WHEN THINGS get a bit thick on the lecture platform, we hear of freedom and its opposite, slavery. Slavery is easy to get worked up against. That’s why the whole trend of governmental encroachment on our freedom comes from another direction: regulation, statutory intervention, red tape—what Tocqueville called “minute and meddling” government, rather than outright tyranny. Freedom can be squashed by the tyrant or suffocated by the bureaucrat.
Take construction. The following laws and statutes will apply to your efforts if you try to build a house in the state of Washington. Federal: Federal Environmental Pesticide Control Act of 1972; Coastal Zone Management Act of 1972; Fish and Wildlife Coordination Act; National Wilderness Preservation System; Wild and Scenic Rivers Act; Marine Protection Research and Sanctuaries Act of 1972; Endangered Species Act; Environmental Education Act; Ports and Waterways Safety Act of 1972; Federal Water Pollution Control Act; Clean Air Act; Water Resources Research Act of 1964; Water Resources Planning Act; Solid Waste Disposal Act; Environmental Quality Act of 1970; Noise Control Act of 1972; Aircraft Noise Abatement Regulation; Energy Supply and Environmental Coordination Act of 1974; Refuse Act of 1889 (Rivers and Harbors Act of 1899); Organic Act of 1897; Multiple Use—Sustained Yield Act; Forest and Rangeland Renewable Resources Planning Act of 1974; Urban Mass Transit Administration Act. Washington State: Common Nuisance Act; Airport Zoning Act; Stock Restricted Areas Act; Water Well Construction Act; State Building Code Act; Electricians and Electrical Installations Act; Camping Club Act; City Planning Commissions; Sidewalks, Gutters, Curbs, and Driveways Act; Unfit Dwellings, Buildings, and Structures Act; Planning Enabling Act; Department of Ecology Act; Pollution Control Hearings Board; Factory Built Housing Act; Weather Modification Permits; Roadside Improvement and Beautification Act; Highway Advertising Control Act; Scenic Vistas Act; Washington Industrial Safety and Health Act; Burning Permits; Port Industrial Development Board; Airport Control Zoning; Sewer District; Water District; Plats-Subdivision-Dedication; Land Development Act of 1973; Horizontal Properties Regimes Act; Earthquake Resistance Standards; Elevators, Lifting Devices, and Moving Walks Act; Safety Glazing Materials; Swimming Pools; Public Accommodations— Provision for Physically Handicapped; Washington Clean Air Act; Solid Waste Management; Noise Control Act of 1974 [to be confused with Federal Noise Control Act of 1972]; Fish Farming Permits; Fish Guards; Water Diversion Permits; Hydraulic Permits; Forest Protection Act; Forest Insect and Disease Control Act; Forest Practices Act; Specialized Forest Products Act; Fish and Game Prohibited Acts; Game Farmers; Collectors’ Permits; Coal Mining Code; Surface Mining Act; Oil and Gas Conservation Act; Shoreland Leases; Scenic Easements; Geothermal Resources; Thermal Power Plant Siting; Gas and Oil Pipe Lines; Pollution Control Facilities Tax Credit Exemption; Open Space Taxation; Flood Control Districts; Flood Zone Control Permits; Irrigation Districts; Wharves and Landings; Erosion Control Districts; Soil Conservation Districts; Water Conservation Districts; Water Code 1917 Act; Park Facilities; Water Rights Claim Registration; Ground Water Permit; Water Pollution Control; Pollution Disclosure Act of 1971; Water Resources Act of 1971 ; Shoreline Management Act of 1971; Environmental Coordination Procedures Act. Then there are county ordinances (King County) governing: public health; urban arteries; Excise Tax; Business Licensing; Air Pollution; Water Pollution; Public Toilets; Boarding Homes; Industrial Camps; Hog and Slaughter; Unsafe Dwellings; Rodent Control; Food Service; Meat Processing; Milk Processing; Swimming Pools; Consumer Protection; Solid Waste; Solid Waste Sites; Litter; Animals; Stock Restricted Areas; Roadside Stands; Side Sewers; Disposal Systems; Road Construction; Approaches and Culverts; Buildings; Off Street Parking Facilities; Ornamental Pools; Grading; Fires; Mobile Homes; Mobile Home Parks; Plots and Subdivisions; Planning; Open Space; Shoreline Management [to be confused with the state law of the same name]; County Environment; General Zoning. (Listing prepared by the Western Environmental Trade Association.)
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