Overview

Environmental issues affecting the public health and the environment also received widespread attention. As a result, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) was established in 1970 to protect the nation s public health and environment. The EPA is responsible, to find ways to cleanup and prevent pollution, ensure compliance and enforcement of environmental laws, assisting states in environmental protection efforts, and scientific research and education to advance the nation s understanding of environmental issues . In 1970, the EPA promulgated the Clean Air Act, followed by amendments to the Act in 1977 and 1990.

The Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA), passed in 1976 gave EPA the ability to track and study the 75,000 industrial chemicals produced or imported to the United States. The TSCA is a federally enforced law and is not delegated to the state. Under this Act, the EPA has the authority to ban the manufacture or distribution in commerce, limit the use, require labelling, or place other restrictions on chemicals that pose unreasonable risk. Asbestos, chlorofluorocarbons, and ploychlorinated biphenyls are some of the chemicals regulated by EPA under TSCA.

In 1977, the International Safe Container Act established uniform structural requirements for international cargo containers designed to be transported interchangeably by sea and land carriers. In 1983, the Surface Transportation Assistance Act established protection from reprisal by employers for truckers and certain other employees in the trucking industry involved in activity related to interstate commercial motor vehicle safety and health.

In 1990, EPA analysed chemical incidents in the early to mid-1980s...