GLOSSARY OF ACRONYMS AND ABBREVIATIONS

IN ENVIRONMENTAL and Natural Resources PRACTICE

 

ABEL

Ability to pay for environmental liability, both pollution controls and civil penalties

ACE

Any Credible Evidence rule (CAA)

ACO

Administrative Consent Order

Acre A unit of land equal to 4,840 square yards (.4 hectare). The English version of this measure refers to the amount of land a yoke of oxen could plow in a day, but its root is German, referring simply to the plow. The English measure was an area 4 rods wide and 10 rods long. (A rod is 16-1/2 feet long.)
Acre Foot The volume of a unit of water one acre (.4 hectare) in area and one foot (30.5 cm) in depth.; 43,560 cubic feet (1233.5 cubic meters).

ADR

Alternate Dispute Resolution

AEC

Atomic Energy Commission (now NRC)

AID (or USAID)

U.S. Agency for International Development

AMPs

Allotment management plans (grazing)

ANPR

Advanced Notice of Proposed Rulemaking

APA

Administrative Procedure Act

AQCR

Air Quality Control Regions (CAA)

AR

Attributable Risk

ARARs

Applicable, Relevant, Appropriate Requirements (CERCLA)

ASTM

American Society for Testing and Materials

 

 

BACT

Best Available Control Technology

BADT

Best Adequately Demonstrated Pollution Control Technology (CWA)

BANANA

Build Absolutely Nothing Anywhere Near Anybody (see NIMBY)

BAT

Best Available Technology, or, Best Available Technology Economically Achievable (CWA)

BCT

Best Conventional Control Technology (CWA)

BDAT

Best Demonstrated Available Technology (RCRA)

BECC

Border Envtl Coop Comm., (NAFTA)

BEN

EPA computer modeled value to determine the economic benefit of noncompliance

BLM

Bureau of Land Management (DoI)

BMP

Best Management Practices

BOD

Biological Oxygen Demand (CWA)

BPJ

Best Professional Judgment (CWA)

BPT

Best Practicable Control Technology Currently Available (CWA)

BRZ

Biological Resource Zones (BRZMA)

BRZMA

Biological Resources Zone Management Act

 

 

CAA

Clean Air Act

CAFO

Concentrated Animal Feeding Operation

CAM

Compliance Assurance Monitoring

CAMU

Corrective Action Management Unit (CERCLA)

CAP

Capacity Assurance Plan (RCRA)

CBO

Congressional Budget Office

CDC

Center for Disease Control

CEC

Comm. on Envtl Coop, (NAFTA)

CEM

Continuous Emission Monitoring

CEQ

Council on Environmental Quality (Executive Office of the President)

CERCLA

Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (Superfund)

CERCLIS

CERCLA Information System

CERES

Coalition for Environmentally Responsible Economics

CFCs

Chlorofluorocarbons

CFR

Code of Federal Regulations

CITES

Convention on International Trade in Endangers Species

CMP

Coastal Management Plan (CZMA)

COD

Chemical Oxygen Demand

CSO

Combined Sewer Overflows (CWA)

CWA

Clean Water Act (also FWPCA)

CZMA

Coastal Zone Management Act

 

 

DEC

Department of Environmental Conservation

DEIS

Draft Environmental Impact Statement (NEPA)

DEQ

Department of Environmental Quality

DMRs

Discharge Monitoring Reports (CWA)

DNR

Department of Natural Resources

DOA

U.S. Department of Agriculture

DOI

U.S. Department of Interior

DOJ

U.S. Department of Justice

DOT

U.S. Department of Transportation

 

 

EA

Environmental Assessment (NEPA)

EAJA

Equal Access to Justice Act

EBEs

Environmentally Beneficial Expenditures (CWA)

EC

European Community

ECJ

European Court of Justice

EDF

Environmental Defense Fund

EIS

Environmental Impact Statement (NEPA)

ELP

Environmental Leadership Program

ELR

Environmental Law Reporter (by Environmental Law Institute)

EO

Executive Order

EPA

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

EPCRA

Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act

ERDA

Energy Research and Development Commission

ESA

Endangered Species Act

 EU

 European Union

 

 

FACA

Federal Advisory Committee Act

FDA

U.S. Food and Drug Administration

FDF

Fundamentally Different Factors (FDF) (CWA)

FEIS

Final Environmental Impact Statement (NEPA)

FERC

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

FFDCA

Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetics Act

FIFRA

Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, Rodenticide Act

FLPMA

Federal Land Policy and Management Act

FOE

Freidns of the Earth

FOIA

Freedom of Information Act

FONSI

Finding of No Significant Impact (NEPA)

Form R

A toxic chemical Release Inventory Reporting Form (EPCRA); TRI information must be frilled on a “Form R”

FORPLAN

A computerized model to determine LRMPs

FPC

Federal Power Commission

FQPA

Food Quality Protection Act of 1966

FR

Federal Register

FRCP

Federal Rules of Civil Procedure

FS

U.S. Forest Service (DOA)

FSEIS (or FEISS)

Final Supplemental EIS

FWPCA

Federal Water Pollution Control Act (also CWA)

FWS

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (DOI)

 

 

GAAP

Generally Accepted Accounting Principles

GAO

General Accounting Office (Comptroller-General, Congress)

GATT

General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade

GDP

Gross Domestic Product

GI-GO

Garbage In-Garbage Out

GNP

Gross National Product

 

 

HCPs

Habitat Conservation Plans

Hectare A metric unit of square measure equal to 100 ares (an are is 100 square meters) or a total of 10,000 square meters (2.47 acres).

HEW

U.S. Department of Health, Education and Welfare (now split into separate Departments of Education, Health & Human Services)

HMTA

Hazardous Materials Transportation Act

HRS

Hazardous Ranking System (CERCLA)

HWIR

Hazardous Waste Identification Rule

 

 

I & M

Inspection and Maintenance (CAA auto & truck emissions)

ICJ

International Court of Justice (The Hague)

ICOLP

International Cooperative for Ozone Layer Protection

ICS

Individual Control Strategy (CWA)

IGO

Intergovernmental organization

IJC

International Joint Commission

ILO

International Labor Organization

IPM

Integrated Pest Management

ISC

Interagency Scientific Committee (ESA)

ISO

International Standards Organization

IWC

International Whaling Commission

 

 

LAER

Lowest Achievable Emissions Rate (CAA, non-attainment areas)

LAs

Load Allocations (CWA)

LCA

Life Cycle Assessment

LCCA

Lead Contamination Control Acts (SDWA)

LCDC

Land Conservation and Development Commission (Ore.)

LDCs

Less-Developed Countries

LDRs

Land Disposal Restrictions (CERCLA)

LEVs

Low Emission Vehicles

LRMPs

Land and Resource Management Plans (NFMA)

LUBA

Land Use Board of Appeals (DOT)

LULU

Locally Undesirable Land Use

LUST

Leaking Underground Storage Tank

 

 

MACT

Maximum Available Control Technology

MBTA

Migratory Bird Treaty Act

MCL

Maximum Contaminant Level (CWA)

MCLG

Maximum Contaminant Level Goals (CWA)

Miner's Inch A measure of the flow of water over a miner's sluice. The term refers to the amount of water that will flow through a holein a board that is one inch square, but it also assumes a certain amount of pressure creating a proper flow. The flow was set so that the water would leave take away the dirt, but not the ore, and is approximately 1.5 cubic feet per minute (64,000 liters per day).

MOA

Memorandum of Agreement

MOU

Memorandum of Understanding

MUSY

Multiple Use-Sustained Yield Act

 

 

NAAQS

National Ambient Air Quality Standards (AA)

NAFTA

North American Free Trade Agreement

NAM

National Association of Manufacturers

NCP

national Contingency Plan (Superfund)

NEPA

National Environmental Policy Act

NESHAP

National Emissions Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants (CAA)

NFMA

National Forest Management Act

NGO

Non-Governmental Organization

NIMBY

Not In My Back Yard! Syndrome

NMFS

National Marine Fisheries Service

NOAA

National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (Dept. of Commerce)

NOEL

No Observable Effect Level

NOPE

Not On Planet Earth (see NIMBY)

NOV

Notice of Violation

NPDES

National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (CWA)

NPL

National Priority List (CERCLA)

NPS

National Park Service

NRC

U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, or (state) Natural Resources Commission

NRDC

National Resources Defense Council

NSF

National Science Foundation

NSPS

New Source Performance Standards (CAA)

NWF

National Wildlife Foundation

NWP

Nationwide Permit (CWA)

NWQS

National Water Quality Standards (CWA)

 

 

O&M

Operation and Maintenance

OCS

Outer Continental Shelf

OECD

Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development

OMB

Office of Management and Budget (executive offices of the President)

OPA

Oil Pollution Act of 1990

ORV

Off-Road Vehicle

OSHA

Occupational Safety and Health Act, Occupational Safety and Health Administration

OSWER

Office of Solid Waste and Energy Response (EPA)

OTA

Office of Technology Assessment (congressional)

 

 

PCBs

Polychlorinated biphenyls

PCSD

President’s Council on Sustainable Development

PLLRC

Public Land Law Review Commission

PMNs

Pre-marketing Notifications (ToSCA)

POTW

Publicly Owned Treatment Works (CWA)

PPA

Pollution Prevention Act

PRIA

Public Rangelands Improvement Act

PRP

Potentially Responsible Party (CERCLA)

PSD

Prevention of Significant Deterioration (CAA)

 

 

QNCR

EPA’s Quarterly Noncompliance Reports

 

 

RACM

Reasonably Available Control Measurements (CAA)

RACT

Reasonably Available Control Technology (CAA)

RAM

Real-time Air-quality-simulator Model (CAA)

RARE  I,II,III

Roadless Areas Review and Evaluation (Wilderness Act)

RCRA

Resource Conservation and Recovery Act

RD

Remedial Design (CERCLA)

RI/FS

Remedial Investing/Feasibility Study (CERCLA)

ROD

Record of Decision

RPAR

Rebuttable Presumption Against Registration (ToSCA)

RPA

Resources Planning Act

 

 

SARA

Superfund Amendment and Reauthorization Act

SCS

U.S. Soil Conservation Service (DOA)

SDWA

Safe Drinking Water Act

SEIS

Supplementary Environmental Impact Statement (NEPA)

SEP

Supplemental Environmental Project

SIC

Standard Industrial Classification

SIP

State Implementation Plan (CAA)

SIR

Supplemental Information Report (NEPA)

SLAPP

Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Policy

SMCRA

Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act

SMOA

Superfund Memorandum of Agreement

SO2

Sulfur Dioxide

SPCC

Spill Prevention, Control, and Countermeasure (CERCLA)

SPDES

State Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (CWA)

SPP

Stormwater Prevention Plans (CWA)

Superfund

CERCLA

SWDA

Solid Waste Disposal Act

 

 

TCE

Trichloroethylene

TCMs

Transportation Control Measures (CAA)

TCP

Trichlorophenol

TDRs

Transferable Development Rights

TOC

Total Organic Carbon

TOSCA

Toxic Substance Control Act

TRI

Toxics Release Inventory (EPCRA)

TRO

Temporary Restraining Order

TSCA

ToSCA

TSD

Treatment, Storage, and Disposal (CERCLA)

TSS

Total Suspended Solids

TVA

Tennessee Valley Authority

 

 

UNCED

United Nations Conference on Environment and Development

UNEP

United Nations environment Programme

USDA

U.S. Department of Agriculture

USFS

U.S. Forest Service (DOA)

USGAO

United States General Account Office (see GAO)

UST

Underground Storage Tank

 

 

VOC

Volatile Organic Compounds

 

 

WLA

Wasteload Allocation

WQBEL

Water Quality Based Effluent Standards (CWA)

WQS

Water Quality Standards (CWA)

WRP

Wetlands Reserve Program

WSRA

Federal Wild and Scenic Rivers Act

WTO

World Trade Organization

 

 

ZID

Zones of Initial Dilution