Hazardous materials and WMD response policies in the United States are a mixture of

• Federal and state laws
• Federal and state regulations
• Local government codes and ordinances
• Industrial consensus standards
• Precedence established in courts of law

Federal laws established by Congress are the basis for governing all aspects of hazardous materials in the U.S. To enforce and comply with these laws, regulatory agencies such as the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), the Department of Transportation (DOT), and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) have established regulations in the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR). States may default to these laws and regulations or they may establish more stringent requirements of their own. Local governments may also have their own hazardous materials policies applicable to their unique jurisdiction, as long as they meet the minimum requirements or do not conflict with existing Federal or State policies.