Key Terms
Public nuisance
Unreasonable interference with a right common to the general public Private nuisance: condition interfering with one spe
Private nuisance
A condition that interferes with a specific person's enjoyment of their property WITHOUT involving a trespass. Example:
Who has this power
ALL levels of government — federal, state, and local.
Constitutional requirement
The Fifth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution requires that owners of taken property receive "just compensation."
Common uses
Building or expanding highways, public transportation systems, or public housing.
Passed
1972 Purpose: Regulate water quality of navigable waters; protect water for recreational use and wildlife. Enforcing age
Original directive
Standards must be set "without regard to cost."
Credit trading system
A manufacturer that removes MORE pollution than required earns EPA credits. Those credits can be SOLD to manufacturers t
Discharge permit
Required to release waste into navigable water.
Water quality standards by use (highest to lowest)
1. Drinking water (highest standard) 2.
Penalties
Same structure as Clean Air Act.
Toxic waste definition
Hazardous or poisonous substances that cause an increase in the death rate or serious irreversible illnesses.
Examples of toxic waste
Arsenic, asbestos, clinical waste (syringes), cyanide, lead, mercury. Found in batteries, electronics, and household cle
Full name
Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA). Common name: Superfund.
Core philosophy
The polluter pays.