This is a list of notable events relating to the
environment in 1979. They relate to
environmental law
Environmental laws are laws that protect the environment. The term "environmental law" encompasses treaties, statutes, regulations, conventions, and policies designed to protect the natural environment and manage the impact of human activitie ...
,
conservation,
environmentalism
Environmentalism is a broad philosophy, ideology, and social movement about supporting life, habitats, and surroundings. While environmentalism focuses more on the environmental and nature-related aspects of green ideology and politics, ecolog ...
and
environmental issue
Environmental issues are disruptions in the usual function of ecosystems. Further, these issues can be caused by humans (human impact on the environment) or they can be natural. These issues are considered serious when the ecosystem cannot recov ...
s.
Events
*The
Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979 was passed in the Australian state of New South Wales.
*The
gastric-brooding frog is presumed to be extinct.
March
*The
Three Mile Island accident
The Three Mile Island accident was a partial nuclear meltdown of the Unit 2 reactor (TMI-2) of the Three Mile Island Nuclear Generating Station, located on the Susquehanna River in Londonderry Township, Dauphin County, Pennsylvania, Londonderry T ...
partial nuclear meltdown occurred at the Three Mile Island power plant in Dauphin County, Pennsylvania in the United States. It was the worst accident in U.S. commercial nuclear power plant history, and resulted in the release of small amounts of radioactive gases and radioactive iodine into the environment.
June
*The
Ixtoc I oil spill occurred in the Gulf of Mexico. The well had suffered a blowout resulting in one of largest oil spills in history.
July
*The
Church Rock Uranium Mill Spill occurred in the United States when a uranium mill tailings disposal pond breached its dam. Over 1,000 tons of radioactive mill waste and millions of gallons of mine effluent flowed into the Puerco River, and contaminants traveled downstream to Navajo County, Arizona. Local residents used river water for irrigation and livestock and were not immediately aware of the toxic danger.
November
* The ''
MT Independenţa'' oil tanker collided with another ship and subsequently exploded. It burned for weeks, causing heavy air and sea pollution in the Istanbul area and the
Sea of Marmara
The Sea of Marmara, also known as the Sea of Marmora or the Marmara Sea, is a small inland sea entirely within the borders of Turkey. It links the Black Sea and the Aegean Sea via the Bosporus and Dardanelles straits, separating Turkey's E ...
.
See also
{{Portal, Environment
*
Human impact on the environment
Human impact on the environment (or anthropogenic environmental impact) refers to changes to biophysical environments and to ecosystems, biodiversity, and natural resources caused directly or indirectly by humans. Modifying the environment to ...
*
List of environmental issues
Environmental issues are harmful aspects of human activity on the biophysical environment. This alphabetical list is loosely divided into causes, effects and mitigation, noting that effects are interconnected and can cause new effects.
Issues
* ...