TheThe CleanClean WaterWater ActAct

““[N]obody[N]obody cancan bebe inin goodgood healthhealth ifif hehe doesdoes notnot havehave allall thethe time,time, freshfresh air,air, sunshine,sunshine, andand goodgood water.water.”” --Flying Hawk, Oglala Sioux Chief TopicsTopics II WillWill CoverCover

•• FederalFederal andand StateState regulationregulation ofof waterwater pollutionpollution beforebefore thethe CleanClean WaterWater ActAct –– MinimalMinimal FederalFederal InterventionIntervention –– StateState ControlControl andand thethe ““RaceRace toto thethe BottomBottom”” •• TheThe CleanClean WaterWater ActAct ofof 19721972 –– EliminateEliminate directdirect dischargesdischarges intointo ““waterswaters ofof thethe UnitedUnited StatesStates”” –– ProtectProtect publiclypublicly ownedowned sewersewer systemssystems –– ProtectProtect wetlandswetlands –– EnforcementEnforcement mechanismsmechanisms forfor thethe aboveabove areasareas MINIMALMINIMAL FEDERALFEDERAL INVOLVEMENTINVOLVEMENT ANDAND STATESTATE PRIMACYPRIMACY MinimalMinimal FederalFederal InvolvementInvolvement

•• TheThe RiversRivers andand HarborsHarbors ActAct ofof 18991899 (RHA)(RHA) – Concerned mostly about navigation. – Section 13 prohibited the discharge of refuse into navigable waters or the deposit of such materials onto their banks unless the Secretary of the Army grants a permit to do so. – Regulates dredging, filling, and activities that might alter the course, condition, and location of navigable waters. StateState PrimacyPrimacy

•• MostMost statestate waterwater pollutionpollution statutesstatutes inin earlyearly 1900s1900s focusedfocused onon controllingcontrolling dischargesdischarges ofof humanhuman waste,waste, whichwhich waswas thethe causecause ofof mostmost waterbornewaterborne illnessillness •• StatesStates regulatedregulated mostlymostly withwith narrativenarrative waterwater qualityquality standardsstandards INCREASED,INCREASED, BUTBUT HESITANT,HESITANT, FEDERALFEDERAL INVOLVEMENTINVOLVEMENT POSTPOST WWIIWWII MoreMore FederalFederal InvolvementInvolvement

•• FederalFederal WaterWater PollutionPollution ControlControl ActAct ofof 1948,1948, amendedamended inin 1961,1961, 19651965 (FWPCA)(FWPCA) – State primacy with federal assistance from US Surgeon General to set standards and find ways to treat wastes “that are not susceptible to known effective methods of treatment” – Surgeon General eventually replaced by Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare – 1965 amendments created water quality criteria created between federal government and state; federal enforcement allowed but only after lengthy administrative proceedings for “abatement” MoreMore FederalFederal InvolvementInvolvement

•• WaterWater PollutionPollution ControlControl ActAct ofof 19561956 – State primacy with federal assistance from Surgeon General, Public Health Service, and Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare to promote interstate compacts between states to control water pollution. Also allowed SG to issue grants to states for sewer treatment facilities •• CleanClean WaterWater RestorationRestoration ActAct ofof 19661966 – Provided federal assistance to states to promulgate rules for wetlands •• WaterWater QualityQuality ImprovementImprovement ActAct ofof 19701970 – Sought to regulate oil pollution on ocean waters and made polluters liable to the US for up to $8 million for clean-up costs BUT THIS APPROACH DID NOT WORK Photo of Cuyahoga River (1969) after it caught on fire. (http://www.jcu.edu/chemistry/naosmm/2007/11031952Fire.jpg) MAJORMAJOR FEDERALFEDERAL INVOLVEMENTINVOLVEMENT ANDAND STATESTATE DELEGATIONDELEGATION MajorMajor FederalFederal InvolvementInvolvement

•• WhyWhy wouldwould thethe federalfederal governmentgovernment taketake controlcontrol overover environmentalenvironmental lawlaw issues?issues? –– ““TragedyTragedy ofof thethe CommonsCommons”” –– ““RaceRace toto thethe BottomBottom”” •• InterstateInterstate naturenature ofof waterwater andand waterwater pollutionpollution TheThe CleanClean WaterWater ActAct ofof 19721972

•• ““TheThe objectiveobjective ofof [the[the CWA]CWA] isis toto restorerestore andand maintainmaintain thethe chemical,chemical, physical,physical, andand biologicalbiological integrityintegrity ofof thethe Nation'sNation's waters.waters.”” 3333 U.S.C.U.S.C. §§ 1251(a).1251(a). PurposePurpose ofof thethe CWACWA

•• “In order to achieve this objective it is hereby declared that, consistent with the provisions of [the CWA]-- – it is the national goal that the discharge of pollutants into the navigable waters be eliminated by 1985; – it is the national goal that wherever attainable, an interim goal of water quality which provides for the protection and propagation of fish, shellfish, and wildlife and provides for recreation in and on the water be achieved by July 1, 1983; – it is the national policy that the discharge of toxic pollutants in toxic amounts be prohibited; – it is the national policy that programs for the control of nonpoint sources of pollution be developed and implemented in an expeditious manner so as to enable the goals of this chapter to be met through the control of both point and nonpoint sources of pollution.” MajorMajor PartsParts ofof CWACWA

•• CongressCongress triedtried toto achieveachieve itsits loftylofty goalsgoals inin threethree ways:ways: –– TryTry toto eliminate/reduceeliminate/reduce dischargesdischarges ofof pollutantspollutants intointo ““waterswaters ofof thethe UnitedUnited StatesStates”” throughthrough useuse ofof permitspermits andand waterwater qualityquality standardsstandards –– ProtectProtect publiclypublicly ownedowned sewersewer systemssystems –– RegulateRegulate wetlandswetlands PARTPART I:I: DEALINGDEALING WITHWITH DISCHARGESDISCHARGES INTOINTO WATERSWATERS OFOF THETHE U.S.U.S. DischargesDischarges intointo waterswaters ofof thethe UnitedUnited StatesStates •• TheThe CWACWA mademade itit illegalillegal to:to: –– DischargeDischarge –– AA pollutantpollutant –– IntoInto waterswaters ofof thethe UnitedUnited StatesStates –– FromFrom aa pointpoint sourcesource –– WithoutWithout aa permitpermit •• Permits are FEDERAL, but administration of program can be delegated to states with Federal veto power over permitting decisions DefinitionsDefinitions

•• TheThe termterm "discharge"discharge”” meansmeans ““anyany additionaddition”” •• TheThe termterm ““AdditionAddition”” isis notnot defineddefined inin thethe statutestatute butbut takestakes itsits ““plainplain meaningmeaning”” (i.e.(i.e. ““toto combinecombine””).). •• TheThe termterm "pollutant""pollutant" meansmeans dredgeddredged spoil,spoil, solidsolid waste,waste, incineratorincinerator residue,residue, sewage,sewage, garbage,garbage, sewagesewage sludge,sludge, munitions,munitions, chemicalchemical wastes,wastes, biologicalbiological materials,materials, radioactiveradioactive materials,materials, heat,heat, wreckedwrecked oror discardeddiscarded equipment,equipment, rock,rock, sand,sand, cellarcellar dirtdirt andand industrial,industrial, municipal,municipal, andand agriculturalagricultural wastewaste dischargeddischarged intointo water.water. DefinitionsDefinitions

•• TheThe termterm "navigable"navigable waters"waters" meansmeans thethe waterswaters ofof thethe UnitedUnited States,States, includingincluding thethe territorialterritorial seas.seas. – We used to know what this meant before Rapanos DefinitionsDefinitions

•• TheThe termterm "point"point source"source" meansmeans anyany discernible,discernible, confinedconfined andand discretediscrete conveyance,conveyance, includingincluding butbut notnot limitedlimited toto anyany pipe,pipe, ditch,ditch, channel,channel, tunnel,tunnel, conduit,conduit, well,well, discretediscrete fissure,fissure, container,container, rollingrolling stock,stock, concentratedconcentrated animalanimal feedingfeeding operation,operation, oror vesselvessel oror otherother floatingfloating craft,craft, fromfrom whichwhich pollutantspollutants areare oror maymay bebe discharged.discharged. ThisThis termterm doesdoes notnot includeinclude agriculturalagricultural stormwaterstormwater dischargesdischarges andand returnreturn flowsflows fromfrom irrigatedirrigated agriculture.agriculture. DefinitionsDefinitions

•• ““NonpointNonpoint SourceSource”” isis aa sourcesource ofof waterwater pollutionpollution withoutwithout aa singlesingle pointpoint ofof origin.origin. –– AgricultureAgriculture runoffrunoff –– UrbanUrban runoffrunoff SettingSetting WQSWQS

•• StatesStates mustmust designatedesignate aa useuse forfor eacheach waterwater bodybody oror segmentsegment ofof thethe waterwater bodybody – Public water supplies – Propagation of fish and wildlife – Recreation – Agriculture – Industry •• TheThe goalgoal ofof thethe CWACWA isis toto makemake EVERYEVERY navigablenavigable bodybody ofof waterwater ““fishablefishable andand swimmableswimmable”” SettingSetting WQSWQS

•• OnceOnce statesstates establishestablish thethe designateddesignated use,use, theythey mustmust alsoalso determinedetermine thethe criteriacriteria toto establishestablish thethe maximummaximum amountamount ofof pollutantspollutants toto bebe dischargeddischarged intointo aa specificspecific segmentsegment ofof waterwater toto attainattain thethe designateddesignated useuse •• TheseThese determinationsdeterminations maymay bebe inin eithereither narrativenarrative oror numericalnumerical •• EPAEPA maymay eithereither acceptaccept oror rejectreject thesethese criteriacriteria – If EPA rejects them, EPA will set them WQSWQS

•• StatesStates mustmust testtest thethe waterwater periodicallyperiodically •• StatesStates maymay decidedecide toto ““downgradedowngrade”” aa bodybody ofof waterwater ifif certaincertain EPAEPA criteriacriteria areare met,met, –– TheThe statestate maymay NOTNOT downgradedowngrade waterwater inin nationalnational parks,parks, statestate parks,parks, oror wildlifewildlife refuges.refuges. FederalFederal EffluentEffluent LimitationsLimitations

•• ToTo ensureensure thatthat WQSWQS areare met,met, thethe EPAEPA regulatesregulates dischargesdischarges throughthrough technologytechnology basedbased effluenteffluent limitationslimitations (TBEL)(TBEL) •• EffluentEffluent limitationslimitations setset dailydaily andand monthlymonthly limitslimits onon howhow muchmuch ofof aa pollutantpollutant maymay bebe dischargeddischarged fromfrom aa pointpoint sourcesource •• EffluentEffluent limitationslimitations areare setset byby federalfederal regulationregulation TBELsTBELs

•• TBELsTBELs areare determineddetermined byby thethe typetype andand quantityquantity ofof pollutants.pollutants. •• EPAEPA promulgatespromulgates regulationsregulations thatthat categorizecategorize eacheach industryindustry andand setset thethe effluenteffluent limitationlimitation forfor eacheach pollutantpollutant commonlycommonly dischargeddischarged byby thatthat industry.industry. TBELsTBELs

•• InIn additionaddition toto differingdiffering byby industrialindustrial category,category, effluenteffluent limitationslimitations alsoalso differdiffer dependingdepending onon whether:whether: –– TheThe sourcesource isis ““newnew”” oror ““existingexisting”” –– TheThe dischargesdischarges willwill bebe ““conventional,conventional,”” ““toxic,toxic,”” oror ““nonconventionalnonconventional””;; oror –– TheThe dischargesdischarges willwill bebe directlydirectly intointo waterswaters ofof thethe UnitedUnited StatesStates oror throughthrough publicpublic treatmenttreatment facilitiesfacilities WQSWQS andand EffluentEffluent LimitationsLimitations

•• EPAEPA reliesrelies onon WQSWQS andand effluenteffluent limitationslimitations toto issueissue NPDESNPDES permitspermits (a.k.a.(a.k.a. NationalNational PollutantPollutant DischargeDischarge EliminationElimination SystemSystem Permits)Permits) NPDESNPDES PermitsPermits

•• ItIt isis unlawfulunlawful toto dischargedischarge anyany pollutantpollutant intointo thethe navigablenavigable waterswaters ofof thethe UnitedUnited StatesStates withoutwithout anan NPDESNPDES permitpermit (except(except forfor oiloil andand gasgas operations)operations) 3333 U.S.C.U.S.C. §§ 1311)1311) •• NPDESNPDES permitpermit givesgives thethe permitteepermittee thethe rightright toto dischargedischarge specificspecific pollutantspollutants fromfrom certaincertain pointpoint sourcessources NPDESNPDES PermitPermit

•• PermitPermit lastslasts 55 yearsyears •• ContainContain TBELsTBELs necessarynecessary toto achieveachieve compliancecompliance withwith WQSWQS •• MonitoringMonitoring requiredrequired NPDESNPDES PermitPermit

•• StatesStates maymay taketake overover NPDESNPDES permitpermit issuanceissuance fromfrom EPAEPA ifif statestate lawlaw isis identicalidentical oror moremore stringentstringent thanthan federalfederal lawlaw •• EPAEPA retainsretains aa vetoveto powerpower overover NPDESNPDES permitspermits NonpointNonpoint SourceSource PollutionPollution

•• NonpointNonpoint sourcesource pollutionpollution intointo waterswaters ofof thethe UnitedUnited StatesStates isis estimatedestimated toto causecause –– 65%65% ofof streamstream pollution,pollution, –– 76%76% ofof lakelake pollution,pollution, andand –– 45%45% ofof estuaryestuary pollutionpollution NonpointNonpoint SourceSource PollutionPollution

•• SectionSection 319319 (33(33 U.S.C.U.S.C. §§ 1329)1329) requiresrequires thethe GovernorGovernor ofof eacheach statestate toto submitsubmit toto EPAEPA aa reportreport andand aa planplan thatthat identifiesidentifies controlcontrol strategiesstrategies forfor navigablenavigable waterswaters adverselyadversely affectedaffected byby nonpointnonpoint sourcesource pollutionpollution •• MustMust bebe basedbased onon ““bestbest managementmanagement practicespractices”” NonpointNonpoint SourceSource PollutionPollution

•• TotalTotal MaximumMaximum DailyDaily LoadsLoads (TMDL):(TMDL): EvenEven ifif everyevery polluterpolluter isis meetingmeeting thethe termsterms ofof his/herhis/her permit,permit, thethe waterwater maymay exceedexceed WQS.WQS. ForFor suchsuch areas,areas, EPAEPA inin conjunctionconjunction withwith thethe statesstates establishestablish TMDLs.TMDLs. OverOver time,time, EPA/stateEPA/state willwill ratchetratchet downdown thethe permitpermit allowancesallowances andand thethe nonpointnonpoint sourcessources toto bringbring thesethese bodiesbodies ofof waterwater intointo compliancecompliance withwith WQS.WQS. PARTPART II:II: PUBLICLYPUBLICLY OWNEDOWNED TREATMENTTREATMENT WORKSWORKS ((““THETHE SEWERSEWER””)) PubliclyPublicly OwnedOwned TreatmentTreatment WorksWorks (POTWs)(POTWs) •• CongressCongress recognizedrecognized thatthat aa functioningfunctioning sewersewer systemsystem isis essentialessential toto maintainingmaintaining healthhealth •• ItIt alsoalso realizedrealized thatthat manymany ofof thethe dischargesdischarges intointo waterswaters ofof thethe USUS camecame fromfrom POTWsPOTWs POTWsPOTWs

•• InIn thethe CWA,CWA, CongressCongress authorizedauthorized thethe EPAEPA toto issueissue grantsgrants toto buildbuild locallocal sewersewer systemssystems Congress also sought to protect POTWs from this. Kentucky POTW explosion POTWsPOTWs

•• ToTo protectprotect thethe sizeablesizeable publicpublic investmentinvestment inin POTWs,POTWs, CongressCongress – Allowed EPA to set NATIONAL standards as to what can go into a sewer system • E.g. no “pass through” allowed; no substances that may cause acute POTW worker health and safety problems – Allowed local POTWs to make their own rules as long as they are as strict as the national standards • Made local sewer ordinances federally enforceable both criminally and civilly • Thus, POTW rule are both federal and state law PARTPART III:III: WETLANDSWETLANDS DredgeDredge andand FillFill PermitsPermits

•• InIn additionaddition toto regulatingregulating dischargesdischarges fromfrom aa pointpoint sourcesource intointo waterswaters ofof thethe UnitedUnited StatesStates andand intointo POTWs,POTWs, thethe CWACWA regulatesregulates dredgingdredging andand fillingfilling inin orderorder toto complycomply withwith WQSWQS •• UnderUnder sectionsection 404404 (33(33 U.S.C.U.S.C. §§ 1344),1344), aa personperson maymay NOTNOT dischargedischarge oror placeplace dredgeddredged oror fillfill materialsmaterials intointo navigablenavigable waters,waters, includingincluding wetlandswetlands withoutwithout aa permitpermit fromfrom thethe ArmyArmy CorpsCorps ofof EngineersEngineers DredgeDredge andand FillFill

•• ““DredgedDredged materialmaterial”” isis materialmaterial thatthat isis excavatedexcavated oror dredgeddredged fromfrom thethe waterswaters ofof thethe UnitedUnited StatesStates •• ““FillFill materialmaterial”” isis anyany materialmaterial usedused forfor thethe primaryprimary purposepurpose ofof replacingreplacing anan aquaticaquatic areaarea withwith drydry landland oror thethe elevatingelevating thethe bottombottom ofof aa bodybody ofof waterwater (making(making aa falsefalse island,island, buildingbuilding onon aa swamp,swamp, etc.)etc.) ENFORCEMENTENFORCEMENT OFOF THETHE CWACWA EnforcementEnforcement

•• AdministrativeAdministrative –– ComplianceCompliance ordersorders –– AdministrativeAdministrative penaltiespenalties •• Class I: $10,000 per “violation,” but not more than $25,000 per day in total penalties •• Class II: $10,000 for each day of violation, may not exceed $125,000 total. •• Public notice and comment required before assessing admin. penalties EnforcementEnforcement

•• CivilCivil RemediesRemedies –– EPAEPA maymay commencecommence aa civilcivil actionaction toto enforceenforce thethe administrativeadministrative penaltiespenalties andand maymay seekseek injunctiveinjunctive relief,relief, cleanclean--upup costs,costs, contemptcontempt penalties,penalties, etc.etc. EnforcementEnforcement

•• CriminalCriminal – Person who “knowingly” discharges a pollutant into the waters of the United States from a point source or into a wetland without a permit or in violation of a permit is guilty of a felony (up to 3 years in prison and a $250,000 fine per day of violation) – Person who “knowingly” violates an effluent or prohibition limitation for a POTW is guilty of a felony with the same penalty mentioned above – Negligent violations get up to 1 year in prison and up to $100,000 in fines (Class A misdemeanor) EnforcementEnforcement

•• CitizenCitizen SuitsSuits – “Any citizen may commence a civil action on his own behalf” against any person (including the United States or state) “who is alleged to be in violation” of an effluent standard. • “To be in violation” does NOT include wholly past violations – Civil action may NOT be commenced if the government is “diligently prosecuting” a civil or criminal action in a federal or state court – Citizens must give EPA/state 60-days notice prior to filing suit