According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), brownfields are properties that were previously developed, but where expansion, redevelopment, or reuse may be complicated by the presence (or potential presence) of a hazardous substance, pollutant or contaminant. An example would be an old abandoned paint factory.
The Clean Air Act (CAA), codified in U.S.C. Title 42, Chapter 85, is a central piece of legislation in the field of environmental law which promulgates uniform national standards for a wide range of air pollutants and sources. The CAA utilizes a two-prong approach - in addition to regulating the air quality levels, it also regulates sources of pollution.
See EPA Website: http://www.epa.gov/air/caa/
The Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA), codified in 42 U.S.C. Chapter 103, is a large piece of legislation passed in 1980 that gives the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) the ability to intervene in managing land contaminated with high levels of hazardous materials.
Environmental law refers to a variety of protections which share the goal of protecting the environment.
International environmental law (sometimes international ecological law) is a field of international law regulating the behavior of states and international organizations concerning the environment. See: Phillipe Sands, et al, Principles of International Environmental Law (4th ed., Cambridge, 2018). Core global regulation domains include the world's oceans and fisheries management, the polar ice caps, and the regulation of carbon and other particulate emiss
Natural resources, as defined in the Code of Federal Regulations (40 C.F.R.), encompass land, fish, wildlife, biota, air, water, ground water, drinking water supplies, and other such resources belonging to, managed by, held in trust by, appertaining to, or otherwise controlled by the United States, any State or local government, or any foreign government.
A toxic tort is a subcategory of torts involving injuries to plaintiffs caused by toxic substances. Such cases are often brought under the doctrine of product liability.
Ultrahazardous activity (also known as abnormally dangerous or extrahazardous activity) refers to actions of individuals and entities that involve a high level of danger which typically carries strict liability.
The useful products doctrine is a principle in environmental law that provides an exception to the liability for hazardous waste disposal by distinguishing between waste and products that have economic value and are used for intended purposes.
