Cross-Cutting Issues
Topics that cut across various environmental laws, regulations, or programs.
- Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR)
- Animal Feeding Operations (AFOs) / Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs)
- Animal Waste
- Asbestos
- Children’s Health
- Climate Change
- Conservation
- Energy
- Endangered Species, Wildlife, and Marine Life
- Environmental Justice
- Federal Advisory Committees
- Import/Export
- International Cooperation
- Lead
- Mercury
- Nanotechnology
- Permits/ID Numbers
- Pollution Prevention (P2)
- Small Businesses
- Supplemental Environmental Projects (SEPs)
- Tribal Governments
Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR)
Animal Feeding Operations (AFOs) / Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs)
EPA regulations protect both air and water quality from emissions and other pollution from AFOs and CAFOs. CAFOs are point sources, as defined by the Clean Water Act, and may be regulated under the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permitting program.
- Laws and Regulations
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Compliance
- Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations Compliance Monitoring: Information about inspections, evaluations and investigations.
See also:
- By Sector: Agriculture
- Wastewater
Animal Waste
For a general overview, see Animal Waste: What’s the Problem?
See also:
- By Sector: Agriculture
- Animal Feeding Operations
- Wastewater
Asbestos
EPA regulates asbestos in school buildings and in certain asbestos products. EPA and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) are also responsible for regulating environmental exposure and protecting workers from asbestos exposure.
Most states administer their own asbestos programs, and your home state department of environmental protection or health is generally the best place to start with questions about requirements and/or regulations that may apply to any given asbestos situation. Find your regional or state asbestos contact.
- Laws and Regulations
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Compliance
- Asbestos Demolition and Renovation Compliance Monitoring: Information about inspections, evaluations and investigations.
- Asbestos Compliance Monitoring: Information about inspections, evaluations and investigations.
- Asbestos and Small Business Ombudsman
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Enforcement
- Asbestos Enforcement Program: An overview of enforcement of asbestos law from EPA’s Region 1 Office.
- Policy and Guidance
Children’s Health
Climate Change
EPA is taking a common-sense approach to developing standards for greenhouse gas emissions from mobile and stationary sources under the Clean Air Act.
Conservation
As the Nation’s principal conservation agency, the Department of the Interior has responsibility for most of our nationally owned public lands and natural resources.
Energy
- Energy Portal: Regulations and Standards: How EPA regulates energy-related issues.
- Energy codes for residential and commercial buildings, or appliances and commercial equipment, are available from the Department of Energy’s Building Technologies Program.
Endangered Species, Wildlife, and Marine Life
Other agencies besides EPA take the lead on protecting endangered species. The lead federal agencies for implementing the Endangered Species Act are the US Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) and the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Fisheries Service.
- Information about pesticides and endangered species is at EPA’s Endangered Species Protection Program
Environmental Justice
Environmental justice is the fair treatment and meaningful involvement of all people regardless of race, color, national origin, or income with respect to the development, implementation, and enforcement of environmental laws, regulations, and policies.
Federal Advisory Committees
Import/Export
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International Import and Export: Information about importing and exporting a number of materials which may pose a risk to human health and the environment. Topics include:
- Vehicles, engines, and engine-driven equipment
- Fuels and fuel additives
- Ozone depleting substances
- Chemical substances regulated under the Toxic Substances Control Act
- Pesticides, including pesticide residue on foods
- Hazardous wastes
- Plumbing products
- Scrap metal
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International Programs: Environment, Trade, and Finance
International Cooperation - Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement: Rights and obligations of Canada and the United States under the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement.
- International Programs: Information about bilateral programs with key partner countries, trade agreements, treaties and more.
- International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (MARPOL 73/78): International treaty regulating the disposal of wastes generated by normal operation of vessels.
- International Waste Agreements: Waste agreements between the US and foreign countries..
- Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer : This treaty is the basis on which Title VI of the Clean Air Act was established.
- Regulating Pesticides: International Issues
Lead
EPA issues regulations to reduce hazards from lead paint exposure pursuant to the Residential Lead-Based Paint Hazard Reduction Act, which established a Title IV of the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA). EPA also regulates releases of lead to water and emissions of lead to the air.
Other federal agencies also play a role in protecting human health from the harmful effects of lead. The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) identifies and regulates sources of lead exposure in consumer products such as jewelry or children’s toys. The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) sets standards for evaluation and management of lead in federally assisted housing, and promotes efforts to reduce lead hazards in privately owned housing.
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Laws and Regulations
- Drinking Water: Lead and Copper Rule
- Lead Abatement Professionals: Information for abatement, inspection and risk assessment professionals.
- Lead Air Quality Standards
- Lead in Paint, Dust, and Soil: Rules and Regulations
- Renovation, Repair and Painting (RRP): Contractors performing renovation, repair and painting projects that disturb lead-based paint in homes, child care facilities, and schools built before 1978 must be certified and must follow specific work practices to prevent lead contamination.
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Compliance
- Lead Paint Compliance Monitoring: Information about inspections, evaluations and investigations.
- Lead and Copper Rule: Compliance Help
Mercury
Under certain federal environmental statutes, such as the Clean Air Act (CAA), Clean Water Act (CWA) and Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA), EPA has the responsibility to develop regulations to control some mercury emissions to air, water, or from wastes and products.
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Laws and Regulations
- Mercury: Laws and Regulations: Mercury-specific laws, regulations, standards, guidance, technical assistance resources, and support documents. This portal includes information on the Clean Air Mercury Rule (CAMR) and the Battery Act.
Nanotechnology
- Control of Nanoscale Materials Under the Toxic Substances Control Act
- Regulating Pesticides that Use Nanotechnology
Permits/ID Numbers
Please see the frequent question, "How do I get an EPA ID number?"
Pollution Prevention (P2)
The Pollution Prevention Act established the national policy that pollution should be prevented or reduced at the source whenever feasible.
Small Businesses
Get help with regulatory and compliance questions from the Asbestos and Small Business Ombudsman. You can also find regulatory and compliance information by your sector.
- Small Entitites and Rulemaking
- Small Entity Compliance Guides
- Small Business Compliance and Enforcement – includes the Small Business Compliance Policy (PDF) (5 pp, 256K), as well as fact sheets and answers to frequent questions.
Supplemental Environmental Projects (SEPs)
In general, a “settlement agreement” is an agreement that resolves a lawsuit between two parties. As part of a settlement agreement, an alleged violator may voluntarily agree to undertake an environmentally beneficial SEP related to the violation in exchange for mitigation of the penalty to be paid.
Tribal Governments
Frequent Questions
Regulatory Tools/Databases
Regulatory Development and Retrospective Review Tracker (Reg DaRRT): Provides information to the public on the status of EPA's priority regulations under development (i.e., rulemakings) and existing regulations under retrospective review. Search rulemakings by phase, topic, or effect; find recently published rules; and ongoing retrospective reviews.