Shopping on line can be easy, simple and save you lots of money. It can also take a lot of your time, frustrate you, and result in unwanted purchases. Now the same can be said for regular high street shopping, but with the vast opportunity presented by the Internet it will pay you to spend a few minutes reading this and understanding how to better optimize your Clean Water Act shopping experience:
1. Compare - without doubt the biggest advantage that the Clean Water Act offers shoppers today is the ability to compare thousands of Clean Water Act at a time. This is a great thing, but not necessarily all the time! Too much can be daunting at times so take advantage of the great comparison sites and where possible let them do the hard work for you.
2. Research - if it has been said it will be on the internet. Ignorance is no longer a justifiable reason for buying the wrong thing. Take the time to research in detail everything that you could possible want to know about
3. Testimonials - don't know anybody that has bought a Clean Water Act? Wrong! If the Clean Water Act is good the internet will let you know. Use the Internet as a friend and get testimonials before you buy.
4. Questions - Got a question about Clean Water Act then search the Forums, FAQ's, Blogs etc. Don't be afraid to ask .....
5. Reputation - Never heard of the company selling Clean Water Act? Don't worry, no reason why you should know every company in the world, but you know someone that does! Use the internet to find out what people are saying about Clean Water Act and build up a picture of their reputation for sales, returns, customer service, delivery etc.
6. Returns - still worried that even after all of the above your Clean Water Act wont be what you want? Check out the returns policy. There is so much competition now that someone, somewhere is bound to offer the terms that you are comfortable with.
7. Feedback - happy with your Clean Water Act then let people know, after all you are depending on others people input in your buying decision, so why not give a little back.
8. Security - check for the yellow padlock on the Clean Water Act site before you buy, and the s after http:/ /i.e. https:// = a secure site
9. Contact - got a question about Clean Water Act, or want to leave a comment then check out the sites contact page. Reputable companies have them and respond.
10. Payment - ready to pay for your Clean Water Act, then use your credit card or PayPal! Be aware of companies that don't accept them, there may be genuine reasons but given the huge amount of choice you have when buying online there is no reason at all not to buy via credit card or PayPal.
The
Clean Water Act, ,
et seq., is the primary federal law in the
United States governing water pollution. Commonly abbreviated as the
CWA, the act established the symbolic goals of eliminating releases to water of high amounts of toxic substances, eliminating additional water pollution by
1985, and ensuring that surface waters would meet standards necessary for human sports and recreation by 1983.
The principal body of law currently in effect is based on the Federal Water Pollution Control Amendments of
1972 (P.L. 92-500), which significantly expanded and strengthened earlier legislation. Major amendments were enacted in the Clean Water Act of 1977 (P.L. 95-217) and the Water Quality Act of
1987 (P.L. 100-4). http://www.epa.gov/region5/water/cwa.htm
The Act is comprised of six Titles.
Title I - Research and Related Programs
Title II - Grants for Construction of Treatment Works
To assist municipalities in creating or expanding wastewater treatment plants that were capable of meeting these standards, the CWA established a system to provide federal financial assistance, first in the form of construction grants, which were modified several times and later replaced by the
State Water Pollution Control Revolving Fund in
1987.
Title III - Standards and Enforcement
Effluent Guidelines
Pursuant to the 1972 act, the Environmental Protection Agency (
EPA) began to promulgate effluent guidelines that regulate water pollution from industry categories. To date, these regulations have been published for 56 categories and apply to between 35,000 and 45,000 facilities that discharge directly to the nation's waters, as well as another 12,000 facilities that discharge into publicly-owned
sewage treatment (POTW). These technology-based regulations (authorized by CWA sections 301, 304, 306 and 307) are responsible for preventing the discharge of almost 700 billion pounds of pollutants each year. EPA has updated some categories since their initial promulgation and has added new categories.
While the effluent guidelines have been largely successful, because they apply to specific sources and are enforceable, the health- and water-quality-based standards have been much less so. As of
2007, approximately half of the
rivers,
lakes, and
bays under EPA oversight were not safe enough for
fishing and swimming.http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=10231441 The most important remaining cause of these problems (typically, diffuse runoff from farms,
streets, and Yard (land)) is known as
nonpoint source pollution, which was not addressed in the 1972 Act.
Industrial Pretreatment Program
The Act also established pretreatment requirements for industrial users contributing wastes to POTW, under section 307.
Specific targets on water standards
Section 303 of the Clean Water Act establishes the water quality standards and the TMDL programs.
One very important program under the Clean Water Act is EPA's
Total Maximum Daily Load Program. A Total Maximum Daily Load (
TMDL), is a calculation of the maximum amount of a pollutant that a waterbody can receive and still meet water quality standards. Over 60,000 TMDLs are proposed or in development for US waters in the next decade and a half.
Nonpoint Source Management Program
The 1987 amendments created the
nonpoint source pollution Management Program under CWA section 319.
Title IV - Permits and Licenses
Point source permits - NPDES
The system for granting and regulating discharge permits is called the
National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES), which regulates point sources that discharge pollutants into waters of the United States. The NPDES program is authorized by CWA section 402. The permits are issued by state environmental agencies and EPA regional offices. The 1987 amendments to the Act expanded the program to cover
stormwater discharges from municipal separate storm sewer systems (MS4) and industrial sources.
Section 404 Permits
There is also a system of regulating the discharge of dredged and fill material into jurisdictional waters of the United States, administered by the Army Corps of Engineers under Section 404. This program regulates the discharge of fill and dredged material into jurisdictional waters of the United States. Essentially, all discharges of fill or dredged material affecting the bottom elevation of a jurisdictional water of the U.S. require a permit from the Army Corps. These permits are an essential part of protecting wetlands, which are often filled by developers. Wetlands are vital to the ecosystem in filtering streams and rivers and providing habitat for wildlife.
There are two main types of permits--general permits, and individual permits. General permits change periodically and cover broad categories of activities, and require the user to comply with all stated conditions. Individual permits are more activity-specific and must be applied for, generally require more time and money to apply for them, and also contain mandatory conditions.
The Corps will give a notice about the request for permit no later than fifteen days after requested. Although the Secretary makes the decision if the permit is granted or not the Administrator is able to take-away permits if they feel that the permit is no reasonable; before making this decision though the Administrator must consult with the secretary. A permit expires after five years of being granted.
When a State wants a permit, they make sure that all other states being affected are aware they will be sent a copy of the request and the State is able to write a recommendation. A State permit also expires after five years of being granted.
Title V - General Provisions
Enforcement
Civil action will be given to any persons who violate any part of their permit. For a first offense, you get at least a $2,500 fine and a max of a $25,000 fine per day that the permit is violated. You may also receive up to a year in jail. On your second offense, you receive a maximum of a $50,000 fine per day of violation.
Each state Administrator for the Clean Water Act will give facilities in that state their enforcements and their limitation for the Clean Water Act. If anybody breaks the enforcements or limitation the Administrator of any of these sections which include: 1311,1312,1316,1317,1318,1328 or 1345 to read about their violations that they have broken of the permits that is under section 1342 about the clean water act.
Whistleblower protection
The 1972 amendment added a whistleblower protection. Employees in the US who believe they were fired or suffered another adverse action related to enforcement of this law have 30 days to file a written complaint with the
Occupational Safety and Health Administration.
Title VI - State Water Pollution Control Revolving Funds
The revolving fund program was authorized by the 1987 amendments.
Recent Developments
On July 25th, 2007, Senator Russell Feingold, Democrat from Wisconsin, introduced legislation to reiterate the Congress' objective in passing the Federal Water Pollution Control Act in 1972. The bill states that it was Congress' intention to protect all waters of the United States. Known as the Clean Water Restoration Act and co-sponsored by 19 Senators, the bill being reviewed by the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. This is considered by many environmental groups to be a necessary step towards reversing recent
Supreme Court rulings that have repealed protection for as much as 60 percent of the nation's waters.
Case law
- S. D. Warren Co. v. Maine Bd. of Env. Protection, 547 U.S. ___ (2006), involving section 401 state certification requirements for federally licensed activities that cause a discharge into navigable waters.
- Rapanos v. United States, 547 U.S. ___ (2006), in separate controlling opinions questioned the Act's use of the term navigable waters and "waters of the United States" and questioned the reach of the Act to regulate wetlands that possess a "significant nexus" with such waters.
- National Association of Home Builders v. Defenders of wildlife, No. 06-340 (June 25, 2007).
References
See also
External links
- Full text of the act
- Full text of act with amendments through 2005 - Maintained by California Water Resources Control Board
- United States Fish and Wildlife Service digest of the Clean Water Act
- EPA - NPDES Permit Program
- EPA site on TMDLs
- EPA - Nonpoint Source Management Program
- Tetra Tech Water Resources and TMDL Center
- The Center for TMDL and Watershed Studies at Virginia Tech
- Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER)
- Government Accountability Project
- National Whistleblower Center
- Workplace Fairness FAQ for environmental whistleblowers
- Tate & Renner article on whistleblowers under US federal law
- Whistleblower Employee Protection Website
- U.S. Department of Labor Whistleblower Program & information
The
Clean Water Act, ,
et seq., is the primary
federal law in the United States governing
water pollution. Commonly abbreviated as the
CWA, the act established the symbolic goals of eliminating releases to water of high amounts of
toxic substances, eliminating additional water pollution by 1985, and ensuring that surface waters would meet standards necessary for human sports and recreation by 1983.
The principal body of law currently in effect is based on the Federal Water Pollution Control Amendments of 1972 (P.L. 92-500), which significantly expanded and strengthened earlier legislation. Major amendments were enacted in the Clean Water Act of 1977 (P.L. 95-217) and the Water Quality Act of 1987 (P.L. 100-4). http://www.epa.gov/region5/water/cwa.htm
The Act is comprised of six Titles.
Title I - Research and Related Programs
Title II - Grants for Construction of Treatment Works
To assist municipalities in creating or expanding wastewater treatment plants that were capable of meeting these standards, the CWA established a system to provide federal financial assistance, first in the form of construction grants, which were modified several times and later replaced by the
State Water Pollution Control Revolving Fund in 1987.
Title III - Standards and Enforcement
Effluent Guidelines
Pursuant to the 1972 act, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) began to promulgate
effluent guidelines that regulate water pollution from industry categories. To date, these regulations have been published for 56 categories and apply to between 35,000 and 45,000 facilities that discharge directly to the nation's waters, as well as another 12,000 facilities that discharge into publicly-owned sewage treatment (
POTW). These technology-based regulations (authorized by CWA sections 301, 304, 306 and 307) are responsible for preventing the discharge of almost 700 billion pounds of pollutants each year. EPA has updated some categories since their initial promulgation and has added new categories.
While the effluent guidelines have been largely successful, because they apply to specific sources and are enforceable, the health- and water-quality-based standards have been much less so. As of
2007, approximately half of the
rivers, lakes, and
bays under EPA oversight were not safe enough for
fishing and swimming.http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=10231441 The most important remaining cause of these problems (typically, diffuse runoff from farms,
streets, and Yard (land)) is known as nonpoint source pollution, which was not addressed in the 1972 Act.
Industrial Pretreatment Program
The Act also established pretreatment requirements for industrial users contributing wastes to
POTW, under section 307.
Specific targets on water standards
Section 303 of the Clean Water Act establishes the water quality standards and the TMDL programs.
One very important program under the Clean Water Act is EPA's
Total Maximum Daily Load Program. A Total Maximum Daily Load (
TMDL), is a calculation of the maximum amount of a pollutant that a waterbody can receive and still meet water quality standards. Over 60,000 TMDLs are proposed or in development for US waters in the next decade and a half.
Nonpoint Source Management Program
The 1987 amendments created the nonpoint source pollution Management Program under CWA section 319.
Title IV - Permits and Licenses
Point source permits - NPDES
The system for granting and regulating discharge permits is called the
National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES), which regulates point sources that discharge pollutants into waters of the United States. The NPDES program is authorized by CWA section 402. The permits are issued by state environmental agencies and EPA regional offices. The 1987 amendments to the Act expanded the program to cover
stormwater discharges from municipal separate storm sewer systems (MS4) and industrial sources.
Section 404 Permits
There is also a system of regulating the discharge of dredged and fill material into jurisdictional waters of the United States, administered by the Army Corps of Engineers under Section 404. This program regulates the discharge of fill and dredged material into jurisdictional waters of the United States. Essentially, all discharges of fill or dredged material affecting the bottom elevation of a jurisdictional water of the U.S. require a permit from the Army Corps. These permits are an essential part of protecting wetlands, which are often filled by developers. Wetlands are vital to the ecosystem in filtering streams and rivers and providing habitat for wildlife.
There are two main types of permits--general permits, and individual permits. General permits change periodically and cover broad categories of activities, and require the user to comply with all stated conditions. Individual permits are more activity-specific and must be applied for, generally require more time and money to apply for them, and also contain mandatory conditions.
The Corps will give a notice about the request for permit no later than fifteen days after requested. Although the Secretary makes the decision if the permit is granted or not the Administrator is able to take-away permits if they feel that the permit is no reasonable; before making this decision though the Administrator must consult with the secretary. A permit expires after five years of being granted.
When a State wants a permit, they make sure that all other states being affected are aware they will be sent a copy of the request and the State is able to write a recommendation. A State permit also expires after five years of being granted.
Title V - General Provisions
Enforcement
Civil action will be given to any persons who violate any part of their permit. For a first offense, you get at least a $2,500 fine and a max of a $25,000 fine per day that the permit is violated. You may also receive up to a year in jail. On your second offense, you receive a maximum of a $50,000 fine per day of violation.
Each state Administrator for the Clean Water Act will give facilities in that state their enforcements and their limitation for the Clean Water Act. If anybody breaks the enforcements or limitation the Administrator of any of these sections which include: 1311,1312,1316,1317,1318,1328 or 1345 to read about their violations that they have broken of the permits that is under section 1342 about the clean water act.
Whistleblower protection
The 1972 amendment added a whistleblower protection. Employees in the US who believe they were fired or suffered another adverse action related to enforcement of this law have 30 days to file a written complaint with the
Occupational Safety and Health Administration.
Title VI - State Water Pollution Control Revolving Funds
The revolving fund program was authorized by the 1987 amendments.
Recent Developments
On July 25th, 2007, Senator Russell Feingold, Democrat from Wisconsin, introduced legislation to reiterate the Congress' objective in passing the Federal Water Pollution Control Act in 1972. The bill states that it was Congress' intention to protect all waters of the United States. Known as the Clean Water Restoration Act and co-sponsored by 19 Senators, the bill being reviewed by the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. This is considered by many environmental groups to be a necessary step towards reversing recent Supreme Court rulings that have repealed protection for as much as 60 percent of the nation's waters.
Case law
- United States v. Riverside Bayview Homes, Inc., 474 U.S. 121 (1985), upholding the Act's hold in regulating wetlands that intermingle with navagable waters.
- Rapanos v. United States, 547 U.S. ___ (2006), in separate controlling opinions questioned the Act's use of the term navigable waters and "waters of the United States" and questioned the reach of the Act to regulate wetlands that possess a "significant nexus" with such waters.
- National Association of Home Builders v. Defenders of wildlife, No. 06-340 (June 25, 2007).
References
See also
External links
- Full text of the act
- Full text of act with amendments through 2005 - Maintained by California Water Resources Control Board
- United States Fish and Wildlife Service digest of the Clean Water Act
- EPA - NPDES Permit Program
- EPA site on TMDLs
- EPA - Nonpoint Source Management Program
- Tetra Tech Water Resources and TMDL Center
- The Center for TMDL and Watershed Studies at Virginia Tech
- Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER)
- Government Accountability Project
- National Whistleblower Center
- Workplace Fairness FAQ for environmental whistleblowers
- Tate & Renner article on whistleblowers under US federal law
- Whistleblower Employee Protection Website
- U.S. Department of Labor Whistleblower Program & information
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