1980day.year
The Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (Superfund) is enacted by the U.S. Congress.
The U.S. Congress enacts the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (Superfund).
On December 11, 1980, President Jimmy Carter signs into law the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA), commonly known as Superfund. The act empowers the Environmental Protection Agency to identify and clean up hazardous waste sites nationwide. It establishes a trust fund, financed by taxes on chemical and petroleum industries, to finance emergency cleanup efforts. Superfund also grants federal authorities broad powers to compel responsible parties to perform cleanups or reimburse the government. This landmark legislation marks a turning point in U.S. environmental policy, prioritizing public health and ecosystem restoration.
1980
Superfund
U.S. Congress
1993day.year
A block of the Highland Towers condominium complex collapses following a landslide caused by heavy rain and water flowing from a construction site at Ampang district in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. 48 of its residents die, including one who died in hospital after being rescued alive, leaving only two survivors.
In December 1993, part of Kuala Lumpur’s Highland Towers condominium collapsed after a landslide, killing 48 residents.
On December 11, 1993, heavy rains triggered a massive landslide at the Ampang district in Kuala Lumpur.
A section of the Highland Towers condominium gave way, burying apartments under mud and debris.
Despite heroic rescue efforts, 48 residents perished, with only two survivors pulled from the rubble.
Investigations pointed to poor drainage and construction-site runoff as contributing factors.
The tragedy led to stricter building regulations and landslide mitigation measures in Malaysia's hilly regions.
1993
Highland Towers
condominium
landslide
Ampang
Kuala Lumpur
1997day.year
The Kyoto Protocol opens for signature.
The Kyoto Protocol, the first major international treaty to tackle climate change, opened for signature on December 11, 1997.
On December 11, 1997, delegates to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change adopted the Kyoto Protocol in Kyoto, Japan.
The protocol set legally binding emission reduction targets for industrialized nations to mitigate global warming.
It represented a landmark in environmental diplomacy, establishing market-based mechanisms such as emissions trading.
Over 160 countries signed the treaty within the first day, demonstrating widespread global commitment.
Although the United States later withdrew, the Kyoto Protocol laid the groundwork for subsequent climate agreements, including the Paris Accord.
1997
Kyoto Protocol