PROTECTING CULTURAL RESOURCES IN MANAGING CHEMICAL POLLUTION

Historic properties are tangible and intangible remains of previous cu ltures and populations. Also called cultural resources, they include s uch properties as buried prehistoric sites, historic structures, and I ndian religious sites. Several laws protect cultural resources from da mage resulting from actions undertaken, licensed, financed, and propos ed by the Federal Government. The National Historic Preservation Act a nd its implementing regulations are of particular concern in managing chemical pollution. In discussing cultural resources in the context of environmental assessments and managing chemical pollution, there are four main issues to address: the identification of cultural resources and assessment of their significance; the regulations that require age ncies to consider the impacts of their activities on cultural resource s; the protection of cultural resources as an environmental issue in t he management of chemical pollution; and the defensible balancing of c ultural significance against risk and economic burden.