The law better known as The Environmental Policy Act
at
42 USC Ch. 55
https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=granuleid%3AUSC-prelim-title42-
chapter55&saved=%7CKHRpdGxlOjQyIHNlY3Rpb246NDMzMiBlZGl0aW9uOnByZWxpbSkgT1IgKGdyYW51bGVpZDpVU0MtcHJlbGltLXRpdGxlNDItc2VjdGlvbjQ
Chapter 55 of Title 42 of the U.S. Code is the law better known as The Environmental Policy Act. It was introduced in 1969 and passed in 1970. It was signed
by President Richard Nixon, whose statement about the law is labeled as “White House” or “the President” rather than by his name.
You can find the entire law here, as it has been amended over the years. The link includes links to original wording in case this is of interest.
Reading the entire law in detail would be arduous; please scan all of the headings and read what you can, especially of the early sections that describe the
broad purposes and actions of the law.
Please write briefly about some of the things you learn by reading the law, addressing (at least) its purposes, some things it eliminated, and some things it
created. Also mention at least one aspect of environmental quality that it covers and briefly explain how.
Finally, identify one change to the law enacted by an executive order. You can find these by clicking on CTRL-F while looking at the document and then
searching on the phrase “executive order” and then looking for the use of that phrase within headings. The date of the order can be used to identify which
president made the change. See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_presidents_of_the_United_States
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_presidents_of_the_United_States
if you need a reminder of dates in office.
NOTE: This need not exceed 2-3 pages. It would be possible to write much more, but the purpose here is simply to get used to looking at the USC
Sample Solution
The Environmental Policy Act (EPA) of 1970 is a law that was “designed to foster and promote the general welfare, to create and maintain conditions under which man and nature can exist in productive harmony” (42 U.S.C Ch. 55). It establishes the core principles of environmental policy in the United States such as “sustainable development, stewardship, intergenerational equity, restoration of damaged ecosystems, and public participation” (42 U.S.C Ch. 55). In addition to laying out these overarching goals it also outlines specific actions that must be taken in order to achieve them including the creation of a National Environmental Policy Council (NEPC), an Office Of Environmental Quality within the Executive Office Of The President, and various other government bodies with oversight over environmental issues such as air quality standards or water resources management ( 42 U.S.C Ch. 55).
Furthermore, this law also eliminated certain practices by prohibiting activities deemed harmful to public health or safety including open burning/dumping/storage of hazardous materials as well as any forms of radiation exposure without proper training or authorization (42 U.S.C Ch 54). Additionally it created several programs for protecting natural resources such as those for controlling air pollution from motor vehicles or preserving endangered species habitats through grants provided by federal agencies like the EPA or Department Of Agriculture which are still in place today ( 42 U.
