1. (4)UNIT 4 ENERGY AND EARTH’S RESOURCES Before environmental laws, environment was severely degraded. 1.Tragedy of the commons: freedom in commons brings ruin to all. 2.Free rider: polluter leaves environmental clean up to others. 3.Environmental Ethics: long term impact on behavior.

2. A. Direct Regulation: 1970 Development of sophisticated detection instruments. ppb (parts per billion) Influential books: Silent Spring; by Rachel Carson and The Population Bomb; by Paul Ehrlich. 1. Environmental Protection Agency, EPA 2. Passage of National Environmental Policy Act NEPA; 27 laws to protect the environment.

3. 3. Environmental Impact Statement: every legislative proposal that has significant impact on environment. B. Clean Air Act: targeted auto and smokestack emissions. Regulation of major air pollutants: 1. sulfur dioxide highly corrosive damages respiratory tract. 2. Nitrogen oxides damage respiratory tract deplete ozone layer.

4. 3. Carbon monoxide: auto emissions contributes to climate change and low altitudes ozone layer. 4. Ozone: smog eye irritation, nasal congestion, asthma, and damage to lungs and immune system. 5. Particulates; diesel engines, construction, and wood-burning. Particles finer then 10 micrometers 6. Lead: leaded gasoline which has been removed. Metal processing major source. Harms neurological system, kidneys, and may cause seizures and mental retardation.

5. AFTER 1990 CLEAN AIR ACT AMENDMENTS. 7. Airborne toxins: from plastic manufacturing/burning, oil refineries: some are toxic and carcinogenic. 188 substances regulated.

6. C. Global Air –Quality Problems 1. Acid rain: primary causes sulfur dioxide, nitric oxide emissions, pH in lakes increases. 2. Depletion of Ozone Layer: caused by chlorofluorocarbons used in refrigeration and air conditioning. 3. Climate Change. Majority scientists this could lead to rise in sea levels, increasing frequency of severe hurricanes, floods, and droughts, and extinction of plant & animal species.

7. Air Pollution  Primary pollutants  Secondary pollutants

8. Temperature Inversions Especially in valleys Las Angeles, Denver, Salt Lake, and Las Vegas

9. Photochemical Smog NO from cars

10. Sanitary Landfill

11. D. Indoor Pollution: poorly ventilated building can trap outside air pollution, insecticides, solvents radon.

12. E. Clean Water Act: 1977-restore & maintain chemical, physical, biological integrity of nations waters Fishable/swimmable Elimination of discharges Permit to discharge. 1. regulation: rules & permits, enforcement, cooperation of state federal agencies. 2. set effluent standards

13. 2. Regulation No person can discharge any pollutant into waters of the U.S. Without a permit. Discharge-point source Based on water quality or health effects, control technology.

16. Mississippi River Basin Missouri River Ohio River Mississippi River LOUISIANA Mississippi River Depleted Oxygen Gulf of Mexico Dead Zone

17. Ground Water Pollution

18. Ocean Pollution

19. a. Permits based on water quality or health effects, control technology.

20. 3. Toxic Pollutants Cause death, disease, or birth defects. Harm human or aquatic life May be transformed in environment to be more potent.

21. F. Hazardous Waste Regulation in the United States. 1. Resource Conservation and Recovery Act 1976 (RCRA) Regulates hazardous waste, underground tanks, solid waste and facilities which burn waste. Hold generators responsible for waste they produce from “cradle to grave”. Citizens can sue the government for failure to comply with the act.

22. Hazardous Waste Hazardous Waste means wastes {solid, liquid or containerized gas}which because of its quantity, concentration, or physical, chemical or infectious characteristics may – cause or significantly contribute to an increase in mortality or an increase in serious irreversible or incapacitating reversible illness

23. Or – pose a substantial present or potential hazard to human health or the environment when improperly treated, stored, transported, disposed of or otherwise managed.

24. Considered “hazardous” if 1.waste is specifically listed by the EPA (includes those “known to be fatal”) 2.waste is toxic, carcinogenic, mutagenic, teratogenic to any life forms 3.waste is tested and meets one of four characteristics established by the EPA: ignitable, corrosive, reactive, toxic 4.waste is declared hazardous by its generator based on their knowledge of it

25. G. Comprehensive Environment Response, Compensation and Liability Act 1980 (CERCLA) Super fund. Establish regulations controlling hazardous waste sites, and provides liability for hazardous waste release from inactive sites. These sites are already contaminated. Government establishes fund to clean up these sites. All parties are responsible. Over 36,000 superfund sites, not all have been identified.

26. H. Radioactive Waste

27. A Brief History About WIPP The Waste Isolation Pilot Plant, or WIPP, is the world's first underground repository licensed to safely and permanently dispose of transuranic radioactive waste left from the research and production of nuclear weapons. After more than 20 years of scientific study, public input, and regulatory struggles, WIPP began operations on March 26, 1999.

28. Located in the remote Chihuahuan Desert of Southeastern New Mexico, project facilities include disposal rooms mined 2,150 feet underground in a 2,000-foot thick salt formation that has been stable for more than 200 million years. Transuranic waste is currently stored at 23 locations nationwide. Over a 35 year period, WIPP is expected to receive about 37,000 shipments.

31. Yucca Mountain repository for high-level radioactive waste (spent fuel rods, and waste from the various bomb programs)

32. nuclear fuel consists of small, ceramic-like pellets of enriched uranium, slightly larger than pencil erasers. One pellet contains the energy equivalent to almost one ton of coal. The pellets are stacked end-to-end and sealed in strong metal tubes 3.5- 4.5 meters (12-15 feet) long. The tubes containing the uranium pellets are bundled together in groups of about 200 to form nuclear fuel assemblies. These fuel assemblies are placed inside a nuclear reactor where the nuclear fission process takes place.