COSTA RICA vs U.S.A. ENVIRONMENTAL LAWS

Costa Rica Environmental Laws

Today's modern Costa Rica is regarded highly for its strong position on preserving the wildlife and protecting it's forests, but this was not always the case. In the 1960's and 1970's there was massive deforestation, mainly in the name of creating pasture for cattle. In the past two decades, Costa Rica opened it's eyes to the problems incurred by this deforestation, and has vowed to become a prominent leader in eco-preservation for both flora and fauna, in the ocean and on land.

One tactic taken by the government, was instituting a Payment for Environmental Services plan, which they dubbed "PSA's."  The concept behind this effort, is to pay landowners to preserve the forests on their property.  Though the payments have not always come through according to plan, the idea is sound, and a stronger Costa Rican economy promises to help supply the funding.   Also, in recently, the country has the ability to report forest preservation areas in exchange for Carbon Credits on the world market.  The results to this program have been scrutinized and seem to have mix results.  The amount of deforestation has decreased since the 1990's, but some say argue it is for other reasons such as National protected lands, the decrease in demand for the land for other uses, and the deforestation rates were dropping rapidly anyhow, prior to the plan.

 One government agency that has gained some ground is SETENA, which is the Costa Rican National Environmental Office.  This agency's goal is to evaluate environmental impact from developments and building.  With the rapid growth of real estate development, SETENA has the tedious job of continuing to allow the growth of the real estate sector to thrive, without thwarting the ecology around the new developments.  However, this agency provides a checks and balance system for developers, categorizing their impact and determining how to prevent, mitigate, and/or compensate accordingly for environmental effects.

 Other efforts involve more specific laws regarding specific trees, wildlife, both on land in the water.  For example, one more recent law, prohibits the cutting of the Almendro Amarillo tree.  This slow going, hardwood tree is in high demand by lumber companies.  However due to the trees' high branches, and production of food (nuts), this tree is crucial to the the Green Macaw.  In fact, the birds have almost isolated this tree as their main nesting choice.

 Costa Rica is also looking at several other issues to address as well.  Land crabs have been a popular topic for conservationists.  The crabs play a significant role in the ecosystem and many scientists are focusing on making their preservation a priority.  Another topic of discussion is the preservation of the sea turtles and Las Baulas National Park.  Oscar Arias (former President) brought up the issue, claiming the land is too expensive for the government, so some of the park would have to be downsized.

Needless to say Costa Rica is paying attention to its ecosystem.  This responsible awareness may cost real money and unrealized money, however, it will pay off in the long run.  So long as the trend continues in Costa Rica, both people and animals will be able to enjoy the incredible landscapes for a long time ahead.

In Costa Rica there are more than 30 laws related to the Environment. One or more of these laws will impact your life in Costa Rica regardless of your reason for being in Costa Rica.

As a tourist you will most likely visit Costa Rican National Parks or Reserves all regulated by the “Law for the Creation of National Parks”. Those that admire and want to preserve nature will want to understand how Costa Rica has managed to maintain an environmental protection course despite immense pressures to the contrary. As a resident of Costa Rica you will depend on local resources for your daily living such as water which in Costa Rica is regulated by the “Law of Water”. As a business person you will certainly come in contact with one or more of Costa Rica’s environmental dispositions.

Laws:

1. Law No. 276 Water Law (Ley No. 276 “Ley de Aguas”, de 25 de agosto de 1942.)

2. Law No. 2790 Wildlife Conservation Law ( Ley No. 2790 “Ley de conservación de la fauna silvestre”, de 20 de julio de 1961 y sus reformas.)

3. Law No. 6043 Maritime Zoning Law ( Ley No. 6043 “Ley sobre la zona marítimo terrestre”, de 02 de marzo de 1972.)

4. Law No. 121 Law on Fencing and Burning (Ley No. 121 “Ley de cercas divisorias y quemas”, del 26 de octubre de1909.)

5. Law No. 6084 Law Creating National Parks (Ley No. 6084 “Ley de Creación de Parques Nacionales”, de 17 de agosto de 1977.)

6. Law No. 5022 Law Creating the National Weather Insititute (Ley No. 5222 “Ley de creación del Instituto Meteorológico Nacional”, de 15 de junio de 1973.)

7. Law No. 6812 Law Creating the Ministry of Industry, Energy and Mines (Ley No. 6812 “Creación del Ministerio de Industrias, Energía y Minas”, de 14 de setiembre de 1982.)

8. Law No. 6796 The Mining Code (Ley No. 6797 “Código de Minería”, de 4 de octubre de 1982.)

8-1 Law No. 8246 Law Modifying the Mining Code. (Ley No. 8246 “Ley Modificaciones del Código de Minería”, del 24 de abril de 2002.)

9. Law No. 6794 Ratification of and Expansion of National Parks and Biological Reserves. (Ley No. 6794 “Ratificación de la creación y ampliación de parques nacionales y reservas biológicas”, de 27 de diciembre de 1982.)

10. Law 7152 Law Converting the Ministry of Industry, Energy and Mines into the Ministry of National Resources, Energy and Mines. (Ley No. 7152 “Conversión del Ministerio de Industria, Energía y Minas en Ministerio de Recursos Naturales, Energía y Minas”, de 5 de junio de 1990.)

11. Law No. 7017 Law for the Import and Control of Agro Chemicals. (Ley No. 7017 “Ley para la importación y control de la calidad de los agroquímicos”, de 16 de diciembre de 1985.)

12. Law No. 7235 Law Mandating Environmental Protection Awareness in Primary and Secondary Education. (Ley No. 7235 “Instituir como tema obligatorio la protección del ambiente en la educación primaria y en la media”, de 10 de junio de 1991.)

13. Law No. 7317 Wildlife Conservation Law ( Ley No. 7317 “Ley de Conservación de la Vida Silvestre”, de 7 de diciembre de 1992.)

14. Law No. 7381 Law Creating Guidance on Improving the Environment ( Ley No. 7381 “Ley de Creación de la Jornada de Mejoramiento del Ambiente”, de 5 de abril de 1994.)

15. Law No. 7399 Law of Hydrocarbons (Ley No. 7399 “Ley de Hidrocarburos”, de 3 de mayo de 1994.)

16. Law No. 7447 Law Regulating the Rational Use of Energy. (Ley No. 7447 “Ley Reguladora del Uso Racional de la Energía”, de 13 de noviembre de 1994.)

17. Law 7554 Law of the Environment.. (Ley No. 7554 “Ley Orgánica del Ambiente”, de 4 de octubre de 1995.)

18.. Law No. 7575 Forestry Law. (Ley No. 7575 “Ley Forestal”, de 5 de febrero de 1996.)

19. Law No. 7664 Phytosanitary Law (Ley No. 7664 “Ley de protección fitosanitaria”, de 08 de abril de 1997.)

20. Law No. 7744 Law Granting Concessions and Operation of Tourism Marinas. (Ley No. 7744. “Concesión y operación de Marina Turística”, de 6 de febrero de 1998.)

21. Law No. 7779 Law on the Use, Management and Conservation of Soils. (Ley No. 7779 “Ley de uso, manejo y conservación de suelos”, de 21 de mayo de 1998.)

22. Law No. 7788 Law on Biodiversity (Ley No. 7788 “Ley de Biodiversidad”, de 27 de mayo 1998. )

23. Law No. 7906 Law on the InterAmerican Conservation to Protect Turtles. (Ley No. 7906 “Conservación Interamericana para la Protección de la Tortuga Marina” 24 de setiembre de 1999.)

24. Law No. 7983 Agreement between Costa Rica and the United States on the International Conservation of Dolphins. (Ley No. 7938 “Acuerdo sobre el Programa Internacional para la Conservación de los delfines entre la República de Costa Rica y Estados Unidos de América”. Gaceta 230, de 26 de noviembre de 1999.)

25. Law no 8023 Law on the Management of the Reventazon River Basin (Ley No. 8023 “Ley de Ordenamiento y Manejo de la Cuenca Alta del Río Reventazón”, del 10 de octubre del 2000.)

26. Law No. 8065 Law Creatig the Pacific Marine Park. (Ley No. 8065 “Creación del Parque Marino del Pacífico”, 05 de febrero del 2001.)

27. Law No. 8133 Law Creating the Board of Directors for the Manuel Antonio National Recreation Park. (Ley No. 8133 “Creación de la Junta Directiva del Parque Recreativo Nacional Playas de Manuel Antonio”, de 9 de octubre del 2001.)

28. Law No. 8325 Law on the Protection, Conservation and Recovery of the Marine Turtle Population. (Ley No. 8325 “Ley de protección, conservación y recuperación de las poblaciones de tortugas marinas”, de 28 de enero del 2002.)

29. Law No. 8279 National System on Quality. (Ley No. 8279 “Sistema Nacional para la Calidad”, de 21 de mayo del 2002.)

Source: http://www.costaricalaw.com/Environmental-Law/costa-rica-environmental-laws.html

US Environmental law

The history of environmental law in the United States can be traced back to early roots in common law doctrines, for example, the law of nuisance and the public trust doctrine. The first statutory environmental law was the Rivers and Harbors Act of 1899, which has been largely superseded by the Clean Water Act. However, most current major environmental statutes, such as the federal statutes listed above, were passed in the time spanning the late 1960s through the early 1980s. Prior to the passage of these statutes, most federal environmental laws were not nearly as comprehensive.

 Silent Spring, a 1962 book by Rachel Carson, is frequently credited as launching the environmental movement in the United States. The book documented the effects of pesticides, especially DDT, on birds and other wildlife. (See Environmental movement in the United States.)

 One lawsuit that has been widely recognized as one of the earliest environmental cases is Scenic Hudson Preservation Conference v. Federal Power Commission, decided in 1965 by the Second Circuit Court of Appeals, prior to passage of the major federal environmental statutes.[4] The case helped halt the construction of a power plant on Storm King Mountain in New York State. The case has been described as giving birth to environmental litigation and helping create the legal doctrine of standing to bring environmental claims.[5] The Scenic Hudson case also is said to have helped inspire the passage of the National Environmental Policy Act, and the creation of such environmental advocacy groups as the Natural Resources Defense Council.

Major federal environmental laws

·         The Migratory bird and species act is the oldest environmental law in the United States. It was enacted in 1918 to implement the 1916 Convention between the U.S. and Great Britain (for Canada) for the protection of migratory birds.

·         The Endangered Species Act seeks to protect various species of animals that are deemed to be threatened or endangered by human activity.

·         The Clean Water Act and Clean Air Act regulate (through a variety of methods) industrial, waste disposal, and other human activities that result in contamination of the air and water.

·         The Safe Drinking Water Act protects human health by governing the operations of public water systems.

·         The Resource Conservation and Recovery Act governs the generation, handling and disposal of solid waste and hazardous waste, including operations such as shipping, landfilling and incineration of waste.

·         Superfund is the common name for a set of laws that established a multi-billion dollar fund to pay for remediation of hazardous waste sites left by companies that are unwilling or unable to pay. The same set of laws also creates liability for a broad spectrum of parties, such as prior owners or operators, of sites that are currently contaminated, even if the disposal of waste was legal when it occurred.

·         The Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) regulates the manufacture and use of pesticides.

·         The National Environmental Policy Act requires the federal government to consider environmental impact via an environmental impact assessment before taking any significant action, such as building a highway.

Source: http://www2.epa.gov/laws-regulations




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