Environmental Issues: U.S. Law & Policy

U.S. Law & Policy Main Page

All Documents in U.S. Law & Policy Tagged health

Now is the Time to Reform the Toxic Substances Control Act
Legislative Analysis

For decades, Americans have assumed that laws are in place to require testing of chemicals for safety and to keep unsafe chemicals out of the products we use every day. Unfortunately, the failure of the 1976 Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) to regulate the chemical industry and protect the public from exposure to unsafe chemicals, proves this assumption wrong. Congress must enact strong legislation to reform TSCA and ensure the safety of chemicals in the home, the workplace, and the marketplace. Get document in pdf.

Deepest Cuts
Repairing Health Monitoring Programs Slashed Under the Bush Administration
Issue Paper

For decades, federal agencies charged with safeguarding health and the environment have tracked pollution, required industry reporting, and monitored disease rates, providing the foundation for all health and environmental protection. This December 2008 issue paper shows that the Bush Administration dangerously slashed federal environmental and health monitoring programs.

An Uneven Shield
The Record of Enforcement and Violations Under California's Environmental, Health and Workplace Safety Laws
Issue Paper

California leads the nation in setting standards to protect the health of families, communities and the environment. Yet too little is publicly known about how effectively these standards are enforced. This October 2008 report examines data on known violations and law enforcement responses under six critical pollution, health and safety programs, and finds that enforcement of state environmental and health laws varies widely.

Support a Ban On U.S. Mercury Exports
Legislative Analysis

The United States should take strong measures against global mercury contamination by adopting a ban on the export of surplus mercury to the world market.

Documents Tagged health in All Sections

Consequences of Global Warming
Overview

A hotter planet means dirtier air and water, more severe floods and droughts, more wildfires and other serious consequences.

A Historic Step in the Right Direction for Clean Air
EPA’s Standards for Carbon Pollution Will Help Protect Public Health
Overview

EPA’s Standards for Carbon Pollution Will Protect Public Health

Pesticides: What You Need to Know
Pesticides are designed to kill pests, but they don't stop there.
Overview

Pesticides are designed to kill pests, but they don't stop there. People, pets, farmers, agriculture workers, and wildlife are all harmed by overuse, misuse, and even lawful use of these toxic chemicals.

Oppose the REINS Act: H.R. 10/S.299
Legislative Analysis

The Regulations from the Executive in Need of Scrutiny (“REINS”) Act (H.R. 10/S. 299), introduced by Rep. Davis (R-KY) and Sen. Paul (R-KY), would undo more than 100 years of safeguards by allowing just one chamber of Congress to block enforcement of existing statutory protections -- from worker safety, to public health, to Wall Street reform. This would make Congress the required arbiter of every technical question and business dispute, and would allow a single chamber of Congress to stop any regulation, no matter what the facts showed. The REINS Act would effectively rewrite virtually every environmental and other regulatory statute, making their requirements unenforceable. Get document in pdf.

More >

For additional policy documents, see the NRDC Document Bank.
For older publications available only in print, click here.