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| The Food Quality Protection Act of 1996 |
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| The Food Quality Protection Act (FQPA), passed unanimously by Congress in 1996, represented landmark legislation that modernized food safety regulations relating to the presence of pesticides in food products. The FQPA provides a single standard for all pesticides in food that is based on health-oriented scientific research, makes special provisions for the protection of infants and children, provides expedited approval of pesticides that are safer to use in agriculture, promotes the development of an array of crop protection tools with the purpose of reducing the need for pesticides, and requires periodic reevaluation of the safety of pesticides. More... |
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| EPA's Phaseout of Diazinon |
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| In December 2000, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced that, pursuant to an agreement with manufacturers of diazinon, all residential uses of diazinon, one of the most widely used pesticides in the United States, would be phased out. Diazinon is an organophosphate insecticide that is relatively persistent, which means that it does not readily break down in to non-harmful byproducts.More... |
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| Lead-based paint |
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| Lead-based paint was completely banned in 1978, but in older homes the dust and paint chips that result from paint deterioration continue to pose a health hazard. The Residential Lead-Based Paint Hazard Reduction Act (PHRA) was passed with the goal of eliminating lead-based paint hazards in housing. More... |
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| Transportation of High-Level Radioactive Waste |
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| Because of the extreme hazard that high-level radioactive waste poses to public health and the environment, special precautions must be taken for its safe transport. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission regulates the packaging and labeling of high-level radioactive waste for transport in coordination with the Department of Transportation (DOT), while DOT regulates its actual transport. In general, spent fuel is shipped by truck and by rail.More... |
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| Disposal of Transuranic Waste |
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| Transuranic waste is produced primarily from nuclear weapons development and production and consists largely of ordinary items such as rags, clothing, and tools that become contaminated by transuranic radioactive material, most prominently plutonium. More... |
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