The Clean Water Act (currently the Federal Water Pollution Control Act) allows the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) to regulate permits for "regulating point sources that discharge pollutants into waters of the United States" (1). Permits are not needed for municipal residents; however, businesses and industries must obtain these permits in order to comply with the Clean Water Act. According to a source, a permit can be obtained by submitting an application to the Regional Water Board that describes the kind of waste that will be emitted, the treatment plan for the waste, and the manner in which the waste will be eliminated (2). States monitor the distribution of these permits (1).
1. http://www.epa.gov/compliance/monitoring/programs/cwa/npdes.html
2. http://www.swrcb.ca.gov/water_issues/programs/npdes/
Sunday, September 25, 2011
Tuesday, September 6, 2011
Back in the Day
Throughout the last few decades, an increased interest for the environment and preserving resources has gained much popularity. In the first half of the twentieth century, laws were implemented to help stop the spread of diseases, keep litter to a minimum, and preserve forests. While formal laws certainly deserve attention, even to this day, many acts of recycling are not performed because a law told people to do so; recycling also saves money, an incentive for people to become more resourceful. My grandparents are possibly the most resourceful individuals whom I know. They recycle rain water to nourish plants, take plastic, newspaper, and magazines to the recycling location, and do not dare to throw anything away that could possibly be used. When I asked my eighty-one-year-old grandfather how he used to recycle items, he recollected the days of the Great Depression. He said that many people who did not have plumbing used old Sears magazines and corn cobs in place of toilet paper. Money was saved, and more resources were used to their fullest extent... Sounds like recycling to me.
Spelts
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