Government Documents on the Environment
Government agencies are major sources of environmental information. Federal, state, foreign, and international government organizations produce enormous amounts of information on environmental subjects. Subject headings you can use to search the Library Catalog for government documents pertaining to the environment include:
Environmental
Policy
Environmental
Protection
Hazardous
Substances
Hazardous
Substances--Law and Legislation--United States
The principal index for U.S. Government publications is the Monthly Catalog of U.S. Government Publications HSSE
REF & Periodicals 016.353 Un36. This index is also
available online from
1994-present and from 1976-present in the GPO Index. Other useful indexes to U.S. Government information include Lexis-Nexis
Statistical (Purdue Users Only) covering
statistical publications, Lexis-Nexis Academic (Purdue Users Only) covering legal issues including court cases, Lexis-Nexis Environmental (Purdue Users Only) covering environmental topics, and the Congressional Information
Service (CIS) Index HSSE REF 328.73005 C76 covering congressional
publications.
Legal and Regulatory Information Sources
Federal and state laws, regulations, and court decisions are important sources of environmental information. Examples of these sources found in HSSE Library include:
| U.S. Government Manual HSSE Periodicals 353 Un35 |
| Slip Laws | HSSE DOC REF AE 2.110: |
| U.S. Statutes at Large | HSSE REF 345.11 Un3 |
| U.S. Code | HSSE REF 345.11 Un3co |
| U.S. Code Annotated | HSSE REF 345.11 Un3coa |
| Compilation of Selected Acts Concerning National Parks, Public Lands, & Related Matters | HSSE DOC Y 4.R 31/3:107-A |
| Compilation of Selected Acts Within the Jurisdiction of the Committee on Energy & Commerce: Environmental Law Volumes 1 & 2 | HSSE DOC Y 4.C 73/8:107-H HSSE DOC Y 4.C 73/8:108-B |
| U.S. Reports | HSSE DOC JU 6.8: |
| Lawyers Guide to U.S. Supreme Court Reports | HSSE REF 345.4 Un37r |
| Environmental Administrative Decisions: Decisions of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency | HSSE DOC EP 1.2:D 35/ |
| Federal Register | HSSE REF 353.005 Un34 (Also in fiche) |
| Code of Federal Regulations | HSSE REF 353.005 C64 |
| regulations.gov/ (Comment on proposed federal regulations.) |
| Index to the Code of Federal Regulations | HSSE REF 353.005 C64 Index |
| List of Sections Affected | HSSE REF 353.005 C64a |
| Indiana Code | HSSE REF 348.772 In25c |
| West's Indiana Code Annotated | HSSE REF 348.772026 In2w |
| Indiana Register | HSSE REF 348.772025 In3 |
| Indiana Administrative Code | HSSE REF 348.772025 In2i |
Agencies Producing Environmental Information
Many federal government agencies produce environmental information. This selected list of federal agencies producing environmental information includes their SuDoc number stem and the libraries in which they can be found.
| SuDoc number stem | Libraries | |
| Environmental Protection Agency | EP | HSSE, ENGR, LIFE |
| Dept. of the Interior (Environmental impact statements) |
I 1.98 | LIFE & HIKS Repository |
| U.S. Geological Survey | I 19 | EAS |
| Dept. of Energy | E | ENGR |
| Dept. of Defense | D | HSSE, ENGR |
Congressional Publications
The U.S. Congress is also a major source of environmental information. Congressional committees conduct hearings and issue reports on various aspects of environmental policy. Examples of congressional sources of environmental information in HSSE Library include:
| Senate Bills (Online 1993-present) | HSSE MF Y 1.4/1: |
| House Bills (Online 1993-present) | HSSE MF Y 1.4/6: |
| Congressional Record (Online 1994-present) | HSSE Repository X/A: |
| Senate Reports (Online 1995-present) | HSSE DOC Y 1.1/5: |
| House Reports (Online 1995-present) | HSSE DOC Y 1.1/8: |
| Congressional Serial Set (Online-Purdue users only) | HSSE Repository Y 1.1/2: |
| House Agriculture Comm. (Reps Mike Pence (R-IN), Brad Ellsworth (D-IN), and Joe Donnelly (D-IN) are members of this committee) |
HSSE DOC Y 4.AG 8/1: |
| House Energy & Commerce Comm. (Reps. Steve Buyer (R-IN) and Baron Hill (D-IN) are members of this committee.) |
HSSE DOC Y 4.C 73/8: |
| House Natural Resources Comm. |
HSSE DOC Y 4.R 31/3: |
| House Transportation & Infrastructure Comm. (See Y 4.P 96/11: for hearings by this committee prior to 1995) |
HSSE DOC Y 4.T 68/2: |
| Senate Agriculture Comm. (Senator Richard Lugar (R-IN) is a member of this committee) |
HSSE DOC Y 4.AG 8/3: |
| Senate Energy & Natural Resources Comm. |
HSSE DOC Y 4.EN 2: |
| Senate Environment & Public Works. Comm. | HSSE DOC Y 4.P 96/10: |
| Congressional Research Service Reports (Courtesy-University of North Texas Library) |
| House Select Committee on Energy Independence & Global Warming |
Miscellaneous Electronic Sources
| Toxic Release Inventory (CD-ROM) | ENGR EP 5.22/2: |
| Environmental Health Perspectives PNHS MF HE 20.3559: & PNHS 615.705 Eh77 |
Internet Sources
Increasing amounts of government information can be found on the Internet. Examples of sources of environmental information produced by government agencies include:
| GPO Access Provides access to major U.S. Government legal, legislative, and regulatory information sources. |
| Census Bureau American Factfinder (Get demographic data on environmental sites.) |
| Census Bureau Geography |
| Environmental Protection Agency |
| EPA Office of Wetlands, Oceans, & Watersheds |
| U.S. Global Change Research Program |
| Indiana Dept. of Natural Resources |
| Tippecanoe County Government (Especially Area Plan Commission) |
| Lafayette City Government |
| West Lafayette City Government |
Selected Foreign and International Government Organizations
| Environment Australia |
| European Environmental Agency |
| United Nations Environment Program |
