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TOXIC TORTS GLOSSARY |
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Glossary of Toxic
Torts Terms
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E
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Early Action: An action which is taken
when a hazardous waste site may become a threat to humans or the environment in
the near future. Early Actions take anywhere from a few days to a few years and
can be taken at any point in the Superfund process. Some sites can be completely
cleaned up through a removal action and other sites may require long-term
action. Early Actions may include: 1) cleanup or removal of substances
threatening to contaminate the environment; 2) installation of security fences
to limit access to the site; 3) provision of alternative water supplies; 4)
temporary evacuation and housing of at-risk individuals; and 5) any emergency
assistance provided under the Disaster Relief Act.
Ecological Indicator: A characteristic of
the environment that, when measured, quantifies magnitude of stress, habitat
characteristics, degree of exposure to a stressor, or ecological response to
exposure. The term is a collective term for response, exposure. The term is a
collective term for response, exposure, habitat, and stressor indicators.
Emission: Pollution discharged into the
atmosphere from smokestacks, other vents, and surface areas of commercial or
industrial facilities; from residential chimneys; and from motor vehicle,
locomotive, or aircraft exhausts.
Emissions Trading: The creation of surplus
emission reductions at certain stacks, vents, or similar emissions sources and
the use of this surplus to meet or redefine pollution requirements applicable to
other emission sources. This allows one source to increase emissions when
another source reduces them, maintaining an overall constant emission level.
Facilities that reduce emissions substantially may "bank" their
"credits" or sell them to other industries.
Encapsulation: The treatment of
asbestos-containing material with a liquid that covers the surface with a
protective coating or embeds fibers in an adhesive matrix to prevent their
release into the air.
Endemic: Something peculiar to a
particular people or locality, such as a disease which is always present in the
population.
Endrin: a pesticide toxic to freshwater
and marine aquatic life that produces adverse health effects in domestic water
supplies.
Environmental Assessment: An environmental
analysis prepared pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act to determine
whether a federal action would significantly affect the environment and thus
require a more detailed environmental impact statement.
Environmental Audit: An independent
assessment (not conducted by EPA) of a facility's compliance policies,
practices, and controls. Many pollution prevention initiatives require an audit
to determine where wastes may be reduced or eliminated or energy conserved. Many
supplemental environmental projects that offset a penalty use audits to identify
ways to reduce the harmful effects of a violation.
Environmental Exposure: Human exposure to
pollutants originating from facility emissions. Threshold levels are not
necessarily surpassed, but low level chronic pollutant exposure is one of the
most common forms of environmental exposure.
Environmental impact Statement: A document
prepared by or for EPA which identifies and analyzes, in detail, environmental
impacts of a proposed action. As a tool for decision-making, the EIS describes
positive and negative effects and lists alternatives for an undertaking, such as
development of a wilderness area. (Required by NEPA : see Federal Law Section).
Expert Witness: A person who is a
specialist in a subject, often technical, who may present his or her expert
opinion without having been a witness to any occurrence relating to the lawsuit.
Exposure Level (chemical): The amount
(concentration) of a chemical at the absorptive surfaces of an organism.
Exposure: Radiation or pollutants that
come into contact with the body and present a potential health threat. The most
common routes of exposure are through the skin, mouth, or by inhalation.
Extremely Hazardous Substances (EHS): Any
of 366 (+ or:) chemicals or hazardous substances identified by EPA on the basis
of hazard or toxicity and listed under EPCRA. The list is periodically revised.
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