The cwa made it unlawful to discharge any pollutant from a point source into navigable waters, unless a permit authorized under the cwa was obtained. The clean water act cwa, formally known as the federal water pollution control amendments of1972, is the united states major piece of legislation concerning surface water pollution. As amended in 1977, this law became commonly known as the clean water act. This act provides a comprehensive system for the regulation of pollutants in the waters of the united states with the objective of restoring and maintaining the. The clean water act of 1972 congress had tackled water pollution as early as 1899, but most legislation lacked teeth. The clean water act serves as the basis for the epas national pollutant discharge elimination system npdes. Watershed academy web introduction to the clean water act. The federal water pollution control act, commonly known as the clean water act was originally passed in 1948. The clean water act as we know it was created after the federal water pollution control act was amended in 1972 six titles were added to the fwpca. Supreme court will make historic clean water act ruling. The clean water act of 1972 maintains the physical, chemical, and biological integrity of the waterways, and the safe drinking water act of 1974 controls drinkingwater.
The clean water act cwa is the primary federal law in the united states governing water. This pdf file was adapted from an online training module of the. Ppt the clean water act cwa powerpoint presentation. Maintenance of surface waters to meet necessary standards for. The clean water act cwa establishes the basic structure for. The act is aimed at managing surface water pollution, eliminating further pollution, protecting aquatic wildlife, and attaining and maintaining water quality standards for water. Within fortyeight hours, 180 navy ships had joined stickell in the.
Given the environmental laws and regulations course manual as a reference, you will be able to. It is a federal measure to regulate discharge of pollutants into any waters in the us. Modernization of the clean water act is long overdue. Stickell dd 888 left her home port of norfolk, virginia, under orders to steam south for classified operations. The concern is to keep outdoor waters swimmable and fishable. This publication is a compilation of the text of chapter 758 of the 80th congress. Cwa was enacted in 1972 in response to nationwide water pollution issues and was amended in 1977 and 1987. As the title suggests, this paper will trace the history of federal interventions in u.
Simple straightforward and easy to use free pdf reader is a windows application for viewing and reading pdf documents with a simple. Rolling back clean water act rules endangers new mexico. This paper quantifies changes in water pollution since before 1972. The clean water act cwa establishes the basic structure for regulating discharges of pollutants into the waters of the united states and regulating quality standards for surface waters. Clean water act of 1972 definition of clean water act of. Why farmers and ranchers think the epa clean water rule. The clean water act was passed when 60% of waterways in the us were not fishable or swimmable. The clean water act is the primary federal law in the united states governing water pollution. Section 311 of cwa was amended by the oil pollution act opa of 1990, which has its own separate regulation and. Since 1972, the clean water act has been the main federal law governing the health of the countrys waterways. Caldart, in international encyclopedia of public health, 2008. The national wildlife federation advocates for preventing wetland and stream destruction and pollution through strong enforcement of the clean water act.
Congress responded to the water pollution problem described by professor hines by adopting the federal water pollution control act amendments of 1972, now known as the clean water act. Its objective is to restore and maintain the chemical, physical, and biological integrity of the nations waters. The federal water pollution control act is amended to read as follows. The clean water act explicitly covers all navigable bodies of water. The state shall pursue a policy of economic growth in a manner consistent with the protection, preservation and revival of the quality of our fresh, brackish and marine waters. Regulation of navy ship discharges under the clean water. It provides for the maintenance of the chemical, physical and biological integrity of nations waters. Consequences of the clean water act and the demand for water. This act shall be known as the philippine clean water act of 2004. This amendment allocated federal funding for research projects involved in reducing or eliminating water.
Clean water act became the acts common name with amendments in 1977. Clean water act of 1972 grew from the1969 burning of the cuyahoga river in cleveland duration. Clean water act cwa, also known as federal water pollution control act amendments of 1972, u. The modern clean water act has its origins in the federal water pollution control act amendments of 1972. Modernization of the clean water act is long overdue special report jurisdiction the limits on the clean water act s jurisdiction should be revised to reflect the interrelated and interdependent nature of the hydrologic cycle. By 1972, congress had voted on an amended version of the law that included the expansion of regulations to prevent pollution of the nations waterways. In 1948, congress acted for the first time to comprehensively address water quality with passage of the federal water pollution control act of 1948, but enforcement was restricted to interstate waterways. Safe drinking water act sdwa cwaregulates discharges in rivers, lakes, estuaries and wetlands by means of discharge permits and effluent standards. A summary of the law introduction the principal law governing pollution of the nations surface waters is the federal water pollution control act, or clean water act. The 1972 law gave epa the authority to set effluent standards on an industry basis technologybased and. Control act amendments of 1972, supplemented by a 45pager in the form of the clean water act. Be it enacted by the senate and house of representatives of the united state8 of america in congress assembled, that this act may be cited as the federal water pollution control act amendments of 1972.
Environmental protection agency epa, in conjunction with the u. The federal clean water act cwa, the primary federal authority for addressing water pollution, has been. It was last amended by the public law listed in the as amended. Today, our rivers, streams, lakes, and oceans are, on the whole, cleaner. The clean water act of 1972 is the primary authority for the nations water pollution control programs and established the structure for regulating discharge of pollutants and surface water quality. Maintenance of surface waters to meet necessary standards for human sports and recreation. Federal water pollution control act chapter 758 of the 80th congress 33 u. The issue of which waters are protected by the clean water act is critical to the act s entire functioning.
The clean water act passed in 1972 with origins in a 1940s water pollution law. Please feel free to use the activity suggestions and materials in ways that best meet the needs. An act to amend the federal water pollution control act. You may need a pdf reader to view some of the files on this page. Sdwaestablishes water quality standards for all public water distribution systems. The cwa was a response to increasing public concern for the environment and for the condition of the nations waters. The act established the basic structure for regulating discharges of pollutants into the waters of the united states. Some regulations interpreting the 1972 law have included water features such as intermittent streams, playa lakes, prairie. Since passage in 1972, the clean water act has made great strides in protecting and restoring americas waters.
A summary of the law congressional research service 1 introduction the principal law governing pollution of the nations surface waters is the federal water pollution control act, or clean water act. Today, because of the clean water act, roughly 40%. Water pollution and water quality dartmouth college. Clean water act cwa or act establishes the basic structure for regulating discharges of pollutants into u. The rule is a complement to the clean water act cwa of 1972.
Most statetribal wqs require that all surface waters be free from the following. Clean water act of 1972 article about clean water act of. Army, finalized the clean water rule cwr, which serves to more clearly protect the streams and wetlands leading to major bodies of water from pollution and deterioration u. The clean water act cwa is the primary federal statute regulating the protection of the nations waters. Science, politics, law, and the arc of the clean water act. Clean water act of 1972 financial definition of clean. Clean water act ofyq403592020 adobe acrobat reader dcdownload adobe acrobat reader dc ebook pdf. Challenges and opportunities in the 21st century over the past 37 years, the clean water act cwa has played a vital role in improving the health of our nations waters. The clean water act of 1972 protects the waters of the united states from unpermitted discharges that may harm water quality for humans and aquatic life. States free from damages due to construction, operation. The federal water pollution control act as in effect immediately prior to the date of enactment of this act oct. The clean water act cwa of 1972 is federal legislation governing water pollution. Economic implications, viewpoints and solutions for the.
Growing public awareness and concern for controlling water pollution led to enactment of the federal water pollution control act amendments of 1972. Other important environmental laws that followed included the clean air act of 1970, the clean water act of 1972, the endangered species act of 1973, the resources hanning act of 1974 reorganizing forest service decisionmaking, the federal land policy and management act of 1976 the organic act for the bureau of land management, the resources conservation and recovery act. International spillovers and water quality in rivers. The clean water act cwa 1 the clean water act cwa 2 objectives. Passage of the clean water act of 1972 brought many improvements to surface waters by curbing much of the toxic and organic pollution going into waterways. Since the clean water act of 1972, wooden pilings that had been in the water for 100 years began to fall down, he says. The basic structure of the act was established at that time, although it was refined and refocused by the clean water act amendments of 1977 from which it also took its.
Originally enacted in 1948, it was totally revised by amendments in 1972 that gave the act its current shape. In this lesson, students consider how the clean water act of 1972 became a law. The worlds best pdf solution lets you create sign and send documents on any. Describe and demonstrate how the clean water act cwa applies to and affects operations at doe facilities. Passed in 1972, the clean water act was a response to the nearly unchecked dumping of pollution into our waterways.
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