APES Legislation Project By Patrick Boyd Period 3

The Oil Pollution Act (OPA) of 1990 (Environmental Protection Agency) Introduced by Walter B. Jones Sr., democratic house member of 101st U.S. Congress and signed by President George H.W. Bush in August of 1990 The law states that companies must have a "plan to prevent spills that may occur" and have a "detailed containment and cleanup plan" for oil spills. “AN ACT To establish limitations on liability for damages resulting from oil pollution, to establish a fund for the payment of compensation for such damages, and for other purposes.” - The OPA improved the nation's capability to prevent and respond to oil spills by creating provisions that increase the federal government's ability and provide the money and resources necessary to respond to oil spills. The OPA also created the national Oil Spill Liability Trust Fund, which is available to provide up to $1 billion per spill/incident. The OPA made penalties for noncompliance, extended the response and enforcement authorities of the federal government, and kept state authority to establish laws for preventing and responding to oil spills.

The Food Quality Protection Act (FQPA) of 1996 (Environmental Protection Agency) Unanimously passed by the U.S. Congress in 1996, and signed into law by President Bill Clinton on August 3rd, 1996. This act mandated a health-based standard for pesticides used in foods, provided special protection for babies and infants, created incentives for safer pesticides, and required that pesticide registrations remain current. The FQPA mandates that the EPA advance the approval of reduced risk pesticides. Pesticides must prove to have little impact on human health, low toxicity to non-target organisms and have a low potential to contaminate groundwater to be considered reduced risk pesticides. The FQPA requires the EPA to establish a list of pests that are considered important to public health and to give special consideration to pesticides with public health uses. The FQPA requires the EPA to precisely screen pesticides for harm to the endocrine system.