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RESEARCH GUIDES

ENSP 102: Introduction to Environmental Policy

course guide for ensp 102

Regulations

The Code of Federal Regulations (CFR)

  • The CFR is a codification of the rules published in the Federal Register by the Executive departments and agencies of the Federal Government.
  • The CFR is divided into 50 titles which represent broad areas subject to Federal regulation, with environmental regulations contained mainly in Title 40 - Protection of Environment.
  • Each volume of the CFR is revised once each calendar year and updated on a quarterly basis, Title 40 is issued every July 1.
  • The official legal edition of the CFR is available from the Government Printing Office Website.
  • Other titles that are relevant to Environmental Law:

The Federal Register

Proposed regulations dealing with environmental issues and comments on those regulations, can be found on the Environmental Protection Agency's website.
EPA Regulatory information by topic.

Additional Regulations Sources

Use the following sources to located regulations. In addition, you might find the following Environmental Law Resources guide from the University of maryland Thurgood Marshall Law Library very useful.

Government Documents

Types of Government Information Resources
*Produced by government agencies (local, state-wide, national, or international)
*Intended to report on agency activities, assist policy makers, keep citizens informed, etc.
*Government agencies around the United States and the World publish vast quantities of statistics and papers on all issues
*Publications include: studies, reports, hearings, legislation, regulations...
*The UM libraries are an official depository of government information so you will find many publications here and many are available online.

Legislative Process

Brief Summary:
After a bill has been approved by both the House and Senate in identical form, it is sent to the President. 
If the President approves of the legislation he/she signs it and it becomes law.

Federal laws are published in two formats - a chronological format (U.S. Statutes at Large) and a topical format (U.S. Code).

Once laws have been passed, regulatory agencies create the rules and regulations necessary to implement and enforce the law.

Proposed rules are published chronologically in the Federal Register before they take affect and are open for comment.

Once rules are adopted, they are compiled in a topical arrangement (issuing agency and subject) in the Code of Federal Regulations.