Enacted originally in 1948, the Act was amended many times until it was reorganized and expanded in 1972. Primary authority for the implementation and enforcement of the Clean Water Act is now the responsibility of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Under the Clean Water Act, the states have the primary responsibility for preventing, reducing, and eliminating water pollution. The states have to do this within a national framework and, EPA is empowered to move in if the states do not fulfill their responsibilities. (Ch52,pg1355) Works Cited: Business Law 14th Edition, Mallor, Barnes, Bowers, Langvardt, Chapter 52, page 1355.
( articles.latimes.com) In the case they brought up the Clean Water act in which its suppose to restore and maintain the chemical, physical, and biological integrity of the nation's waters by preventing point and nonpoint pollution sources, providing assistance to publicly owned treatment works for the improvement of wastewater treatment, and maintaining the integrity of wetlands. (www.epa.gov). But how they used the act they tried saying that it was also used for rivers and bays as well. The U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals held the county responsible for the overflowing of the ground water that flowed pasted the monitor making it illegal "discharge" of pollution. ( articles.latimes.com).
These runoffs have contributed to the beach closures, and the unsustainable condition of biological life in the lake. Human health is at great risk due to the untreated waste that is dumped in Lake Huron each year. The untreated sewage contains many viruses, two being Giardia (an intestinal parasite), cryptosporidium, which causes intestinal illnesses and even death. E. coli a more familiar virus has elevated its concentrations in Lake Huron, found in either animal or human feces, which causes diarrhea, nausea, and stomach cramps. ("Testing the waters,"
The “but for” test for causation is used. Ex: If PG&E had put a sheet underneath the ponds, the injuries to the community would not have happened. Proximate Cause: Plaintiff must establish that the harm suffered by the injured person was a foreseeable consequence of the defendant’s negligent actions. Ex: PG&E dumps excess water into ponds which should have sheet underneath so no toxic water gets out * Foreseeability * Unbroken chain from actual cause to injury * Zone of danger 3) Injury: 14 years of hex chrome seeping into dirt over to contaminate water the families of Hinkley drink and use caused significant injuries such as cancers, miscarriages and kidney stones. II.
Fracking is inherently risky, there is extensive evidence to suggest that fracking can contaminate groundwater and that it causes significant air pollution. For the first time in history, smog has become a major issue in many rural communities in the US, with some villages in Wyoming experiencing worse smog than downtown Los Angeles and an increase in lung cancer cases of over 500%. Since 2005, 1.2 trillion litres has been wasted in the fracking process creating toxic waste which cannot be recycled and must be disposed of very carefully to avoid danger to humans and the environment. In addition, one in six deep injection wells examined have an integrity violation leading to the leaking of toxic waste into the environment – more than 17,000 violations in the US alone. Such is the desperation for energy in the US, fracking has had to be made exempt from parts of at least seven major national statutes, including the Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act and Safe Drinking Water Act in order for it to be made legal.
As youth we need to help as best we can in creating our ocean more sustainable. Many people are unaware of what is happening on our oil rigs, we need to make sure everyone is educated on what is going on and make sure that everyone is trying to make the ocean more sustainable. Oil spills are very dangerous to marine life; we need to make sure we do everything to protect it. Many people rely on Newfoundland waters for fish to eat, and to make a living. Contaminating these waters will not only harm the wildlife, but it will kill a source of food that is so dominant in Newfoundland, and also will harm hundreds of people’s jobs.
BHS 433 Module 3 – Case Assignment Water Quality “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. Under the CWA, EPA has implemented pollution control programs such as setting wastewater standards for industry. They have also set water quality standards for all contaminants in surface waters” (EPA, 2011a). “The Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) is the main federal law that ensures the quality of Americans' drinking water. Under SDWA, EPA sets standards for drinking water quality and oversees the states, localities, and water suppliers who implement those standards” (EPA, 2011b).
In 2011, The EPA required TVA to purchase an estimated $3 to $5 billion on new and upgraded state-of-the-art pollution controls. This came in response to an alleged Clean Air Act violation of 11 coal-fired plants in the TVA
This would be terrible for the people and creatures that rely on this mighty river to live. Dams, diversions and evaporation losses from reservoirs also contribute to the lessening of water available from the river, causing ecological consequences to wildlife living in and along the river. The Colorado River used to carry up to 85 to 100 million tons of silt or sediment to the Gulf of California where it deposited into the sea. The sediment helped things along the river path grow and flourish. Over the years, the silt has been collecting in Lake Mead, the nation’s largest reservoir, and it is predicted that over the next few hundred years this lake will fill up with silt.
Areas around the world known as “Dead Zones” are being reported as “areas so low in oxygen that fish and other sea life cannot survive (Oceans Where Fish Choke. November 30, 2010).” These areas are accosted with highly populated coastal areas that are being overfished and have rich nutrient run off coming from land causing massive decline in phytoplankton. Biological Oceanographers worldwide study dead fish that continue to surface on shore by searching for a solution to the problem. Many believe the zones are created due to climate change; however, it is more logical that the constant drain off of the high nutrients is feeding the dilemma. Low oxygen levels increase stress on fish.