Glossary of Environmental Terms
This glossary provides definitions for key terms used throughout Pollution Near Me. It is designed to help visitors understand the datasets, regulatory programs, and terminology that appear in our maps and dashboards.
- Administrative Order on Consent (AOC)
- A legal agreement between EPA and a responsible party to perform cleanup or pay for damages caused by environmental violations.
- Ambient Air Monitoring
- The measurement of pollutants present in outdoor air to evaluate exposure risks and compliance with air quality standards.
- Brownfield
- A property where the presence or potential presence of hazardous substances complicates expansion or redevelopment.
- Chain of Custody
- A chronological record documenting the handling of environmental samples from collection through analysis to ensure integrity of results.
- Clean Air Act (CAA)
- The primary federal law regulating air emissions from stationary and mobile sources to protect public health and the environment.
- Clean Water Act (CWA)
- The federal law governing water pollution, establishing standards for surface waters and regulating discharges of pollutants.
- ECHO (Enforcement and Compliance History Online)
- An EPA database that tracks violations, penalties, and compliance records for facilities regulated under environmental laws.
- Groundwater Contamination
- The presence of pollutants in underground water supplies, often from leaking tanks, landfills, or industrial sites.
- NEPA (National Environmental Policy Act)
- Requires federal agencies to assess environmental effects of proposed actions before making decisions, often through Environmental Assessments (EA) or Environmental Impact Statements (EIS).
- NPL (National Priorities List)
- The list of the most serious hazardous waste sites in the U.S., commonly referred to as “Superfund sites.”
- Penalty
- A monetary fine imposed on a facility for violating environmental laws or regulations.
- RCRA (Resource Conservation and Recovery Act)
- A federal law that gives EPA authority to control hazardous waste from generation to disposal, including treatment, storage, and transport.
- Superfund
- A federal program established to clean up contaminated sites, funded through the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA).
- TRI (Toxics Release Inventory)
- A program run by the U.S. EPA requiring facilities to report annual releases of certain toxic chemicals into the air, water, and land.