National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 - Essay Example

Science and technology emerged into rapid changes. Many innovations and inventions came out to show how far human knowledge has been. The invention of machineries, the use of electricity, petroleum products and chemicals showed how science and technology stepped forward. This gave a lot of advantages to human population and also to the immediate environment. Modern researches can be found helpful to human habitat out of the newest discoveries in science. By understanding a lot about things that exists in this world, scientist most especially environmentalists can tell which causes environmental degradation and which could be helpful to environmental protection. The advancement in science and technology seemed to emerge into two contrasting findings which are; 1) the fact that the advancement in science contributed to the deeper understanding with regards to environmental preservation and protection, 2) but, in the same way that the industrialization brought by science and technology becomes the same tool to destroy the environment because of pollutions and chemical wastes that contaminates water and pollutes the air. These facts create an echoing and awakening reality that those technological advancements bear the consequence that destroys the world humans live because of its by-products. Because of those awakening facts, many people of the world, most especially the government has been motivated to make steps in order to prevent the alarming situation that the world faces because of the negative outcomes of industrialization. The main concern is to protect both the environment and humans to the potential risks that negative effects of technology introduce. It is by the mid 1950’s and early 1970’s, when concerns about pollution draw public attention in the United States of America, when Congress passed the National Environmental Policy Act. This only means that the government was able to recognize as early as 1950 and 1970 the alarming problem that industrial technology posed to man and his environment such things that lead to the urgency of such governmental policies. The National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, signed by President Richard Nixon on January 1, 1970 signified how important it is for the environment to be protected, and in response to prevent environmental damages. In its preamble, it reads; “"... to promote efforts which will prevent or eliminate damage to the environment and biosphere and stimulate the health and welfare of man; to enrich the understanding of the ecological systems and natural resources important to the Nation..." This act promotes a spirit of environmentalism to every people making a signal call on how should everyone be concerned of protecting the environment and be aware of the dangers that it poses once the situation gets further or worsen. These policy being passed by the year 1969 supports many environmental movements that seeks to help and educate people on how understanding about ecological system and natural resources can be broadened or enrich such that institutions goal can be much contributory to the aims and objectives of the government in thinking of human welfare through clean environment. This becomes a collaborative effort both to the government and to the mere people who lived in particular areas to outrage against any violations to the NEPA policies, and any violation can be legally sanctioned or be subjected to prosecutions. Any cases that can be found to be violating the objectives and rules of NEPA, causing environmental degradation has their corresponding punishment and legal sanctions as promulgated and stipulated by the U.S. Federal Law. The Environmental Protection Agency or the U.S. Environmental Protection complies with the policies of NEPA in pursuing its goal of protecting human health and in preventing the natural environment’s degradation. By the late 1970’s, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) banned the consumption of fish in the Hudson River because of the reported case of PCB dumping by the General Electric Company (GE). The company discharged an approximately 94, 800 and 590, 000 kg of PCB in the Hudson River from their two capacitor manufacturing plants locations, one in the Hudson falls and the other is in the Fort Edward. This created an extensive toxic waste that forced EPA to ban fishing in Hudson River by the late 1970’s. The environmental degradation that GE has done made the Hudson River not to be productive for people for about thirty years (until when the upper part of the river has been opened for fishing). This thing should really catch the attention of the government since the condition that the river will not be productive will affect the manner by which people would be depending on the natural resources of the river. Most definitely s the level of toxicity gets high or contaminates water, the tendency is for those living creatures, like fishes, shrimps and plants that lives on the water to be affected too, which will eventually, not only a form of environmental degradation, but on the same time poses danger to man. This environmental pollution should really catch the attention of the government to form and pass laws that will deal with the concerns of preventing the environment to be just degraded by any human activities. Industrialization should be carried out safe. This is the mere reason why NEPA and EPA, together with anti-pollution movements were formed to deal with serious concerns of ecological degradation. Apart from liquid chemicals that chemical plants dumps into the rivers and water bodies, destructive wastes such as aquaeaous wastes has also been reported to be one of major cause of the destruction of the bodies of water. Acquaeous wastes are those that came from petroleum and petro-chemical plants, oil refineries and natural gas processing plants. Petroleum and natural gas has been in a large scale consumption for a lot of motor vehicles and machineries. Although the production of petroleum products has been a lot of help to the rapid industrialization, the disposal of wastes in its production seemed to compensate the good thing that it provides. In 1978, an oil tanker Amoco Cadiz off the coast of Brittany and has caused a large scale contamination in the ocean. Another example is the Bhopal industrial disaster in 1984 which demonstrated an alarming effect to the pollution of the marine life. Once oil spill happens, the implication is a long term effect to a particular marine habitat. Oil would contaminate the water which will definitely pollute the ecological habitats of several species of marine life forms. The result, fishes and edible marine plants will no longer be safe for human to eat or consume. It is a chain of effect that links with human beings too, since man is particularly dependent to what nature can provide. Water pollution is not only the main concern that government should deal with. It also includes the air that every human beings and living things breathe. There is as much air pollution as water pollution causing not only the pollution in the air but on a planetary scale has its negative effects to the athmospere resulting to the Ozone layer destruction. Gas emmissions from vehicles and factories increased this consecutive decades. CFC’s and many greenhouse chemicals that are in the production now are blamed for the destruction of the Ozone layers that filters the Ultra Violet Rays that is coming from the sun. The government has its certain reaction to in order to cope with the tension of industrialization and the increasing environmental pollution. President Bush, in his speech admitted that United States, according to him, could be accounted for about “20 percent of the worlds man-made greenhouse emissions.” In his statement, he said that the nation should recognize its responsibility to reduce their greenhouse emmisions and at the same get the help from the developing countries to cooperate deal with this environmental concern. He said, “ This is a challenge that requires a 100 percent effort; ours, and the rest of the worlds...,The United States has spent $18 billion on climate research since 1990 -- three times as much as any other country, and more than Japan and all 15 nations of the EU combined.” In developing countries, the emmision of air and water pollutants has become a very serious matter that requires attention. Every industrial sectors and every companies promises the advancement of technology and the industry. But a thing that should always be noted that preservation and protection of the ecosystem should always be valued. Therefore it is needed that people or the public need to acquire understanding on how wastes from every industry could be classified. This will give them a defense against any possibilities that the environment will be degraded because of improper disposals of hazardous wastes. This will also help them involve themselves in having war against the degradation of the environment. It is both governmental and public effort that is needed for the protection of human habitat. This is a protection not only for humans of this present generation but to the generation that is to come. The EPA made a list or classifications of hazardous wastes. 1.)The F-list (non-specific source wastes).These are wastes that are being used for cleaning operations or grease removals. This includes solvents that are used in different sectors of the industry. 2.)The K-list (source-specific wastes). These are wastes from petroleum refining and those industries that manufactures pesticides. These are source-specific wastes that are obtained from the production of particular petroleum or pesticide products. 3.)The P-list and the U-list (discarded commercial chemical products). On the other hand, the P and U-list of chemicals are those chemicals that are not yet subjected to production or in unused form, but are hazardous once discarded. Apart from these lists, there are also wastes that are classified according to their characteristics: 1) Ignitability (flamable), 2) Corrosivity (acids and bases), 3) Reactivity (can cause explosions, toxic fumes, gases, vapors etc.), 3) Toxicity (such that contains mercury or lead, harmful when ingested). All of these wastes should be handled properly because of its potential risk both to the environment and to humans. With respect to these hazardous wastes EPA developed set of requirements that will deal with the management of these wastes, including their treatment, storage and proper disposals. It is imperative that companies and industries should strictly follow with the regulations set with EPA, or else there are corresponding federal punishments that will be imposed to cases of irresponsible waste management and disposals. The steps made by EPA is strongly needed in governments goal of protecting both the environment and the people during this height of industrialization. This brings the notion that the government has the power to help prevent the degradation of the environment and ensure that the environment is not sacrificed as industrialization speeds up. Environmental degradation is always linked with the issues of public health and any problems that happens with the environment has a domino effect with the health condition of the public. Therefore it is in need that issues about environmental degradation should not be disregarded but on the other hand be solved with the help of researches conducted. EPA has its principal function that should be played with respect on how the safety of the public will be ensured. At the same time it ensures that industrial activity will not cause any risk to the protection of the environment. The plan is to make an effective approach to battle pollution and introduce pollution control. Industrialization is an important issue, but at the same time environmental protection is a more serious issue that the government should always consider. The mere function of the EPA is to identify the causes of pollution, which are the pollutants. It is also the responsibility of the EPA to trace the effect of pollutants to the ecosystem, by means of gathering the data through scientific observation recording the changes. The other thing that is regarded is that to find out the total exposure of man or people in a particular location affected by pollutants. It is also important that relationships and reaction among forms of pollution is recorded as how intensive it may affect the environment and pose risk to man. This will be more helpful for the EPA to determine or identify which location or place where ecological chain interdiction could be more properly applied (as in the case of Hudson River). Though ecological chain interdiction is important, this will however limit the access of the public to the mere ecological body. Those past problems that occured served to be as a reference to avoid future environmental troubles. The government has learned how they are going to deal with these serious problems of environmental degradation caused by the rapid industrialization. There are now policies and rules that are being imposed as an approach to pollution control. The awarenes of the government to this serious issue will help them to device strategies and ways by which they can make control and prevent environmental problems. The goal of EPA in classifying hazardous waste to introduce pollution control is a very important factor that will help not only the nation, but in a planetary scale, the whole world that is greatly affect by many environmental degradation phenomenta. It is not only America who should deal with the tension between environmental care and the negative effect of industrialization. As President George Bush said, “...our approach must be based on global participation, including that of developing countries whose net greenhouse gas emissions now exceed those in the developed countries..” This coming years, more and more problems will arise with regards to pollutant effects. And as these things comes, the move of the government and the people is needed to ensure the safety of humans from air and water pollution. The effects of pollution, in most instances is long term, therefore, it is apparent that it is serious matter that really needs global participation. The government has taken their action in solving the long discussed problem of industrialization and pollution. The harmful effects of pollution should not be disregarded, and the only way that it could be controlled is to be serious about every laws and policies that the government passes. Continuous researches are also being done to have a continuous evaluation of what is going on to the environment. WORKS CITED: National Environmental Policy Act of 1969. Sec. 4321. Congressional declaration of purpose. December 13, 2006. Pollution. December 13, 2006. Beychok, M.R., The Design of Sour Water Strippers, Individual Paper 61, Proceedings of Seventh World Petroleum Congress, Mexico City, April 1967 Hazardous Waste . Last updated on Wednesday, March 15th, 2006. December 13, 2006. < http://www.epa.gov/epaoswer/osw/hazwaste.htm> President Bush Discusses Global Climate Change. December 13, 2006. Read More