TABLE OF CONTENTS Much of the environmental legislation in the United States was initiated at the federal government level. Some states have enacted environmental legislation to protect unique environments within their jurisdiction (e.g., coastal areas, wetlands, and cultural and historic sites). Environmental regulations, which form an action-forcing mechanism for implementing the intent of the enabling legislation, are then issued by the regulatory agencies of the government. With the emphasis on giving states the responsibilities for enforcing such regulations, increasingly states are issuing and are responsible for enforcing many of the environmental regulations.
Environmental legislation, and resulting regulations, is continually evolving. Consequently, information presented here is designed to provide a broad perspective on environmental legislation. Clearly, environmental regulations can have a profound effect on economic activity, and these effects should be included in assessment of the implementation of these regulations. To provide an understanding of the purpose and function of these requirements, topics covered in this chapter will be
Rationale for environmental legislation and regulations
Shortcomings of environmental legislation and regulations
Legislative data systems
An overview of federal environmental legislation
The following discussion of the basis for promulgating environmental legislation and regulations focuses on the role of the market economy, the problem of the commons, and long-term viability of the environment. Since labor and capital are scarce resources, their consumption is minimized by industry. Since the environment is, or rather has been in the past, an essentially free resource, its consumption has...
