Page 190 - Environment: The Science Behind the Stories

TABLE 7.1 Federal Administrative Agencies that Influence Environmental Policy
EXECUTIVE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Council on Environmental Quality Bureau of Indian Affairs
Bureau of Land Management (BLM)
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE (USDA) Bureau of Reclamation
Minerals Management Service
Natural Resources Conservation Service National Park Service (NPS)
U.S. Forest Service (USFS) Office of Surface Mining
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS)
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE U.S. Geological Survey (USGS)
Bureau of the Census DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE
National Marine Fisheries Service
National Oceanic and Environmental and Natural Resources Division
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)
DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)
Army Corps of Engineers
DEPARTMENT OF STATE
DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY (DOE)
Bureau of Oceans and International Environmental and
Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Scientific Affairs
Energy Information Administration (EIA) Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC)
National Laboratories and Technology Centers DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Office of Environmental Management
Office of Fossil Energy Federal Transit Administration

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN INDEPENDENT AGENCIES
SERVICES Consumer Product Safety Commission
Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)
Food and Drug Administration (FDA) National Transportation Research Center
Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC)
Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA)
U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID)

Source: U.S. General Services Administration, Washington, D.C.

Figure 7.5 Should government be able to restrict develop- all economically beneficial uses of his land. As a result, Lucas
ment in areas where erosion, storms, and flooding pose risks was allowed to build homes on the land. Regulatory taking
to life and property, such as on this South Carolina beach? If so, remains a contentious area of law—a key issue in the sensitive CHAPTER 7 • Envi R onm E n TA l Poli C y : mA king D EC i si ons A n D s olving P R obl E m s
does this constitute a taking of private property rights, and should balance between private rights and the public good.
the property owner be compensated? These questions were
addressed in Lucas v. South Carolina Coastal Council.
State and local governments also make
environmental policy

The structure of the federal government is mirrored at the state
level with governors, legislatures, judiciaries, and agencies.
States, counties, and municipalities all generate environmen-
tal policy of their own, and they frequently interact to address
issues (Figure 7.6). For instance, in 2012 Pennsylvania’s
legislature passed a bill updating regulations on the natural
gas industry, tightening safety standards, and imposing an
“impact fee” on drillers. Pennsylvania had been the largest
gas-producing state not to tax the industry, but as criticism of
hydraulic fracturing grew and as state financial needs inten-
sified, the fee became more desirable. Pennsylvania’s law
allows county and municipal governments to decide whether
to impose the fee. Proceeds help to fund various state and 189

M07_WITH7428_05_SE_C07.indd 189 12/12/14 2:57 PM