The Oil Pollution Act of 1990: Protecting the Environment from Oil Spills

The Oil Pollution Act of 1990 (OPA 90) was birthed from the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (FWPCA) and Clean Water Act (CWA) of 1977. These two acts had various deficiencies such as the cleanup of oil spills particularly the larger and widespread spills were frequently contained and eradicated from the expenses of the taxpayer. An effective spillage response and liability act must include several features such as there is need to not only finance the suppression and elimination of contamination and the dangers of pollution, but also the reimbursement of persons affected by the spillage. After increased oil spills, the deficiencies in the CWA were addressed and dealt with and after this, the OPA 90 was born. It clearly states how oil spills are to be handled and from recent events, it has been noted as a workable scheme. This Act is predicted to be a well-functioning scheme as long as it is enforced and strictly followed (Sump, 2011). Environmental theories include the theory of Political Systems. It is defined as the identifiable bodies that make authoritative provisions of values that are mandatory in a society. Inputs include supports and demands while outputs include judicial decisions and laws. Its usefulness in learning public policy is inadequate due to its highly abstract and general nature. In Group theory, public policy is defined as the outcome of the struggle and tussle of a group of people. Many of these policies are reflective of the activities of the groups and their central concept is access to the decision-makers. These theorists focus on only one of the key dynamic components in the formation of policies. One of its shortcomings is biases in the representation of the thoughts and interests of every group member as some will not be represented. In conclusion, this theory is inadequate and therefore misleading. 

Reference  

Sump, D. H., 2011. The Oil Pollution Act of 1990: A Glance in the Rearview Mirror. 85 TUL. L. REV. 1101, 1103-04. Retrieved from https://www.troutman.com