National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES)
managers in monitoring, inventory, research, and management of birds and
their habitats. As part of the Partners in Flight program, a strategic plan is
created that can be incorporated into a Bird / Wildlife Aircraft Strike Hazard
(BASH) plan. This program reaches beyond the boundaries of the installation
to facilitate community partnerships and determine the current status of bird
populations to prevent the further endangerment of birds.
Per the CWA, the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES)
permit program controls water pollution by regulating point sources that
discharge pollutants into U.S. waters. Point sources are discrete conveyances
such as pipes or man‐made ditches. According to the law, individual homes
that are connected to a municipal system, use a septic system, or do not have
a surface discharge do not need an NPDES permit; however, industrial,
municipal, and other facilities must obtain permits if they discharge directly to
surface waters.
Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA)
Noise Control Act of 1972
The Noise Control Act of 1972 determined that noise that is not adequately
controlled has the potential of endangering the health and welfare of people.
It states that all Americans are entitled to an environment free from noise that
can jeopardize their general health and quality of life. Along with state, local,
and territorial governments, actions from the federal government were
needed to ensure that the objectives of the Act were met.
Concurrently, military installations were experiencing impacts related to
encroaching urban development located adjacent to their boundaries and the
resulting complaints from military flight operation noise. The DoD responded
by establishing the AICUZ program which was subsequently adopted by the
Air Force as AFI 32‐7063.
The Noise Control Act, as well as the AICUZ program, are important because
encroaching development and increased population near military installations
often create compatibility concerns. As communities grow, it is important
that the military installation, developers, and the affected communities work
together to mitigate the issue of noise and develop strategies to coexist.
Telecommunications Act of 1996 and the Federal Communications
Commission (FCC)
The Telecommunications Act of 1996 was the first comprehensive update to a
federal telecommunication law in over 60 years and was in large part intended
to open up the marketplace to greater competition. Changes in the means
through which information is produced, accessed, stored, and shared made
the federal government response imperative. The increasing use and
development of personal mobile phones, satellite transmission, high speed
fiber optics, and other related factors are often pushing demand beyond the
system capacity.
New telecommunication tower siting requires compliance with the Federal
Communications Commission’s (FCC) environmental review standards and
procedures, including NEPA and ESA compliance, NHPA compliance,
adherence to any applicable FAA requirements and structure registration with
the FCC. The actual approval of physical installations is subject to state and
local permits and approvals; however, state and local authority is limited by
FCC law. For instance, states and local jurisdictions cannot base their
decisions on any purported environmental effects of radio frequency
transmissions.
Partners in Flight Program
The DoD has implemented a program entitled Partners in Flight that sustains
and enhances the military testing, training, and safety mission through
habitat‐based management strategies. The program assists natural resource
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The Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) is the main federal law that ensures the
quality of drinking water in the U.S. The SDWA authorizes the EPA to set
national health‐based drinking water standards to protect against both
naturally‐occurring and man‐made water contaminants. The SDWA applies to
every public water system in the U.S.
Background Report