Environmental Law

Explore the links to articles, answers and other useful resources on this page for information about state and federal environmental laws involving farming, landlords, endangered species, clean-up costs, hazardous materials, oil spills, environmental lawsuits, and more.

The environment is made up of land, air and water; and environmental laws address all three. Environmental laws are made at both the state and federal level, with many different laws enforced under the purview of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Acts passed to protect the environment include, among others, the National Environmental Policy Act, the Clean Water Act, the Clean Air Act, the Noise Control Act, the marine Protection, Research and Sanctuary Act, the Endangered Species Act, the Federal Water Pollution Control Act, the Federal Pesticides Act and the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and liability Act (CERCLA). These acts, together, make excessive pollution illegal, protect environmental resources and animals, and impose requirements on people and entities found to be polluting the environment with hazardous materials. To learn more about the legislation that protects the environment and about the legal issues involved, visit the links in this section.