Environmental Policy and Regulation Test Review

Determine whether these practices would be considered ethical or unethical.​

Groups:

(a) ethical

,

(b) unethical

• An ecologist doing research funded by a construction company omits data.

• An activist asks whether their help is wanted before getting involved.

• A biologist submits their research plan before experimenting on live vertebrates.

• A lobbyist gives lavish gifts to politicians in exchange for specific policy decisions.

Match the responsibility to the organization that is most likely to perform it.

• City of Pittsburgh‘s Depart. Public Work

• maintaining a refuse and recycling system to promote a safe, clean environment for residents

• EPA

• working with state and local governments to implement and enforce federal environmental protection laws, regulations, and policies

• NY State Department of Environment Cons.

• asking the state attorney general to file criminal judicial actions against a business that has violated environmental regulations

• OSHA

• publishing policy documents to clarify how employers must protect their employees from workplace hazards

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Which type of enforcement actions would be most appropriate for a case in which a facility self-reports minor noncompliance issues discovered during an internal audit?

• administrative action

• permit action

• civil judicial action

• criminal judicial action

Which of the following is an example of environmental justice?

• Dangerous pollution that contaminated a river in a 90 percent White neighborhood was transported to a 90 percent Black neighborhood, where it was reclassified by the EPA as nonhazardous.

• The Nationwide Permit 12 process allowed Dakota Access to bypass many environmental impact assessments, opportunities for public input, and historical impact studies before building their pipeline.

• An executive order directs federal agencies to address disproportionally high adverse environmental effects of their policies and activities on minority and low-income populations.

• Latinx Americans are exposed to 63 percent more pollution than they produce, while White Americans are exposed to 17 percent less pollution than they produce.

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Which of the following best describes regulations?

• rules drafted by legislative bodies that a particular country or community recognizes as regulating the actions of its members

• procedures and protocols that administrative agencies follow in order to implement and enforce the rules

• guidance documents that explain how an agency interprets a law, an issue, or a specific part of a rule

• mandatory requirements developed by administrative agencies that regulated entities must follow in order to be in full compliance with the rules

Match each description as it applies to environmental activism to the correct term.

• grassroots movement

• the practice of attempting to influence decision-makers to support or oppose specific legislative proposals, policies, regulations, or actions that align with environmental interests or objectives

• advocacy group

• a social movement driven by ordinary people at the local level who organize, mobilize, and advocate for change around environmental issues without centralized leadership

• lobbying

• an organization dedicated to supporting and advancing environmental causes through various activities

• nonprofit organization

• an entity operating for environmental purposes and not for financial benefit

Which of the following is an example of an insider lobbying strategy?

• filing an amicus curiae brief to influence a Supreme Court decision

• running an advertising campaign

• organizing a protest

• encouraging people to contact elected officials

Which of the following terms best describes the protection, preservation, and sustainable management of natural resources, ecosystems, biodiversity, and landscapes?

• environmental activism

• environmental justice

• environmental impact assessment

• environmental conservation

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Match each description to the corresponding federal environmental law.

• Clean Water Act of 1972

• also known as “Superfund,“ established a nationwide program for cleanup of pollution and abandoned hazardous waste sites

• CERCLA of 1980

• requires government agencies to conduct environmental impact assessments before a proposed action is implemented

• National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA)

• requires regulation of the discharge of pollutants into navigable waterways

• SARA of 1986

• required OSHA regulations protecting workers engaged in hazardous waste and emergency response operations (HAZWOPER)

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How and why are events such as the publication of Silent Spring and major environmental disasters connected to changes in policies and regulations?

• They caused temporary panic but had little long-term influence on government actions.

• They drew public and political attention to environmental issues, leading to stronger laws and the creation of regulatory agencies.

• They primarily influenced international trade policies rather than environmental laws.

• They were only relevant to scientists and had minimal impact on public opinion or policy.

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