Water Pollution and the Clean Water Act

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Water Pollution and the Clean Water Act

• CWA from
• Kim Diana Connolly, University of South Carolina,
  School of Law

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Have you done the biomolecules homework?

• Its a 3 question ppt on my website in the
  documents area

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(No Transcript)
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Water Pollution - causes

• Pipes from factories (point sources)
• Run-off from land (non point sources)
• Agriculture
• Industry
• Roads parking lots
• Homes
• Livestock

Business Wastewater treatment Storm
water Construction Recreation
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Water Pollutants

• Nitrogen and Phosphorus from agricultural
  fertilizers, home fertilizers, pet waste,
  livestock waste, wastewater plants (etc.)
• Toxins from pesticides, roads, industry (etc)
• Sediment from construction, roads (etc)
• Heavy Metals from roads (etc)
• Oil and gas
• Bacteria and viruses

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Water Pollution - effects

• Cultural Eutrophication
• Water biomes are nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P)
  limited
• Plants require N and P to grow
• If more N and P are added, plants grow rapidly
  (algae blooms)
• Algae reproduces and dies quickly
• Dead algae decompose (which requires oxygen)
• Depletes the oxygen from the water
• Kills other organisms, fills water with vegetation

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Water Pollution - effects

• Bioaccumulation
• Heavy metals and toxins enter water
• Taken up by plants
• Eaten by herbivores and stored in fat
• Herbivores are eaten by carnivores and toxins
  stored in fat again
• Carnivores live longer and eat more, so more
  toxin is stored

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Water Pollution - effects

• Unsafe drinking water
• Nitrogen, phosphorus, heavy metals, toxins make
  water unsafe to drink
• Unsafe fish for food
• Because of bioaccumulation of toxins
• Unsafe swimming
• Animal wastes and bacteria
• Loss of biodiversity
• Animals killed from pollution
• Loss of habitat

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Water Pollution Regulation - History

• Rivers and Harbors Act of 1899 focuses on
  maintaining navigability
• The Federal Water Pollution Control Act (FWPCA)
  of 1948 federal water pollution control,
  implemented through state-based water quality
  standards and regulation

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Momentum toward 1972 Act

• FWPCA wasnt enough. Among other things
• Lake Erie was declared dead,
• The Cuyahoga River caught on fire
• Major sewer systems were closed
• The Hudson River was closed to fishing
• Political momentum for sweeping change for
  increased environmental protection around 1970

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FWPCA Amendments of 1972 aka Clean Water Act

• Objective to restore and maintain the
  chemical, physical, and biological integrity of
  the Nations waters. Sec. 101(a)
• Goals
• eliminate discharge of pollutants into U.S.
  waters by 1985
• make water quality in U.S. fishable and swimmable
  wherever attainable by 1983
• prohibit discharge of toxic pollutants in toxic
  amounts
• funding, planning, RD, non-point sources (4 - 7)

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Subsequent major CWA amendments

• 1977 Amendments largely in response to
  litigation over failure to meet statutory
  deadlines on toxic pollutants, incorporated a
  strategy for control of toxic pollutants
• 1987 Amendments established Toxic Hot Spots
  program, set a timetable for the regulation of
  stormwater, and established a non-point source
  management program