The Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA)

This 1974 law, as the name implies, addresses issues relating to the quality and safety of drinking water in the United States. Under SDWA, the EPA is authorized to establish purity standards for both aboveground and underground sources of water that are either designated for, or potentially designated for, human consumption. SDWA contains both health-related standards and nuisance-related standards. Both are enforced with the cooperation of state governments.

The Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization Act (SARA)

This 1986 federal act reauthorized CERCLA to continue efforts to clean-up hazardous waste abandonments, spills, and releases. Some provisions of SARA specifically address problems or concerns that arose at specific CERCLA involved sites. Title III of SARA also created the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act (EPCRA), as described above.

The Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA)

The purpose of TSCA, a 1976 Act of Congress, is to allow for the testing, regulation, and screening of all chemicals produced or imported into the U.S. before they reach the consumer market place.

TSCA also allows for the tracking of all existing chemicals that pose health or environmental hazards and for the implementation of cleanup procedures in the case of toxic material contamination. TSCA supplements other federal laws, such as the Clean Air Act and the Toxic Release Inventory under EPCRA.