U8L2 Clean Water Regulations Flashcards
Cuyahoga River was called the River that oozes rather than flows. How did it get to that point?
For over a century, the Cuyahoga River was used by the city of Cleveland as a dumping ground for chemical and sewage wastes.
Due the ambulance of chemicals in the Cuyahoga River, what happened? When did they finally address the problem?
It was such a problem that the oil slicks on the river caught fire 13 times. However, when the river caught fire on June 22, 1969, the country finally took notice. This is because the cultural revolution of the 1960s and 1970s included a new awareness and appreciation of the environment.
Describe some things that opened up people minds when it came of the environment in the 1969.
The first photographs of Earth taken by astronauts inspired people to view the planet as a small, finite resource. In 1962, books like Silent Spring by Rachel Carson highlighted the damage caused by the irresponsible use of toxic chemicals. People began to wonder how things could be changed and if the damage to the environment could be undone.
Prior to the Clear Water Act (CWA) how was water handled?
Wastewater could be legally dumped into surface waters with little or no treatment. Industrial wastewater was also dumped directly into the nearest body of water. These practices led to situations like the Cuyahoga River fire.
What lead to the creation of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)?
In 1970, President Nixon signed the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), which led to the creation of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
Why was the clean water act created?
To regulate water pollution
What authority does the CWA give to the EPA?
To set standards for industrial wastewater. It made it illegal for anyone to discharge pollutants without a tightly controlled permit.
What did the CWA do to help with point-source pollution?
The CWA also funded the construction of sewage treatment plants to help reduce municipal point-source pollution.
What are benefits of having cleaner water?
- Municipalities save money on cleaning water for drinking when the water is less polluted.
- Tourism earnings increase when the water is clean enough to swim or fish in.
- Waterfront property usually has a higher value when the water is cleaner.
What is a major befit of the CEA?
Economically
Another major benefit of the CWA is that by the late 1990s, it provided more than $62 billion in grant money for municipalities to construct or expand their treatment works. In the late 1980s, the CWA was amended to include the State Revolving Fund, which has provided over $126 billion in loans to states. As the money is repaid, it returns to the fund where it can be loaned to fund additional projects.
What is the definition of Safe Drinking Water Act?
Act passed in 1974 that ensures drinking water is safe by requiring drinking water be monitored for microorganisms, disinfectants, disinfectant by-products, inorganic and organic chemicals, and radionuclides.
What is a weakness of the CWA and SDWA?
While point-sources of pollution have become much more strictly regulated, not enough has been done to address nonpoint-source pollution such as city and farm runoff. Areas that are heavily populated, used for livestock, or where pesticides and fertilizers are applied all produce a great deal of runoff pollution that ends up in rivers, lakes, and oceans.
What is the definition of non-point source pollution?
Pollution that does not come from a single, identified point.
What is definition of runoff?
Precipitation or irrigation water that reaches streams, rivers, lakes, or the ocean, often carrying pollutants
How does the overflow of sewers relate to how sewers were developed?
While it’s true that most municipalities in the U.S. now treat their sewage wastewater, overflows do still happen resulting in raw sewage being leaked or dumped into waterways. This is largely due to how sewers developed through history. Initially, before flush toilets and running water, sewers were only designed to handle stormwater to reduce flooding in streets. As plumbing was installed in housing, sewage drained into existing stormwater sewers.
