Clean Water Act example essay topic

390 words
California Water Pollution Water pollution is the major problem in our world today. The state of California also has many water problems of it's own. Many living things suffer from polluted water. Humans, animals, and other organisms depend on water to live. So what will happen if nothing is done to save our polluted water Or if what is being done just isn't enough to keep our water clean and safe. Fish in the ocean often get tangled in plastic rings.

Those plastic rings that are made for soda cans are perfectly legal and for that reason they do end up in the ocean. Chemicals are thrown into lakes, streams, and other bodies of water by inconsiderate chemical plants. These chemicals that can be deadly end up in our drinking water and harm humans and animals. We all know that there is a problem, but the question is, what is being done to solve that problem There are many laws and regulations to keep our water clean.

Such as proposition 65 "The safe drinking water and toxic enforcement act" of unsafe levels of chemicals known to cause cancer and reproductive harm into actual or potential water sources. There is also the Toxic Pits cleanup act of 1984. This act states that there is to be no discharge of hazardous wastes within an half a mile of a potential drinking water source. This is something being done, but water does travel and seep through ground so what is this act really doing. The clean water act is designed to protect ground water indirectly by protecting the quality of surface water. The standards for the surface water require sewage treatment, and discharge of industrial and municiple waste water into surface water.

There is also the Comprehensive Environmental Response Compensation and Liability Act. (CERCLA) This creates liability and provisions for federal and state to seek reimbursement for responsible parties (generators, transporters, or disposers) for clean up or to see court order requiring those responsible to clean up site. These laws that are mentioned are only a few of the many laws that are out there to recover and preserve our water. Many people in fact do break these laws but they are a start.