Which act was passed in 1976 to protect human health from waste disposal hazards?

The Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) was established in 1976 and plays a crucial role in managing hazardous waste in order to protect human health and the environment. RCRA governs the treatment, storage, and disposal of solid and hazardous waste, ensuring that waste management practices are conducted in a manner that minimizes risk to public health and the environment.

By focusing on waste management from its creation to its disposal, RCRA emphasizes the importance of waste reduction, recycling, and proper disposal techniques, ultimately aiming to safeguard communities from the adverse effects of hazardous waste. This legislation laid the foundation for the regulatory framework governing hazardous waste management in the United States.

Other acts mentioned in the options serve different purposes. The Hazardous and Solid Waste Amendments (HSWA) are revisions to RCRA, making them later developments. The Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSH Act) is focused on workplace safety standards but does not specifically address waste management. The Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA), commonly known as Superfund, deals with cleaning up contaminated sites but was passed later, in 1980.