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Water pollution issues were originally handled by state governments, but widespread public environmental concern in the late 1960s and early 1970s changed this. The federal government began to play a more active role.
Date | Event |
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1962 | Rachel Carson's book Silent Spring was published in 1962. In the book, she discussed various problems caused by pollution, particularly the effects of agricultural practices on waterways. |
1969 | The Cuyahoga River caught fire in Northeast Ohio because of water pollution. The cover photo and article in Time magazine about the river caught public attention and led to a call for water pollution control measures. |
1969 | A large oil spill off the coast of Santa Barbara spiked media coverage, increased public concern, and resulted in political action. |
1970 | Earth Day was declared a national holiday in 1970 in an attempt to promote ecological stewardship. |
There have been several important laws and regulations about water quality in the United States. The following sections will cover some of them.
In 1969, citizen groups began taking advantage of the Refuse Act of 1899, which prohibited water pollution discharge if it was not approved by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
Citizen groups used it to sue hundreds of industrial companies that were discharging pollutants into waterways. Even though it allowed citizen groups to advocate for better water quality, the Refuse Act was not intended for environmental regulation. Its purpose was to keep waterways clear enough to allow naval navigation.
In 1972, the Clean Water Act was passed by President Nixon's administration as a result of public pressure. The goals of the Act were to manage U.S. waterways so that by July 1, 1983, it would be possible to fish and swim in all waters while also eliminating the discharge of pollutants into waters by 1985.
The Clean Water Act originally only accounted for point source polluters. When states set water quality standards, they usually organize by uses, such as the following:
EXAMPLE
Section 404 of the Clean Water Act regulates dredging and filling of navigable waters, which includes wetlands. This is done by issuing permits to industries through the Army Corps of Engineers in order to assess negative impacts to wetlands.In 1987, the Clean Water Act was amended to account for nonpoint source polluters. States are now required to assess if their waterways are impacted by nonpoint polluters, as well as to develop programs to address problems. The amendment mostly granted funds and information for state projects to carry out the following activities:
Efforts to address water pollution in the United States have resulted in sewage treatment plants dramatically reducing water pollution. About half of U.S. waterways are now considered clean, and the most severe cases have been substantially improved and cleaned. International efforts have been primarily focused on agreements around protecting international waterways. While dozens of countries have signed agreements between each other to prevent water pollution, few have included any agreed-upon standards or requirements.
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