Clean Water ActThe Federal Water Pollution Control Act Amendments of 1972, frequently referred to as the Clean Water Act, is one of the most essential and far-reaching environmental rules previously passed by the U. S. To know why the Clean Water Act remains controversial, it is necessary to review the history of the policy, its ambitions, and its practices of achieving those aims. Congress. One of the most contentious pieces of legislation previously passed is also standing. More than 30 times since its passing, urbanaglaw essential provisions of the act continue to be debated at all administrative ranges, and lawsuits regularly are brought to national courts under the work.

Water Quality as a National ConcernThe Clean Water Act of 1972 was a significant change from earlier national laws governing liquid superior. Beginning in 1948, Congress declared it to be in the "national fascination" to tell a high level of waters excellent throughout the United States. In 1956, 1961, 1965, 1966, and 1970, it passed extra rules to manage fluids waste.

Although each later work was stricter than the first, it always held that the states were generally responsible for water quality. But the design and police of value requirements for most of the waterways in the United States-intrastate lake, waterways, streams, lakes, and ponds-were left to state and local governments. The federal government had the authority to provide financial assistance to the states, conduct basic water research, and maintain interstate water quality.

Federal accountabilityThe 1972 Clean Water Act abandoned the approach that state and local governments were primarily responsible for ensuring water quality. The 1972 Act charted new directions in federal regulatory policy and in relations between the federal government and the states, including generous financial assistance to state, tribal, and local governments to construct wastewater treatment facilities. The 92nd Congress took a bold new course in the midst of a national environmental movement whose leaders claimed that virtually nothing had been accomplished by relying on state action to reduce water pollution.

Regulatory ObjectivesThe command-and-control, or standards-and-enforcement, urbanaglaw method is described as the regulatory philosophy contained in the Clean Water Act. Few states had the opportunity to create their own water quality standards before the federal government would have to wait for them to do so. Under authority contained in the 1972 legislation, the EPA had primary responsibility for implementing the ambitious and optimistic goals of ensuring that all waters of the United States be "fishable" and" swimmable" by 1983, 10 years after the act's passage. Instead, Congress shifted this authority to the Environmental Protection Agency ( EPA ), a new federal agency.

The "zero discharge" of pollutants into the nation's waters by 1985 was another lofty goal of the 1972 Clean Water Act. Congress passed related legislation also at this time to ensure that its intent to cover all waters of the United States was clear.