufacturer, or otherwise does not necessarily constitute or imply its endorsement, recom-
mendation, or favoring by the United States Governmcn_ or any agency thereof. The views
and opinions of authors expressed herein do not ncccssa:ily state or reflect those of the
United States Government or any agency thereof.
°.,
111
, CONTENTS
Section Title page No.
TABLES ................................. viii
• ACRONYMS .............................. ix
I. WHAT IS ENVIRONMENTAL LAW ........... 1
' A. Definition .............................. 1
B. The Legal System ........................ 1
C. Compliance Obligations .................... 1
II. LAWS THAT ESTABLISH COMPLIANCE
OBLIGATIONS ....................... ..... 3
A, State Statutes and Regulations Implementing the
Federal Statutes ......................... 3
B. Torts ................................. 4
C. Laws That Enforce Permits, Prohibit and Penalize . 6
D. General Purpose Heavy Duty Criminal Laws .... 6
E. Enforcement Options Available .............. 6
F. References ............................. 7
III. WATER POLLUTION CONTROL ............. 8
A. History ................................ 8
B. Required Level of Treatment-Based Limits for
"Existing" Direct Discharges ................ 9
C. Required Level of Treatment-Technology-Based
Limits for "New Source" ................... 9
D, Permitting Under the National Pollutant Discharge
Elimination System NPOES ................. 10
E. Permitting Procedures ..................... 10
F. Oil and Hazardous Substances Spills ........... 14
G. Enforcement of CWA ..................... 15
H. Disposal of Dredged or Fill Material is Affected
by the CWA ........................... 15
I. Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) ............ 15
IV. EMERGENCY PLANNING AND COMMUNITY
• RIGHT-TO-KNOW ACT (EPCRA) ............ 19
V. NATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY ACT (NEPA) 19
" A. NEPA's hnportance ...................... 19
B. Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) ....... 20
, CONTENTS (Cont'd)
Section Titl.._...e page No.
VI ..... TOXIC SUBSTANCES CONTROL ACT (TSCA) . .. 21
A. TSCA of 1976 ........................... 21
B. TSCA Supplements ....................... 21
C. TSCA Requires Notification ................ 21
D. The Asbestos Hazard Emergency Response Act .. 21
E Premature Notification .................... 22
F. Reporting of Health & Safety Studies .......... 22
G. Biotechnology 23
H. Relationship Between TSCA and Other Laws .... 24
VII. FEDERAL REGULATION OF PESTICIDES ..... 25
A. OSHA ................................ 25
VIII. ASBESTOS - A CLOSELY REGULATED SUBSTANCE 25
A. Clean Air Act ........................... 25
B. Clean Water Act 25
C. TSCA ................................. 25
D. Resource Conservation & Recovery Act (RCRA) . 25
IX. ASBESTOS HAZARD EMERGENCY RESPONSE
ACT OF 1986 (AHERA) ........ . ............ 25
X. RESOURCE CONSERVATION AND RECOVERY ACT 26
A. RCRA ................................ 26
B. Definition of Solid and Hazardous Waste ....... 26
C. Hazardous Waste Lists .................... 27
D. Civi! and Criminal Actions ................. 29
E. Civil & Criminal Actions ................... 29
F. Open Dumps ........................... 30
XI. UNDERGROUND STORAGE TANKS .......... 30
A. An Underground Storage Tank .............. 30
B. Relationship of Storage Tank Regulation to
Other Laws ............................. 30
XII. COMPREHENSIVE ENVIRONMENTAL RESPONSE,
COMPENSATION AND LIABILITY ACT
(CERCLA or SUPERFUND) .................. 30
A. CERCLA's Program ...................... 31
B. Key Concepts and Definitions ............... 31
vi
r
DE92 015660
" LECTURE NOTES FOR
INTRODUCTION TO ENVIRONMENTAL LAW
Prepared by:
Jerry J. Cadwell
December 1991
Engineering Technology Division
Department of Nuclear Energy
Brookhaven National Laboratory/Associated Universities, Inc.
• Upton, New York 11973
t
Prepared for."
U.S. Department of Energy
Washington, D.C. 20585 _, j? i_:,: _ _ _'_'%
DISTRIBUTION OF THIS DOCUMENT IS UNLIMITED
, ABSTRACT
This four-hour overview course is designed to briefly describe the environmental law system. The
course provides an overview that managers and technical people will find useful as a beginning course
or a course that puts formerly taken detailed courses in perspective. The course begins by defining
environmental law and describing the legal system that establishes compliance obi gations. Then, ali the
major Environmental Acts such as The Water Pollution Control Act, The National 2nvironmental Policy
• Act, Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA), and Comprehensive Environmental Response,
Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA) are briefly described and interrelated. Ali the environmental
DOE Orders, selected books, and other source material are referenced. Radioactive pollutants ar,_ not
, discussed; however, reference material is provided.
DISCLAIMER
This report was prepared as an account of work sponsored by an agency of the United States
Government. Neither the United States Government nor any agency thereof, nor any of their
,, employees, makes any warranty, express of implied, or assumesany legal liability or responsi-
bility for the accuracy, completeness, or usefulnessof any information, apparatus, product, or
processdisclosed, or represents that its use would not infringe privately owned rights. Refer-
cncc herein to any specific commercial product, process, o, service by trade name, trademark,
1, manufacturer, or otherwise does not necessarily constitute or imply its endorsement, recom-
mendation, or favoring by the United States Governmcn_ or any agency thereof. The views
and opinions of authors expressed herein do not ncccssa:ily state or reflect those of the
United States Government or any agency thereof.
°.,
111
, CONTENTS
Section Title page No.
TABLES ................................. viii
• ACRONYMS .............................. ix
I. WHAT IS ENVIRONMENTAL LAW ........... 1
' A. Definition .............................. 1
B. The Legal System ........................ 1
C. Compliance Obligations .................... 1
II. LAWS THAT ESTABLISH COMPLIANCE
OBLIGATIONS ....................... ..... 3
A, State Statutes and Regulations Implementing the
Federal Statutes ......................... 3
B. Torts ................................. 4
C. Laws That Enforce Permits, Prohibit and Penalize . 6
D. General Purpose Heavy Duty Criminal Laws .... 6
E. Enforcement Options Available .............. 6
F. References ............................. 7
III. WATER POLLUTION CONTROL ............. 8
A. History ................................ 8
B. Required Level of Treatment-Based Limits for
"Existing" Direct Discharges ................ 9
C. Required Level of Treatment-Technology-Based
Limits for "New Source" ................... 9
D, Permitting Under the National Pollutant Discharge
Elimination System NPOES ................. 10
E. Permitting Procedures ..................... 10
F. Oil and Hazardous Substances Spills ........... 14
G. Enforcement of CWA ..................... 15
H. Disposal of Dredged or Fill Material is Affected
by the CWA ........................... 15
I. Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) ............ 15
IV. EMERGENCY PLANNING AND COMMUNITY
• RIGHT-TO-KNOW ACT (EPCRA) ............ 19
V. NATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY ACT (NEPA) 19
" A. NEPA's hnportance ...................... 19
B. Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) ....... 20
, CONTENTS (Cont'd)
Section Titl.._...e page No.
VI ..... TOXIC SUBSTANCES CONTROL ACT (TSCA) . .. 21
A. TSCA of 1976 ........................... 21
B. TSCA Supplements ....................... 21
C. TSCA Requires Notification ................ 21
D. The Asbestos Hazard Emergency Response Act .. 21
E Premature Notification .................... 22
F. Reporting of Health & Safety Studies .......... 22
G. Biotechnology 23
H. Relationship Between TSCA and Other Laws .... 24
VII. FEDERAL REGULATION OF PESTICIDES ..... 25
A. OSHA ................................ 25
VIII. ASBESTOS - A CLOSELY REGULATED SUBSTANCE 25
A. Clean Air Act ........................... 25
B. Clean Water Act 25
C. TSCA ................................. 25
D. Resource Conservation & Recovery Act (RCRA) . 25
IX. ASBESTOS HAZARD EMERGENCY RESPONSE
ACT OF 1986 (AHERA) ........ . ............ 25
X. RESOURCE CONSERVATION AND RECOVERY ACT 26
A. RCRA ................................ 26
B. Definition of Solid and Hazardous Waste ....... 26
C. Hazardous Waste Lists .................... 27
D. Civi! and Criminal Actions ................. 29
E. Civil & Criminal Actions ................... 29
F. Open Dumps ........................... 30
XI. UNDERGROUND STORAGE TANKS .......... 30
A. An Underground Storage Tank .............. 30
B. Relationship of Storage Tank Regulation to
Other Laws ............................. 30
XII. COMPREHENSIVE ENVIRONMENTAL RESPONSE,
COMPENSATION AND LIABILITY ACT
(CERCLA or SUPERFUND) .................. 30
A. CERCLA's Program ...................... 31
B. Key Concepts and Definitions ............... 31
vi
