Exam 18: Environmental Policy

Without government regulation or incentives, most firms that produce pollutants as a byproduct of their manufacturing process will usually

The acronym NIMBY stands for "not in my backyard."

Although environmental policy choices are made especially difficult by their economic implications, the control of pollution is not a significant economic cost for many firms today.

NIMTOO is an acronym that refers to

Environmental policy in the United States is characterized by three features: its intergovernmental nature, its regulatory focus, and (lately)its innovative design. The federal government is extensively involved in environmental policy, as are states and localities.

A major problem for the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)is the tendency of Congress to pass environmental legislation that set unattainable program goals and unrealistic implementation dates.

According to one study mentioned in the text that provided so-called green rankings, among the least environmentally friendly states are Maine, Wyoming, and New Mexico.

The Low-Level Radioactive Waste Policy Act of 1980 made states responsible for managing low-level waste and led to the formation of a number of interstate compacts among the states to manage the waste.

Ninety percent of the hazardous waste in the United States is generated by these industries: chemical and allied products, primary metals, petroleum and coal products, fabricated metal products, and rubber and plastic products.

Support among the public for protecting the environment remains fairly strong, with 50 percent of the public ranking environmental protection over economic growth.

Explain the dilemma posed by efforts to solve environmental problems, ensure sufficient energy to meet the public's needs, and ensure jobs and economic growth, which now must include international economic and environmental factors in the equation.

If Nebraska was to engage in relaxing regulations, lowering taxes, or reducing benefits to gain an advantage over competing states such as Kansas or Colorado who are engaging in the same activity, it is said to be participating in

The concept of environmental justice refers to allegations that poor and minority communities suffer disproportionate exposure to environmental health risks.

Too much regulation of business and industry to protect the environment can

In 2015, the EPA released a report that did not connect hydraulic fracturing to widespread, systemic pollution of drinking water.

The states with the greenest environmental policies tend to be found in the coastal west or the northeastern parts of the United States.

Some states have earned reputations as being more committed to environmental protection. Among the most highly rated are

Until 2009, the federal government planned to bury high-level nuclear waste, which retains its toxicity for hundreds of thousands of years, at an isolated spot 100 miles northwest of Las Vegas known as Yucca Mountain. Despite a campaign promise to halt Yucca Mountain, President Obama has gone forward with that project with the approval of Congress.

A policy to deal with carbon emissions that sets an allowable level and then permits power plants to buy and sell the right to pollute is commonly called

In 1980, Congress passed the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act-better known as Superfund-to manage and obtain funding for the clean up of sites contaminated by oil and hazardous wastes.