THE CHALLENGE OF THE ENVIRONMENT:
A PRIMER ON EPA'S STATUTORY AUTHORITY
December 1972
WILLIAM D. RUCKELSHAUS
Administrator
U.S. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
Washington, D.C. 20460
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GARY H. BAISE
Director, Office of Legislation
ROBERT G. RYAN LANE G. GENTRY
Special Assistant to the Director Assistant Director for Field Operations
Office of Legislation Office of Legislation
STAFF
Wm. Lee Rawls, Deputy Assistant Director for Field Operations,
Office of Legislation
Randy M. Mott, Research Assistant
James G. Chandler, Research Assistant
Jeffrey D. Light, Research Assistant
Peter J. McKenna, Research Assistant
Ruth L. Johnson, Staff Assistant
Janis Y. Collier, Clerk
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CONTENTS
PS-
Air 4
Water 12
Solid Waste 24
Pesticides .... 27
Radiation 31
Noise . . 34
International .... 37
Bibliography 41
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INTRODUCTION
In the continuing and often heated discussion of pollution and envi-
ronmental issues, the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
is frequently in the public eye. This booklet is intended to give citizens
an idea of the scope of the agency's duties and responsibilities by providing
a brief summary of its legal authority.
EPA was created because of increasing public and governmental concern
about the dangers to the health and welfare of Americans caused by pol-
lution. Clearly, immediate and positive action was necessary to cope with
the deterioration of the natural environment. Grounds for deep concern
were not difficult to find: on all sides," noxious air, foul water and other
serious threats to the health and" well-being of all Americans were abun-
dantly evident.
EPA was given the main Federal responsibility for coming to grips with
these complex problems and at the same time, striking a balance between
the protection of the natural environment and securing for our citizens the
benefits of economic and technological progress.
On July 9, 1970, President Nixon sent to Congress a reorganization
plan removing 15 units from existing departments and agencies, and
relocating them in a new independent agency. When the reorganization plan
became effective on December 2, 1970, the United States Environmental
Protection Agency opened its doors for business with William D. Ruckelshaus
as Administrator.
EPA brings under one organizational roof Federal activities in controlling
air and water pollution, drinking water quality, solid wastes, pesticides, en-
vironmental radiation and noise. It is an independent regulatory agency that
has no obligation to promote agriculture, commerce or industry. It has only
one mission—to protect and enhance the environment. In general, the agency
is responsibile for conducting research and demonstrations, for establishing
and enforcing standards, for monitoring pollution in the environment, and
perhaps most importantly, for assisting State and local governments in their
own efforts. The purpose is to mount an integrated attack on pollu-
tion and at the same time, to make orderly progress toward understanding
the environment as a single system of independent, but interrelated parts.
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EPA was organized with five Assistant Administrators in program and
functional areas, all operating from the Washington headquarters. Con-
sistent with the President's goal of decentralizing Federal government serv-
ices, ten EPA Regional Administrators, who report directly to the Admin-
istrator, exercise broad operational responsibility in the field. Compared
with other Federal agencies, the EPA is not large, employing about 8,000
people. The headquarters staff consists of about 2,000 people, with the
rest assigned to the regional offices and laboratories throughout the United
States. In all, there are now 31 laboratories located in 19 States.
EPA's most recent budget was about $2.5 billion, of which about $2 bil-
lion, or four-fifths, was earmarked for the construction of sewage treatment
facilities and for assistance to the localities and municipalies in sewer de-
sign and construction. The operating budget is currently about $450 mil-
lion per year, slightly more than one-fourth of which is devoted to re-
search and monitoring activities.
EPA, in fulfilling its assigned functions, cooperates closely with the Coun-
cil on Environmental Quality (CEQ). The Council, created by the National
Environmental Policy Act of 1969, operates in the Executive Office of the
President to coordinate and assess Federal environmental programs.
The National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA) is landmark
legislation in the environmental field which requires a systematic considera-
tion of the environmental impact of all major Federal activities. Federal
agencies must now file a written analysis of the environmental impact of a
proposed action, together with a discussion of any adverse environmental
effects which cannot be avoided should the proposal be implemented. The
impact statement must also discuss the alternatives for the proposed action,
and any irreversible or irretrievable commitment of resources must be speci-
fied. In the preparation of these statements, the Federal agencies have been
directed by Congress to consult with and to obtain relevant comments from
other agencies having jurisdiction over or special expertise on the subject
matter involved. EPA is required to comment on draft impact statements
which fall within the agency's special expertise before the final statement
is filed with CEQ. Some observers have suggested that the true significance
of NEPA is that it makes environmental considerations an integral part of
the decision-making process of government.
From the start, EPA has consciously sought to encourage citizen partici-
pation in its work. Citizen challenges and court decisions under NEPA have
had the effect of making all Federal agencies more sensitive to their re-
sponsibilities to our shared environment. EPA has a policy which en-
courages the fullest possible public disclosure of information to any person
or group requesting it. Public participation in EPA hearings has similarly
been sought since its beginning. We know that all efforts to solve our
enormous environmental problems will be ineffective without the under-
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standing, cooperation and help of the American citizen. With this booklet,
EPA hopes to provide the interested citizen an understanding of its legal
authority and responsibility in meeting the challenge of the environment
in the last quarter of this century.
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AIR
". . . we cannot escape the fact that air
pollution is one of the problems which
presses us most urgently. Even now we can
clean the litter off a piece a land before we
use it, though we may not know how best
to dispose of the litter. And we purify a
glass of water before we put it to our lips,
though we may leave untreated vast water
resources we shall soon need. But in the
air we breathe, we must accept what comes
to us."
William D. Ruckelshaus
The alarming deterioration of the quality of the air we breathe has
forced us to take a hard new look at air pollution, its causes, its results, and
the means we have at our disposal for stopping it. While it is difficult to
measure with any precision the costs Americans are paying for polluted air,
we know the dollar total is enormous. Our most careful estimate is that
about $6 billion each year is lost because of pollution-rated sickness and
premature death. If we add an estimated $10 billion in property losses each
year, we come up with a total of $16 billion a year for polluted air—a pol-
lution bill of about $80 per American per year.
EPA estimates that it will cost $15 billion spread over the next five
years to control air pollution from existing sources. Simply letting pollution
continue will be far more expensive than spending what it takes to
curb it.
Statistics do not tell the entire story. The abatement of air pollution1
in many cases will force industry to reduce obsolescence and inefficiency in
1 Pollution Abatement—ending pollution. Distinguished from pollution control—which may
only reduce pollution—and penalties—which principally punish violations.
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its operations. For in many industries, the older and less efficient plant is
also the biggest polluter. Forced to clean-up, many plants will be compelled
to be more efficient. Moreover, the recaptured byproducts of industrial
activity may provide usable, marketable products. Taking all of these fac-
tors into account, it makes good practical sense to end air pollution in
America.
Legislative Background
The Federal government's concern with air pollution officially began with
the Air Pollution Act of 1955, authorizing the first Federally-funded air
pollution research. Passage of the Motor Vehicle Pollution Control Act of
1965 expanded Federal activity to include setting emission1 standards for
automobiles.
Current Federal activity in air pollution abatement and research stems
from the Air Quality Act of 1967 and the Clean Air Act of 1970. This
undertaking is perhaps EPA's most controversial and comprehensive pro-
gram and is certainly the most sweeping Federal pollution control scheme.
The Clean Air Act set up a new system of national air quality standards
and called for a roll-back of auto pollution levels.
Research
Specifically, the Clean Air Act, as amended, directs EPA to conduct re-
search on the causes, effects, extent and ways to control air pollution. The
agency is charged with the duty of providing technical and financial as-
sistance to State and local air pollution control agencies and special investi-
gations by EPA may be instituted at the request of State governments.
Federal interagency coooperation is encouraged and EPA's own research is
directed into specific areas, including health problems, fuel combusion, air-
craft emissions, cost-benefit studies, and control technology.
Ambient Air Quality
The 1970 Act was the first law to call for national, uniform air quality
standards based on geographic regions. Ambient air quality2 is regulated
by two sets of standards, both determined by EPA. Primary standards con-
cern the minimum level of air quality that is necessary to keep people from
becoming ill. These levels are based on the proven harmful effects of in-
dividual pollutants. Secondary standards are aimed at the promotion of
public welfare, and the prevention of damage to animals, plant life and
property generally. EPA has now set primary and secondary national stand-
Emissions—what is discharged into the air by a pollution bource. Distinguished from
"effluents" which are discharged into water.
' Ambient Air Quality—the average atmospheric purity as distinguished from discharge
measurements taken at the source of pollution. The general amount of pollution present in a
broad area.
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ards for six pollutants: sulfur oxide, paniculate matter, carbon monoxide,
hydrocarbons, photochemicals, and nitrogen oxide. Standards for these pol-
lutants establish the maximum amount of each pollutant that will be per-
mitted in the atmosphere consistent with public health and welfare.
Interstate Regions
Since pollution does not follow State boundaries, the Administrator was
given expanded power to establish interstate air quality regions;1 each State
however, retains authority for implementing national standards within its
portion of an interstate region.
Implementation Plans
State governments within each air quality region determine how national
air pollution objectives are to be reached, subject to a three-year deadline for
primary standards and a more flexible timetable for secondary standards.
The States have submitted implementation plans showing in detail how and
when they will achieve these standards within their own territory.
Federal standards apply to a list of identified pollutants that constitute the
chief health problems associated with air pollution. The States have the
broad responsibility of deciding which activities to regulate or prohibit in
order to achieve the national standard. The Administrator will then re-
view the individual implementation plan under prescribed criteria set out
in the act itself: whether it expeditiously meets primary standards within
the three-year timetable; whether it includes appropriate emission limitations,
schedules, and timetables for compliance; whether it provides for sufficient
monitoring capabilities; whether it provides for review of new sources of
pollution; whether it is sufficient from the point of view; of inter-
governmental cooperation within the air quality region; and whether it pro-
vides for sufficient personnel, money, review, and inspection. The Admin-
istrator must substitute a plan of his own if the State fails to submit one,
or if the State fails to revise its plan to meet the objections he has raised.
Although States are required to meet the national primary standards by
1975, the Clean Air Act provides for waiver of that deadline for up to an
additional two years if compliance is technologically impossible and reason-
able alternatives are inadequate.
National Emission Standards
Although Federal legislation has emphasized State participation, a few
areas were singled out by Congress for special treatment because of their
1 Air Quality Control Regwns—the law requires the country to be divided into geographical
units, reflecting common air pollution problems, for purposes of reaching national standards.
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essentially interstate nature or because of the severe threat to health involved.
Special Federal authority exists to control new stationary sources of pollution,
hazardous air pollutants, motor vehicle emissions, fuel and fuel additives,
aircraft emissions, and low-emission vehicle procurement.
New Stationary Sources
All sources of air pollution, other than vehicles, are broadly described as
"stationary" sources and they include such things as power plants, municipal
incinerators, pulp plants, oil refineries, and other fixed-point sources. EPA
directly regulates new stationary sources by setting uniform national stand-
ards for new air polluters.
One of the Administrator's initial responsibilities under the new law
was to establish a list of the categories of stationary sources. As each cate-
gory is established, EPA sets a standard for performance.1 The Administrator
also decides the procedure the States will follow in setting emission standards
for existing stationary sources.
EPA has devised new source performance standards for five major sta-
tionary sources of air pollution: fossil fuel-fired steam generators, incinerators,
cement plants, and sulfuric and nitric acid manufacturing operations. These
standards are designed to require application of the best available tech-
nology, considering the cost of new facilities. Other industrial activities
will be added to this list: petroleum refineries, asphalt batching plants, iron
and steel mills, secondary lead smelters, and brass and bronze refining
operations.
Hazardous Air Pollutants
For hazardous air pollutants,2 EPA was also given authority to set na-
tional standards. The law directs that proposed standards are to be aired
at a public hearing, where the burden of proving the safety of a particular
polluants will be on the polluter. If the polluter fails to show the safety
of the pollutant "on trial," a standard is set. Hazardous emission standards
are being set for asbestos, beryllium and mercury. Mercury, for example,
was popularly thought of as a water pollutant only, but recent studies have
revealed that mercury is emitted by air polluters, such as coal-burning power
plants, municipal incinerators and industrial plants.
Automobile Emission Standards
Like hazardous pollutants, automobiles have been singled out for direct
Federal regulation. Air pollution from transportation sources outweighs
1 Standard of Performance—the measure of pollution control required by law. In the Clean
Air Act of 1970, the term is used as the best technological control available and economically
feasible. It applies to new stationary sources
- Hazardous Air Pollutants—materials discharged into the atmosphere that have a proven
relationship to increased human death rates.
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pollution from all other activities combined. In 1965, recognizing that pol-
lution from motor vehicles could only be handled by national standards, Con-
gress enacted the National Motor Vehicle Emissions Standards Act (Motor
Vehicle Pollution Control Act). Building on this base, the 1970 Act set
up an accelerated schedule for abatement of auto pollution by adopting a
roll-back approach. By 1975, new automobiles will be required to show
a 90 percent reduction in hydrocarbon and carbon monoxide emissions over
1970 models, and a 90 percent reduction, by 1976, in nitrogen oxide emis-
sions from those allowed in 1971 models. Standards are now in effect that
will steadily move us toward this objective.
The 1970 law prohibits the sale of a new car unless it is certified by
EPA to comply with emission standards, after testing of prototype vehicles.
Averaging emissions from an assembly-line sample, the normal quality con-
trol technique of industry, will provide EPA with the testing results called
for under the act. Such assembly-line testing, however, is structured to
assure that individual cars with excessively high emissions are not sold. Rec-
ords of all testing done by EPA are available for public inspection.
Standards under the 1970 law are applicable to vehicles and engines for
their useful life, five years or 50,000 miles, whichever occurs first. The manu-
facturer is directed to warrant to the ultimate purchaser and each subse-
quent purchaser that the vehicle or engine meets the applicable standards
at the time of sale and that it is free from defects preventing conformity
during its useful life.
In early 1972, auto manuacturers filed a request for a one-year suspension
of the effective date for application of hydrocarbon and carbon monoxide
standards. After public hearings, the Administrator determined, under the
specific criteria of the Clean Air Act, that such a suspension was at that
time inappropriate.
If the Administrator determines by testing that large numbers of ve-
hicles do not meet the standards, he can order them to be recalled. In addi-
tion, tampering with or removal of control devices is also prohibited. The
agency may obtain court injunctions to restrain violators and may seek civil
penalties for up to $10,000 for each violation.
Low-Emission Prototypes
In the long run, however, an increased number of cars on the road
could negate the effectiveness of these standards. EPA therefore, has en-
couraged the development of low-emission engine prototypes as alternatives
to the reciprocating, internal combustion engine.1 The grant program has
been used for this purpose, along with special Federal purchases of cleaner
1 Reciprocating, Internal Combustion Engine—the standard American, piston-type gasoline-
powered motor vehicle propulsion system. Distinguished from wankel, turbines, steam-
generators, and other unique systems.
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vehicles and engines. The 1970 Act expressly gives the Administrator the
power to set standards for and to certify any new type of engine.
fuel and fuel Additives
The Clean Air Act also included authority for EPA registration of fuels
for motor vehicles. The Administrator may regulate fuel and fuel additives
which endanger public health, or which interfere with the performance
of anti-pollution devices. Unless EPA has specifically ruled to the contrary,
States may also regulate any fuel or additive. If the State regulations are
different from those set by EPA, the State must submit its regulations through
the implementation plan process described earlier.
Leaded gasoline has been found to impede the effectiveness of pollution
control devices and atmospheric lead is known to be a danger to human
health. EPA, therefore, is currently writing regulations which will make
available to the motoring public one grade of non-leaded gasoline by mid-
1974.
Aircraft Emissions
Initial study of the problems and impact of aircraft emissions on air
pollution was directed by the 1970 Act. EPA was required to issue a report
following its study and to propose means of controlling aircraft pollution.
Because it obviously involves a national problem, State regulation of aircraft
emissions is pre-empted by the law.1 A 1970 voluntary agreement, signed
before EPA came into existence, provided that at each major engine overhaul
a smokeless combustor would be installed on commercial jet engines. All
commercial engines covered by the agreement are expected to have smoke-
less combustors by the end of 1972. EPA is continuing its study of air-
craft emissions and is planning to publish a full report in 1972.
Grants
The basic responsibility for air pollution control and enforcement re-
mains at the State and local level with EPA giving assistance to pollu-
tion control agencies through grant programs. The portion of a specific
project's cost financed by EPA will vary in each grant area, but the agency
tries to avoid simply substituting general funds for State appropriations in
the hope that Federal assistance will supplement State efforts, not replace
them.
In providing assistance to States for implementation plans, EPA may fund
100 percent of planning costs for two years. The agency has also used ten
private consulting firms to assist State officials in preparing these detailed
plans to meet national air quality standards.
1 Federal pre-emption—the assertion of Federal regulatory power to the exclusion of State
regulatory power. Used where uniformity and urgency require one system of regulation.
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With the completion of State planning, the grant program will soon
shift emphasis and move toward greater support for actual pollution control
activities, such as State motor vehicle inspection and emission detection.
Specific grants have already been made for low emission engine development
and for test vehicles.
Grants may also be awarded to various universities and private institu-
tions and occasionally to individuals for specific research.
Special Powers and Duties
Congress gave EPA various special powers in the Clean Air Act, includ-
ing subpoena power (to gain necessary information for performance of
other duties) and emergency authority. Another sanction available under
the Clean Air Act is that wilful violators of EPA regulations may also find
themselves denied Federal contract awards. Liberalized licensing of patents
necessary for pollution abatement is also authorized, but a special provision
was included to avoid the lessening of competition.
The Administrator must also review and comment publicly on the en-
vironmental impact of legislation introduced in Congress and regulations is-
sued by Federal agencies or departments. When there are adverse effects on
environmental quality, the statement must be published and referred to CEQ.
Enforcement
Most enforcement of standards or regulations under the Clean Air Act
is not done in court. Although a few court cases have received the lion's
share of publicity, the bulk of the work remains administrative. The De-
partment of Justice represents EPA in legal actions. The Administrator may
notify a polluter that he is in violation of the law, issue an order to stop the
pollution, and then seek an abatement action in court. If a violation occurs
due to State inaction, EPA may notify the State and enforce abatement itself.
It may also enforce State implementation plans. EPA may delegate any
other enforcement responsibility to any State that has adequate enforcement
procedures of its own. Any polluter who knowingly violates a regulation or
order issued by EPA or a State implementation plan may be subject to fines
or imprisonment on the Federal level.
In order to develop and enforce standards, the Administrator may re-
quire persons or firms which cause pollution to keep records, make reports,
and test emissions. He may also enter and inspect the premises of the
emission source if necessary. Consistent with the general agency policy, in-
formation obtained by EPA is available to the public for inspection, with the
single exception of trade secrets.
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Citizen Suits
It was clearly the intention of Congress to involve citizens in the en-
forcement of our Federal standards. When certain conditions are met, pri-
vate citizens may bring legal action against polluters under the Clean Air
Act, based on violations of standards and orders, provided notice is given
to the polluter and EPA. Citizens may also bring an action against the
Administrator of EPA if he fails to perform an act required of him under
the law.
Other Legislation
Several other legislative programs involve EPA in the struggle against dirty
air. The Airport and Airway Development Act of 1970 assigns to EPA the
responsibility of evaluating the environmental impact of major airport con-
struction. Under a tax program designed to encourage the use of pollution
abatement equipment by business, the Administrator must certify anti-
pollution devices to make them eligible for accelerated depreciation.
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WATER
"Our water resources, more perhaps than
any other, illustrate the interaction of all
parts of the environment and particularly,
the recycling process that characterizes every
resource of the ecosystem. . . . Everything
that man himself injects into the biosphere—
chemical, biological or physical—can ulti-
mately find its way into the earth's water.
And these contaminants must be removed,
by nature or by man, before that water is
again potable."
Charles C. Johnson, Jr., Assistant
Surgeon General of the United States
Three out of every four people in the United States get their drinking
water from public supply systems. In 1969, a Federal study found half of
these systems substandard. Health specialists are increasingly concerned
about neutralizing toxic substances and viruses when natural water purifica-
tion fails. We are finally realizing that there are limits to natural purification
—that our nation's waters cannot indefinitely absorb an endless avalanche
of waste.
Legislative Background
Federal water legislation dates back to the nineteenth century, when
Congress enacted the River and Harbor Act of 1886, recodified in the Rivers
and Harbors Act of 1899. It is only within the last seven years, however,
that major water pollution legislation has been passed.
Recognizing the threat that dirty water posed to the public health and
welfare, Congress enacted the Federal Water Pollution Control Act
(FWPCA), in order to "enhance the quality and value of our water resources
and to establish a national policy for the prevention, control and abatement
of water pollution." FWPCA and its several amendments set out the basic
legal authority for Federal regulation of water quality.
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The original Act was passed in 1948. Its amendments broadened the
Federal government's authority in water pollution control. The Water
Pollution Control Act Amendments of 1956 strengthened enforcement pro-
visions by providing for an abatement suit at the request of a State pollution
control agency; where health was being endangered, the Federal government
no longer had to receive the consent of all States involved. The Federal role
was further expanded under the Water Quality Act of 1965. That act pro-
vided for the setting of water quality standards which are State and Federally
enforceable; it became the basis for interstate water quality standards. The
Clean Water Restoration Act of 1966 imposed a $100 per day fine on a
polluter who failed to submit a required report. The Water Quality Im-
provement Act of 1970, again expanded Federal authority, and established
a State certification procedure to prevent degradation of water below applicable
standards.
Despite the improvements achieved by each amendment to the original
Act, the result of this sporadic legislation was a hodgepodge of law. Eleven
reorganizations and restructurings of Federal agency responsibility com-
pounded the difficulty of effectively implementing the law. To solve these
problems, the 1972 amendments to the FWPCA restructured the authority for
water pollution control and consolidated authority in the Administrator of
the Environmental Protection Agency.
Goals and Policy
The objective of the Act is to restore and maintain the chemical, physical,
and biological integrity of the nation's waters. In order to achieve this ob-
jective, the Act sets two goals. The first national goal is the elimination of
the discharge of all pollutants into the navigable waters of the United States
by 1985. The second national goal is an interim level of water quality
that provides for the protection of fish, shellfish, and wildlife and recreation
by July 1, 1983. In this framework, Congress gave the Administrator the
legal tools necessary to make inroads into the problems of water pollution
control, while continuing to recognize the primary rights and responsibilities
of the States to prevent, reduce, and eliminate pollution.
Effluent Limitations 1
The 1972 amendments changed the thrust of enforcement from water
quality standards, regulating the amount of pollutants in a given body of
water, to effluent limitations, regulating the amount of pollutants being
discharged from particular point sources.2 Ambient water quality requirements
1 The Act defines "effluent limitations" as any restriction established by a State or the
Administrator on quantities, rates, and concentrations of chemical, physical, biological, and
other constituents which are discharged from point sources.
aThe Act defines "point sources" as any discernible, confined, and discrete conveyance from
which pollutants are or may be discharged
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can still dictate the amount of pollutants permitted for a discharger. The
Administrator is directed to publish regulations by October 18, 1973,
establishing guidelines for effluent limitations. These regulations shall iden-
tify the best practicable control technology available for various industrial
categories. Factors for consideration are the cost-benefit of applying such
technology, the age of equipment and facilities involved, and the process
employed. Industrial dischargers must meet these standards by July 1, 1977.
Public treatment works must meet effluent limitations based on secondary
treatment1 by this same date.
In addition, the Administrator shall identify the best available tech-
nology for preventing and reducing pollution. He is also responsible
for identifying technology which would achieve the elimination of the dis-
charge of pollutants. In both cases, he must take into account the factors
enumerated above. Industrial dischargers are obliged to meet these standards
by July 1, 1983, the same date given for achieving the second national goal
designed to protect fish, shellfish, wildlife and recreation. They must meet
zero-discharge requirements if the Administrator determines that such a
lequirement is economically and technologically feasible. By July 1, 1983,
public treatment works must use the best practicable waste treatment tech-
nology over the life of the works. New sources of discharge are required
to use the best available technology as determined by the Administrator and
published in the regulations. Zero-discharge by 1985 is a goal, not a re-
quirement under the law.
Water Quality Standards and Implementation Plans
Reflecting basic State responsibility for water pollution control, FWPCA
requires the States to submit to EPA water quality standards for all inter-
state and intrastate navigable waters.
These State standards spell out water use classifications, such as recreation,
fish and wildlife propagation, public water supplies, and industrial and
agricultural uses. States are then required to set out the quality of water
required to achieve these uses and detailed plans for maintaining the
desired levels of quality. Under this procedure, 90 percent of all interstate
waters have already been classified for either recreational use or fish and
wildlife propagation uses.
Of the fifty-four jurisdictions covered by the water pollution control pro-
gram, virtually all have fully approved interstate standards; EPA has the
power to reject State standards that fail to meet the legal requirements.
EPA's rejection of all or part of a State's proposal forces the State to draft an
acceptable alternative; failure to revise a proposal will result in EPA setting a
standard. In the initial review standards will be weighed against their con-
1 The second step in most waste treatment systems in which bacteria consume the organic
parts of the wastes.
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formity to the old Act. This review and any required revision can include
implementation schedules. Future revision of standards, after the initial
review, will be limited to use classifications and criteria.
If the Administrator determines that application of the technology required
by 1983 will not assure protection of public water supplies, agricultural and
industrial uses, and the protection and propagation of a balanced population
of shellfish, fish, and wildlife and allow recreational activities, he may impose
such additional controls as he finds necessary to meet such standards.
In addition to setting water quality standards, where effluent limitations
will not be stringent enough to meet water quality standards, the States
are required to establish maximum daily loads of pollutants permitted in the
waters that will allow the propagation of fish and wildlife. A similar assess-
ment must be made for thermal discharges. States are also required to
develop a continuing planning process which is able to deal with the changing
patterns of water pollution within the State. Beginning in 1975, the States
must submit to Congress and EPA annual reports with an inventory of all
point sources of discharge, an assessment of existing water quality and
projected goals, and proposals of programs for nonpoint source control. EPA
must submit a similar report to Congress on January 1, 1974.
New Source Performance Standards
In addition to setting effluent standards for existing point sources, EPA also
sets standards for new industrial point sources. EPA must determine the
best available demonstrated control technology, and require its installation
for at least twenty-seven named categories of sources. If the Administrator
determines that a zero-discharge standard is practicable, he may set such
a standard.
Toxic and Pretreatment Effluent Standards
As part of the comprehensive authority vested in the Administrator, he is
directed to publish a list of toxic pollutants1 and effluent limitations for
these substances. Such limitations may constitute an absolute prohibition
against discharging. Additionally, the Administrator must publish pretreat-
ment standards requiring any industry discharging into a municipal sewage
treatment plant to pretreat its effluent so that it does not interfere with the
operation of the plant or pass through the plant untreated or without adequate
treatment.
i Those pollutants which after discharge and upon contact with any organism, either directly
from the environment or indirectly by ingestion through food chains, will cause death, disease,
behavioral abnormalities, cancer, genetic mutations, physiological malfunctions or physical
deformities, in such organisms or their offspring.
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Marine Sanitation Devices
To curb pollution of coastal and navigable waters, EPA in 1970 was given
authority to set performance standards for marine sanitation devices, which
were published in June 1972. The 1972 amendments to the FWPCA permit
the States to prohibit all discharges of sewage from marine vessels if they
determine that such limitation is necessary for greater environmental
protection of the waters within the State. This may be done only where the
Administrator has determined that there are adequate facilities for the safe
and sanitary removal and treatment of that sewage.
Thermal Discharges
Thermal discharges1 are subject to the best practicable and best avaikble
control technology requirements, as are other pollutants. However, if a thermal
discharger can demonstrate to the Administrator that an EPA standard is
more stringent than that necessary to protect the propagation of fish, shellfish,
and wildlife, then the Administrator may set a less stringent standard.
State Certification
The FWPCA was amended in 1970 to insure that the activities of all
Federal agencies meet applicable State standards. The law and its recent
amendment impose a new requirement on all applicants for a Federal
license or permit. If a licensed or permitted activity may result in a discharge
into navigable waters, a certificate must be obtained from the affected State,
which assures that the activity will not violate the effluent limitations,
guidelines, and other requirements of the 1972 amendments. Through this
certification process, harmful pollution can be stopped before it begins. This
is a significant milestone, a departure from the idea of abatement to one of
prevention.
State Permit Programs
While the Rivers and Harbors Act of 1899 had provided for the
issuance of permits by the Corps of Engineers, the 1972 amendments to the
FWPCA have instituted a new permit program under EPA guidance and
assistance that has shifted administration and enforcement to State govern-
ments. Under the new law, no discharge is permitted except as authorized by
a discharge permit. This new amendment extends to previously exempt
municipal discharges, so that all potential pollutants are now covered. While
EPA issues guidelines for State permit programs, it retains a right to review
a State-issued permit affecting another State's water resources.
1 Thermal discharges are defined by Congress as the introduction of water from a
point source at a temperature different from the ambient temperature of the receiving waters.
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Discharge permits must be consistent with effluent limitations, guidelines,
and other requirements of the statute. They must be for periods no longer
than five years, and may be terminated when there is a violation of a condi'
tion of the permit or when changed conditions dictate the need for further
reduction of the permitted discharge. Similarly, EPA may withdraw approval
of a State permit program if the agency determines the State has failed to
fulfill the requirements of the Act.
Permits affecting discharges into oceans waters under this section must
be consistent with criteria set by EPA parallel to the criteria established
under the Marine Protection, Research, and Sanctuaries Act of 1972 for
ocean dumping permits. By this process, States may not certify discharges
which would be potential violations of Federal regulations under the ocean
dumping law.
The Corps of Engineers, the administering agency under the 1899
Act, continues to issue dredge and fill permits under the new law in accord-
ance with criteria comparable to EPA ocean discharge criteria. As noted
later, an additional permit is required for disposal of sewage sludge into
navigable waters.
Federal Enforcement
EPA has the authority to enforce the provisions of the law through both
administrative and judicial channels. When the Administrator finds a person
to be in violation of a permit condition or other provision of the law, he must
notify the polluter, and shall either issue an administrative order prohibiting
further violation or pursue a judicial remedy for appropriate relief.
If the Administrator finds that violations within a State are widespread
due to State inaction, he may so notify the State, and the Federal Government
will assume enforcement responsibilities until the State can satisfy the Ad-
ministrator that it will enforce the law.
In order to insure compliance with the law, EPA has been given broad
inspection and monitoring powers. The agency has a right of entry to all
effluent sources and authority to inspect records, data and information,
monitoring equipment, and effluents. If a State develops similar procedures,
the Administrator may transfer this authority to the State.
The Administrator may also bring suit if he finds that a particular pollu-
tion source presents an imminent and substantial danger to human health
or danger to an individual's livelihood, such as the inability to market shell-
fish.
Citizen Suits
The law specifically provides for citizen participation in the enforcement
of Federal standards. Aggrieved private citizens may seek judicial relief
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against any polluter for violations of an effluent standard or limitation, or
administrative order issued under the Act. Citizens may also institute pro-
ceedings against the Administrator if he fails to perform an act required
of him under the law.
Evidencing a firm commitment to the idea of citizen involvement in
enforcement of the FWPCA, the law prohibits the firing of, or discrimina-
tion against any person who instigates or testifies in any proceeding under
the FWPCA.
Research and Related Areas
The 1972 amendments give the Administrator a broad mandate to estab-
lish research programs for the prevention, reduction, and elimination of
pollution in navigable waters of the United States. The agency is directed
to establish, in cooperation with all pertinent Federal, State, and private
parties, comprehensive local and national programs for water pollution
control. Specifically, the agency must render technical advice, and conduct
research, investigations, experiments, training, demonstrations, surveys, and
studies; establish advisory committees to evaluate research progress and pro-
posals; establish a water quality surveillance system'* to monitor the quality
of navigable waters and initiate and promote studies measuring the social
and economic costs and benefits of water pollution control activities. The Ad-
ministrator must also investigate the harmful effects of pollutants on the
health and welfare of persons. He must establish field laboratories and
research facilities, make a comprehensive study of the pollution of the Great
Lakes and finance pilot treatment works programs. Furthermore, he must
investigate the problems of pollution by eutrophication, oil spill, pesticides
in water, and thermal discharge.
Grants
Since the basic responsibility for cleaning up the nation's waters is retained
by State governments, Congress authorized numerous grants to aid the
States' pollution abatement efforts. These provide assistance to States for
research and development, manpower training, water quality planning, moni-
toring and enforcement. Grants are also available to institutions of higher
education for programs designed to bring students into professions that deal
with water pollution control.
The major thrust of the Federal grant effort is directed towards munici-
palities for the construction of sewage treatment plants. More than 1300
local communities have sewer systems that discharge untreated waste. An
equal number of communities provide merely primary treatment, which
removes only 30% of some pollutants. The Administrator is authorized to
make grants of $18 billion to the States according to need for construction
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of new treatment works during the fiscal years 1973-1975. The Federal
share for these projects is 75% with the remainder to be divided between
State and local governments and industrial users. Municipalities are further
eligible for grants for demonstration projects that utilize new methods for
treating sewage, joint systems for municipal and industrial waste, and new
water purification techniques.
Oil Spills & Hazardous Substances *
Another area of national concern, the widely publicized oil spill problem,
has produced Federal legislation to protect water quality. In 1970 the Fed-
eral Government was given broad authority to clean up oil spills, to make
the polluter pay the cost of clean-up, and to levy fines and penalties against
him. EPA cooperates with the Coast Guard and other agencies in administer-
ing the law and in drafting the National Contingency Plan for removal of
oil spills. The 1972 amendments extended these provisions to the discharge of
hazardous substances.
NEPA Exemption
In order to facilitate the implementation of the new law, the 1972 amend-
ments specifically exempt EPA in most instances from the environmental
impact statement requirement of the National Environmental Policy Act
(NEPA) of 1969. EPA is still required to file an environmental impact
statement when, (1) supplying financial assistance for the construction of
public treatment works, and (2) issuing a permit for a new point source when
these activities have a major impact on the environment. Congress, recognizing
the enormous scope and complexity of the Administrator's task, has provided
detailed guidance within the Act for the setting of guidelines, standards, and
limitations. This guidance allows for a balancing of many complex factors
while removing the administrative burden of filing NEPA statements for
numerous agency actions whose goals are to protect and enhance the en-
vironment.
Interstate Compacts
An additional approach under the Act encourages cooperation between the
States by Congressional consent to interstate compacts, and the encourage-
ment of uniform State laws relating to the prevention, reduction, and
elimination of pollution. These agreements for solving regional problems
have been approved by Congress for many years as a kind of middle ground
between purely State action on the one hand, and exclusive Federal control
of regional problems on the other.
1 The Act defines "hazardous substances" as an element or compound, designated by the
Administrator, which when discharged in any quantity presents an imminent and substantial
danger to the public health or welfare.
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The compacts are administered by interstate commissions. While earlier
commissions were limited to studies of regional pollution problems, recently
formed commissions have been given authority to issue legally binding
pollution abatement orders throughout a multi-State region.
There have been other innovations: the Federal Government has entered
into several Federal-interstate compacts, reflecting the need to protect national
interests in those regions. EPA involves itself in this area by encouraging
effective river basin planning, providing expert technical assistance, and
supporting manpower training.
Drinking Water Quality
EPA also inherited responsibilities for drinking water quality from the
Bureau of Water Hygiene of the Department of Health, Education, and Wel-
fare, including authority to set interstate quarantine regulations and duties
during emergencies and natural disasters.
Other 'Legislation
Other legislation expands EPA's role in the fight against water pollution.
The Water Resources Planning Act gives the Administrator of EPA a seat
on the Water Resources Council. The Council studies and assesses policies
and programs regarding regional or river basin plans. By Executive Order,
EPA has been appointed a member of various river basin commissions.
Additionally, under the Appalachian Regional Development Act, the Ad-
ministrator can make grants in that region for the construction of sewage
treatment plants without considering FWPCA ceilings or allotments to
States. Under the Ports and Waterways Safety Act of 1972, the Agency consults
with the Secretary of Transportation on the setting of rules and regulations
for vessels to insure the protection of the marine environment.
Ocean Dumping
We have known for a long time that the oceans are vast; but it is only
recently that we have realized that they are also fragile. The oceans are finite:
there are limits to the amount of sludge waste and junk they can safely
absorb. The new ocean dumping legislation, the Marine Protection, Research
and Sanctuaries Act of 1972, passed by the 92nd Congress and signed into
law by the President on October 27, 1972, declares it to be the national
policy "to regulate the dumping of all types of materials into ocean waters
and to prevent or strictly limit the dumping into ocean waters of any material
which would adversely affect human health, welfare or amenities, or the
marine environment, ecological systems or economic potentialities." The
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Congress found that the previous law was inadequate and imprecise, and
that strict new regulation was required.
Prohibited Acts
The new law prohibits the transportation from the United States for
the purpose of dumping into territorial seas or the contiguous zone, any
radiological, chemical, or biological warfare agent or any high-level radio-
active waste into ocean waters. Additionally, no officer, employee, agent,
department, agency or instrumentality of the Federal Government shall
transport these materials from any location outside the United States for
the purpose of dumping into ocean waters.
The most sweeping prohibition is that no person may transport any
material for the purpose of dumping into ocean waters without a permit.
Permits
The new law provides for two types of permits for activities potentially
threatening the ocean environment. One type of permit is issued by the
Secretary of the Army for dumping dredged material. The dumping of this
material is subject to the approval of the Administrator of EPA for com-
pliance with stated criteria, as well as compliance with the designated critical
areas established by EPA.
For all other classes of materials—whether it be sewage sludge, garbage,
chemical wastes or construction debris—a new permit system has been
established under the direct control of the Administrator of the Environ-
mental Protection Agency. The Administrator shall issue a permit only after
he determines that dumping in a particular instance "will not unreasonably
degrade or endanger human health, welfare or amenities, or the marine
environment, ecological systems, or economic potentialities."
Criteria
In establishing the criteria for future ocean dumping, the Congress directed
the Administrator to consider several points:
(A) The need for the proposed dumping.
(B) The effect of such dumping on human health, and welfare, in-
cluding economic, esthetic, and recreational values.
(C) The effect of such dumping on fisheries resources, plankton, fish,
shellfish, wildlife, shore lines, and beaches.
(D) The effect of such dumping on marine ecosystems, particularly
with respect to—
(i) the transfer, concentration, and dispersion of such material and
its byproducts through biological, physical, and chemical processes.
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(ii) potential changes in marine ecosystem diversity, productivity,
and stability, and
(iii) species and community population dynamics.
(E) The persistence and permanence of the effects of the dumping.
(F) The effect of dumping particular volumes and concentrations of
such materials.
(G) Appropriate locations and methods of disposal or recycling, including
land-based alternatives and the probable impact of requiring use
of such alternate locations or methods upon considerations affect-
ing the public interest.
(H) The effect on alternate uses of oceans, such as scientific study, fishing,
and other living resource exploitation, and non-living resource ex-
ploitation.
(I) In designating recommended sites, the Administrator shall utilize
wherever feasible locations beyond the edge of the Continental Shelf.
The Administrator is also required to consult with other Federal officials,
and before issuing permits he must provide notice to interested parties and
opportunity for public hearing. No permit may be issued which would
violate applicable water quality standards.
While the States are prohibited from regulating ocean dumping activities
covered by the Federal legislation, they may submit proposed criteria con-
sistent with the system established by the Administrator to be applied to
waters within their jurisdiction. Submission of criteria by a State is subject
to a full public hearing and final determination within 120 days.
Penalties & Enforcement
The new statute provides for civil penalties for violation; up to $50,000
for each violation to be assessed by the Administrator. In addition, there
are specific criminal penalties: an individual convicted of violating the law or
regulations issued pursuant to it or violating a permit may be fined up to
$50,000 or imprisoned for one year, or both. The penalties do not apply when
material is dumped at sea during emergency conditions. The overall responsi-
bility for the monitoring and surveillance of dumping practices is given to
the U.S. Coast Guard.
The Attorney General is authorized to seek relief against any violation
of the statute in the appropriate United States District Court. Where a vio-
lation persists and no action has been taken to enjoin or penalize the violator,
citizens may bring civil suits to enjoin violation or prohibitions, limitations,
criteria, or permits established or issued under the statute. However, no suit
may commence until the end of a 60-day period after notice to the Ad-
ministrator or Secretary and the violator. Citizens may also recover the costs
of litigation. The injunctive relief provided to private citizens by this provi-
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sion does not affect or in any way preempt other legal remedies otherwise
available to them.
Comprehensive Research
The new law gives significant new responsibilities to the National
Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration of the Department of Com-
merce. It directs NOAA to begin a comprehensive research and monitoring
program on ocean dumping within six months and to report to Congress at
least annually thereafter. Because we really know so little about the long-
term consequences of ocean pollution, the law directs NOAA to conduct
research on pollution, overfishing and man-induced changes of ocean eco-
systems, and ways in which the oceans may best be preserved for the benefit
of succeeding generations.
While the Secretary of Commerce bears the responsibility of reporting
annually on both short-term and long-term research to Congress, other de-
partments are expected to cooperate with NOAA's efforts by sharing informa-
tion and facilities where necessary through interagency agreements. This
provision will undoubtedly involve EPA in the ocean research program. In
addition to governmental cooperation, funds are authorized to encourage
public and private research and experimentation in this field.
Marine Sanctuaries
The Act also directs that marine sanctuaries be established to preserve or
restore parts of the ocean for recreation, conservation, and ecological needs.
The Secretary of Commerce, after consultation with other agencies including
EPA, may designate territorial waters for this purpose. Where territorial
waters lie within State boundaries, the governor may after consultation
certify a designation as unacceptable. The Act authorizes the Secretary of
State to enter into negotiations with other governments with a view toward
making international agreements for the creation of marine sanctuaries in
international waters.
Relationship to Other Laws
The Marine Protection, Research, and Sanctuaries Act of 1972 supplements
laws already in effect for protection of our water resources. Oil spill pre-
vention and basic water quality standards are dealt with in other legislation
and by treaty, and are not affected by the Act. With the exception of Rivers
and Harbors Act permits (Refuse Act of 1899), all permits and licenses
purporting to authorize any activity covered by the Marine Protection Act
were rendered void by the new law.
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SOLID WASTE
"We can no longer afford the indiscrimi-
nate waste of our natural resources; neither
should we accept as inevitable the mounting
costs of waste removal. We must move in-
creasingly toward closed systems that recycle
what now are considered wastes back into
useful and productive purposes."
Richard M. Nixon
America's high level of technological developments combined with our
standard of living has produced a staggering accumulation of waste and refuse.
Our appetite for resources promises to continue to swell, but our methods of
dealing with the waste products of our way of life remain rather primitive. This
nation generates 360 million tons of solid waste each year—garbage, trash and
other solid materials, exclusive of sewage and dissolved material. That 360
million tons may double within ten years. In 1970, each American consumed
578 pounds of packaging material alone. While the levels of solid waste
continue to grow, the most common method of disposing of the by-products
of America's consumption is the same as it was a century ago: open dumping.
We have historically operated on the assumption that the earth, water and
air around us will absorb all of our waste products indefinitely. We now are
beginning to realize that the earth, the oceans, and the atmosphere are finite,
and that nature's capacity to assimilate more waste is coming to an end.
Legislative Background
In 1965, Congress enacted the Solid Waste Disposal Act, the first Federal
legislation to attempt to deal with the effects of solid waste disposal on the
environment. Up to that time, only five States had made any kind of organized
effort to address the problem. The Federal program under the 1965 Act was
largely a system of grants which stressed State and local responsibility.
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By 1970, the more far-reaching implications of disposing of used resources
and waste products were widely recognized. Congress amended the 1965 Act
with the Resource Recovery Act of 1970, which officially recognized the
potential economic benefits of recovering a portion of the "trash" we were
casually discarding. That legislation also directed new grant programs to urban
areas, where solid waste problems were getting out of hand.
Nature of Federal Role
Although the primary responsibility for the management of solid waste
materials clearly resides with State and local officials, Federal activity was
directed by Congress into several areas:
(1) construction, demonstration, and application of waste management and
resource recovery systems for the preservation of air, water, and land resources;
(2) technical and financial assistance to agencies in planning and developing
resource recovery and waste disposal programs;
(3) national research and development programs to develop and test
methods of dealing with collection, separation, recovery, recycling, and safe
disposal of non-recoverable waste;
(4) guidelines for the collection, transportation, separation, and recovery
and disposal of solid waste;
(5) training grants in occupations involving design, operation, and main-
tenance of solid waste disposal systems.
Resource Recovery
Comprehensive study of the recovery of useful energy or materials from
solid wastes involves four broad types of recovery: systems of returnable,
reusable products such as beverage containers; repulping systems to make
similar products as the original, including steel, glass, paper, and aluminum;
chemical conversions of raw material that provide a completely new type of
product such as humus for composting or protein developed through yeast
culture; and the use of energy developed by waste disposal, such as steam
generation from incineration.
The ideal system of solid waste management would recover the maximum
amount of resources for reuse or recycling, and deposit the residue or legitimate
waste material in an efficient and environmentally sound manner. This em-
phasis on recycling or reuse, while not a panacea, may well represent a return to
old-fashioned common sense, a necessity in the days when resources were more
scarcely distributed. In 1929, for example, almost twice as much recycled
material was annually used in paper pulp production as in 1970. The amount
of resources being systematically and uneconomically wasted by our current
practices is enormous. A Bureau of Mines study, for instance, estimated that if
all refuse were burned in properly designed incinerators, the residue on an
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annual basis might contain some 10 million tons of iron, almost one million
tons of nonferrous metals including aluminum, lead, zinc, copper, and tin,
about 14 million tons of glass, substantial amounts of nonmetallic minerals
and even small quantities of precious metals. Continued experimentation
through model projects and systematic research will produce useful knowledge
about resource recovery and about more efficient disposal methods.
Federal-State Activities
The Administrator, besides being charged with research and development,
is empowered to award grants and enter into contracts for studies and demon-
stration projects. EPA makes annual reports on such progress to Congress and
the President. A special report and a plan for disposal of hazardous waste are
required to be submitted to Congress by October 27, 1972.
Federal law also encourages cooperation between States and localities. EPA
makes grants to eligible States, municipal, interstate and intermunicipal
agencies to survey solid waste disposal practices, to develop disposal plans, to
demonstrate resource recovery systems, and to conssruct test facilities. Money
is also provided for personnel training, involving management supervision,
design, operation, and maintenance of pilot projects.
Mission 5000 is one example of the type of intergovernmental cooperation
made possible under Federal law. EPA is acting as coordinator in a joint effort
of all levels of government to eliminate 5000 open dumps in the country. Since
the program began two years ago, many State governments have passed laws
outlawing open dumping.
Federal Disposal Efforts
On the Federal level, the Administrator is required to publish guidelines
for solid waste recovery, collection, separation, and disposal systems. Federal
agencies will attempt to pioneer new techniques in accordance with Executive
regulations. Additionally, methods of disposal that will capitalize more efficient
waste management will be tested and evaluated by EPA.
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PESTICIDES
"People no longer want benefits promised
without due regard to the detriments they
may produce. They realize that the desire to
have the maximum amount of food at the
lowest possible price must be tempered by
the amounts and kinds of agricultural chemi-
cals they are willing to tolerate being
released into the environment."
William D. Ruckelshaus
One of the crucial pillars of the agricultural revolution in America is
pesticides. These chemicals—with their capacity to kill those insects, weeds and
pests that have historically competed with man—have, along with machinery,
fertilizers, and new miracle strains of seed, made America's farmers the most
productive on earth and have provided man with a potent weapon against
disease.
Over the past decade, evidence has pointed to the fact that pesticides are
a mixed blessing. In the early 1960's, serious concern began to be expressed
about their impact on birds and wildlife. Dead fish began lining the shores
of our lakes; shellfish were shown to be susceptible to these chemicals; DDT
was found in the flesh of deep-ocean whales. Around the world, man was
annually introducing close to a billion pounds of chemicals into the environ-
ment, with little or no appreciation of the long-term consequences or effects.
Legislative Background
The Federal responsibility for regulating these chemicals in the public
interest was transferred to EPA in 1970. The major legal tools available
to EPA for this job are found in the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and
Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) of 1947, most recently amended by the Federal
Environmental Pesticide Control Act of 1972 (FEPCA), and portions of
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the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, first enacted in 1938. FIFRA
empowers EPA to register pesticides, register and inspect pesticide-producing
establishments, and certify applicators where a pesticide has been designated
for restricted use, while the Food and Drug Act allows EPA to specify
permissible pesticide residues on raw agricultural products. An additional
EPA authority designed to protect small children is the Special Packaging Act
of 1970, which deals with the packaging of toxic substances. Research
capabilities are provided by the Public Health Service Act, the Federal Water
Pollution Control Act, and the Pesticides Research Act of 1958.
Registration
Under FEPCA, the distribution, sale, offer or holding for sale, shipment,
delivery, or receipt within any State of any pesticide, which is not registered,
is prohibited. Registration entails a procedure whereby the applicant files a
statement that includes a copy of the labeling, the claims to be made for the
pesticide, directions for its use, and the complete formula of the pesticide.
EPA can require claims to be substantiated by a full description of the tests
made and results achieved upon which the claims are based.
Additionally, FEPCA calls for the registration of pesticide-producing
establishments. While this registration is essentially an automatic process,
the establishment is required to disclose production, sale, and distribution
information, and is subject to inspection by EPA.
Certification of Applicators
The Administrator is authorized to prescribe applicator certification
standards, which should provide that the individual to be certified is com-
petent to use and handle those pesticides covered by his certification. A State
may submit for the Administrator's approval its own certification plan that
assures conformity with the Administrator's standards. Certification is neces-
sary for the application of most pesticides that are classified as being for
restricted use, i.e., those that generally cause, without additional regulatory
restrictions, "unreasonable adverse effects on the environment."
These application controls become effective over a four year period, con-
stituting the essence of EPA's authority to regulate "use" as opposed to prior
authority which merely controlled label directions. The vital element in the
new use controls is the prohibition against the use of a pesticide in a manner
inconsistent with its labeling.
Tolerances
Under the Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, if the pesticide in normal use
leaves residues on crops, that provide food for man or animal, a tolerance
must be established. A tolerance is simply the amount of residue, usually
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stated in parts per million (ppm), that can safely remain on the crop when
it moves to market after the pesticide has been applied in the proper manner.
In establishing tolerances, once again the manufacturer must submit infor-
mation to support his claims. Data on safety (toxicity to lab animals), the
amount, frequency and time of application, and methods for identifying
and removing excessive residues must accompany the petition. Where the
supporting data is inadequate or a health hazard may be present, the Ad-
ministrator must establish a "zero" tolerance.
Cancellation
Both laws provide for various sanctions, but cancellation is the major
weapon in the Administrator's arsenal in implementing the decision that the
benefits of using a pesticide are outweighed by its risks. Cancellation does
not invariably result in removal from the market, although if there is an
"imminent hazard" or an "emergency," the Administrator may suspend the
registration and seize the product during cancellation proceedings. Rather,
the cancellation process may encompass a hearing in which all interested
parties are afforded the opportunity to present evidence relevant to the
propriety of the proposed action. Cancellation is usually a result of a deter-
mination that the technical labeling requirements for registration approval are
not being met or that the product will cause "unreasonable adverse effects
on the environment," i.e., any unreasonable risk to man or the environment,
taking into account the economic, social, and environmental costs and benefits
of its use.
Other enforcement sanctions include: a change in classification from general
to restricted use; stop sale, use, or removal orders; seizures; and civil and
criminal penalties.
It should be emphasized that decisions as to registration, tolerance setting,
and cancellation are not performed in an arbitrary fashion or in a bureaucratic
vacuum. When the manufacturer receives an adverse decision, he has an
elaborate appeal mechanism available to him including advisory committees,
public hearings, and court appeals.
Decisions as to risks and benefits of pesticides, and their desirability in
relation to alternatives are not easy determinations. Prudence in many in-
stances requires that decisions be made on the side of safety. For example,
in the case of DDT, a more toxic but less persistent chemical was found to
be a better alternative. While the risks of the alternative could be minimized
by properly training the applicators, the hazards of DDT could not be
mitigated.
Research
The drawbacks of chemical pest control have hastened research by EPA
into non-chemical methods. Introduction of predators (biological control),
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strategic planting of a variety of crops within an area (cultural control),
using insect specific viruses and diseases, sterilization, and developing pest
resistant crop strains are all possibilities that may eventually supplant much
of the present reliance on chemicals.
Monitoring
EPA has established monitoring networks to provide the empirical data
needed for informed, sound policy making. These networks also provide the
locus for much of EPA's assistance to State and local officials as they wrestle
with many of the same problems.
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RADIATION
"But the most immediate alternative to
shrinking supplies of fossil fuels in any
massive satisfaction of the world's futuie
power needs lies in the various forms of
atomic energy. And here we confront, with
a seriousness which demands the utmost
integrity of judgement and depth of human
care, the profoundest implications of the
Promethean legend."
Barbara Ward and Rene Dubos,
Only One Earth
With the nation's energy needs doubling every decade, and its reserves of
traditional fossil-fuel energy sources—coal and oil—being inevitably depleted,
the task of fully harnessing the atom has taken on a new urgency. The full
extent of this urgency is reflected in some recent studies that conclude we will
have to construct at least 1,000 one-million-killowatt electric generating
plants in the next twenty years to meet our burgeoning needs.
Ironically, the nuclear power industry's attainment of the economic and
technological maturity needed to supply atomic power on a large-scale has
coincided with the rise of citizen concern over the undesirable side-effects
of that same technology. Most of this concern is centered on several potential
hazards: those associated with the release of radioactivity into the environment
during the normal operation of nuclear reactors, accidents through human
error or mechanical failure, and the disposal of radioactive wastes produced by
the reactors. There is also the widely held concern that the discharge of
heated water used to cool the reactors—"thermal pollution"—may cause
irreversible damage to fish and plant life.
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Legislative Background
Although the problems of reactor safety are handled by the Atomic Energy
Commission (AEC), the problems of thermal pollution (under EPA's water
authority) and some generally denned authority over radioactivity in the
environment and the disposal of wastes are now within the EPA's jurisdiction.
Under amendments to the Atomic Energy Act of 1954, EPA has been given
standard-setting powers, while authority for research is lodged in the Public
Health Service Act. This is in contrast to other areas where EPA was also
given an enforcement role. In radiation, the AEC remains responsible for
enforcing EPA's standards through its existing licensing authority.
Research
Implicit in any standard-setting endeavor is the need for accurate estimates
on levels of radiation in the environment, their pathways to man, and the health
risks from these doses. The Administrator, under the Public Health Service
Act, has broad research powers. The paraphenalia of fellowships, grants-in-aid,
consultants, and contracts are all available and are widely used.
Much of the current discussion on radiation has centered around science's
lack of information on the long-term genetic and health consequences of low
levels of radiation. In studying this issue, EPA has meshed its research and
monitoring efforts with those of the AEC. Both agencies are studying the
health effects of radiation along with monitoring the environment (particu-
larly around nuclear power plants) to calculate the population's total exposure
to various forms of radiation. EPA is also conducting a complete review of
present radiation standards, along with an assessment of the entire nuclear fuel
cycle. Plans are also underway for developing the needed information for future
standards for the coming of the liquid metal fast breeder reactor.
Breeders
These breeder reactors, now in the development stage, are designed to
capture neutrons lost during the fission process by today's reactors and use them
to create more nuclear fuel. When perfected, breeders will create more fission-
able materials than they consume, giving us, according to the AEC, abundant
economical fuel for the future. This could be the much awaited solution to the
present shortage of nuclear fuel. Unfortunately, there are several known safety
problems with a liquid metal fast breeder reactor. First, its core is to be cooled
by a liquid metal—sodium—which can react violently when it comes in
contact with water or steam. Secondly, the nuclear fuel produced by the
captured neutrons is plutonium, which retains its radioactivity for thousands
of years, posing exceptional disposal problems.
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Wastes
The problem of disposing of radioactive wastes is currently being studied
by the agency under its solid waste authority. Given the extraordinary
persistence of some of these wastes, finding a safe place to store them is both
a technically and politically intriguing problem.
Tritium
Two other areas of concern to EPA relate to the hazards of tritium and
non-ionizing radiation. Tritium is a radioactive gas that will be a major
by-product of fusion (combining atoms, rather than splitting them), a source
of energy man is hoping to tap in the next century. Non-ionizing radiation
refers to the microwaves produced by the communications industry—such as
radio transmitters—that each of us is bombarded by daily; until EPA, no one
had attempted a systematic study of its effects on man.
Technical Assistance
The Public Health Service Act has also directed EPA to dispense techni-
cal assistance to the States. The emphasis here is placed on developing compre-
hensive plans for State response to nuclear incidents, and for training local
personnel. Hopefully, the results of these and other ambitious research and
monitoring programs will serve as a basis for informed decision making that
will protect the American pubic as we move further into the nuclear age.
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NOISE
"America is the noisiest country that
ever existed. One is wakened up in the
morning not by the singing of the night-
ingale, but by the steel worker."
Oscar Wilde, Impressions
of America (1882)
Our experts define noise as "unwanted sound." The national recognition
of noise as a pollutant is relatively recent, probably because it is generally
confined to a specific geographic locality and temporal period, and because
its deleterious effects are less patent than those of other forms of pollutants.
Each of us has noticed such "garden-variety" pollutants as waste in rivers,
or auto emissions in the air. We may shrink back from a river because of its
peculiar color or odor, or be offended by noxious fumes from the antique
buses that still service many cities, but noise, being less tangible and enduring,
tends to be less sensually and aesthetically offensive.
Legislative Background
The Airport and Airway Development Act of 1970 and the Federal Aid
Highway Act identify noise as one factor among others to be considered in
the planning, development, and construction of airports and highways. EPA
is required to evaluate environmental factors involved in such projects and
to report its findings to the Secretary of Transportation. He, in turn, must
take them into consideration before making a final decision on the feasibility
of a given project.
The Noise Pollution and Abatement Act of 1970, directed that substantial
research be undertaken to study a wide range of problems concerning the
harmful effects of noise. In 1971, EPA set up its own Office of Noise Abate-
ment and Control to study the effect of noise on public health and welfare.
With enactment of the Noise Control Act of 1972 came the first major
piece of Congressional legislation in this area. The stated purpose of the
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Act is to establish a vehicle for the effective coordination of Federal research
and activities in noise control, to authorize the establishment of Federal noise
emission standards for products distributed in interstate commerce, and to
provide information to the public respecting the noise emission and noise
reduction characteristics of such products.
In addition, the Act amends the Federal Aviation Act of 1958 to provide
for interdepartmental action between FAA and EPA in the prescription of
standards and regulations relating to the control and abatement of aircraft
noise and sonic boom. It further provides for similar cooperation between the
Department of Transportation and EPA in the promulgation of standards
and regulations relating to the noise emission of interstate railroad and motor
carriers.
Noise Emission Standards
Under the Noise Control Act, the Administrator is given the authority to
prescribe regulations for products designated as major noise sources, where
noise emission standards are feasible and where the product falls into one of
the following categories: construction equipment, transportation equipment,
any motor or engine, electrical or electronic equipment. Each regulation must
include a noise emission standard which sets the limits on emissions from a
given product, and which, based on published criteria, is a requisite for the
protection of the public health and welfare. Factors for consideration are the
magnitude and conditions for use, the degree of noise reduction achievable
through the application of the best available technology, and the cost of com-
pliance. The Administrator is also authorized to devise regulations for other
noise sources where standards are feasible and when it is determined that the
source poses a threat to the public health and welfare. The Administrator must
give labeling instructions for designated products, which will put the prospec-
tive user on notice of either the product's exceptionally high noise emission
level or its effectiveness in reducing noise.
Enforcement
Under the Noise Control Act, the Administrator may issue an order, after
notice and a hearing, specifying such relief as he deems necessary to protect
the public health and welfare, and may request judicial action to restrain
violations of the Act. There are criminal penalties for the following willful
and knowing acts: the distribution in commerce of any new product not
conforming to the emission standards specified or the designated labeling
requirements; the noncompliance with an order of the Administrator; or the
failure to maintain certain records, make certain reports and tests, or provide
certain information. Private citizens also can bring civil actions for violations
of the Act.
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Low-Noise-Emission Products
The Administrator, with the assistance of a Low-Noise-Emission Product
Advisory Committee, is empowered to certify for government use, a product
that emits noise in amounts significantly below the levels specified in the
noise emission standards and that is a suitable substitute for a product in use.
This certification necessitates the acquisition of the designated product by a
procuring agency in lieu of other available products, provided certain cost
criteria are satisfied.
Research Program
This new law enables the Administrator to establish a comprehensive
research program in the area of noise. Such a program will enable EPA to
undertake the necessary investigations into the health effects of noise under
varying conditions of magnitude, duration, background, etc. Such information
is currently lacking in most areas. This program will examine those techno-
logical aspects of noise control and abatement not currently being treated.
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INTERN A TIONAL
"We are now growing accustomed to the
view of our planet as seen from space—a
blue and brown disk shrouded in white
patches of clouds. But we do not ponder
often enough the striking lesson it teaches
about the global reach of environmental
imperatives. No matter what else divides
man and nations, this perspective should
unite them. We must work harder to foster
such world environmental consciousness
and shared purpose."
President Nixon
It is now universally recognized that the world's environmental problems
cannot be solved by the efforts of any one nation. Pollution does not recognize
political boundaries. The air and streams of the world that have absorbed
discarded by-products of industrial and agricultural activity have dispersed their
cargoes much more efficiently than would have been thought possible a few
years ago. The dangers of environmental degradation are now world wide.
We know, for instance, that the fatty tissue of the penguins of Antarctica
show a concentration of DDT, although these animals are thousands of miles
removed from areas where DDT is used.
Conventions
Recognizing that a coordinated effort will be needed to combat the effects
of world-wide pollution, the United States has attempted for many years to
focus international attention in this area. The United Nations Conference on
the Human Environment, held in Stockholm in June 1972, was the first
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comprehensive effort on the part of the nations of the world to come together
and discuss their common environmental problems. The Conference also
underscored the differing priorities placed upon economic development and
environmental quality by the industrialized and developing countries. Our
government is now preparing for the 1973 conference of the Intergovernmental
Maritime Consultative Organization (IMCO), which will attempt to write
an agreement barring discharges of oil and hazardous substances by ships in
international waters. Similarly, a Law of the Sea Conference is scheduled for
1973 which will examine ways to develop and safeguard undersea resources for
the benefit of mankind.
In addition to multilateral conventions, the United States has sought
to negotiate bilateral arrangements with individual countries focusing on
environmental problems. For example, in April 1972 the United States
signed an agreement with Canada on water pollution in the Great Lakes.
The United States also concluded an agreement with the Soviet Union in
May 1972 during President Nixon's visit dealing with research, and a host
of legal and administrative procedures for protecting environmental quality.
Projects
Many activities at the international level do not have the drama of treaties
or international agreements. Frequently, they involve the non-glamorous
and routine hard work which is a necessary first step toward coordinated
international action. The field of environmental research is a good example.
EPA engages in direct contact and cooperation with organizations and
individuals in many foreign countries. In many disciplines, our knowl-
edge is sketchy and incomplete regarding the interaction between man and
his environment. EPA invests time and money to assist foreign efforts at
pollution abatement which show promise of being applicable in our coun-
try. One appproach is the exchange of technical information between EPA
and its counterparts in other countries. This helps us to keep abreast of
newly discovered techniques and protects against the wasteful duplication
of effort. Occasionally, EPA enters into contracts with foreign organiza-
tions and individuals for specific studies and services which may range
from basic research regarding a specific pollutant to experiments in re-
gional planning which may affect an entire river system. There have been
contracts with oil companies in England regarding methods to reduce
sulphur oxide emissions from gasoline engines, and contracts with foreign
universities to abstract and index foreign language scientific literature.
Many of these projects are financed through the Special Foreign Cur-
rency Program, which employs the so-called "counterpart funds" generated
under Public Law 480 of the 83rd Congress. When the United States
government sells surplus agricultural commodities, it is paid in the currency
of the receiving country, rather than in dollars. To the extent that these
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funds are not needed for normal United States government expenses there,
they are set aside 2nd Congress can then earmark portions for specific proj-
ects. Counterpart funds made possible research in Yugoslavia regarding air
pollution caused by copper smelting; a recently completed study in Poland
concerned with the carcinogenic (cancer-causing) material in airborne particu-
late matter was carried out in the same fashion.
Standards
EPA has been given the responsibility for setting standards for imported
products with regard to their environmental impact. In general, these stand-
ards are the same as for products produced at home, although the law does
provide for exceptions when required for national security. For example,
imported automobiles must comply with United States standards regarding
air pollution abatement equipment. Also, pesticides which are produced
in a foreign country must be registered with EPA before they can be
sold in the United States. Food stuffs which are imported into the United
States can be restricted if they contain levels of pesticides which are dan-
gerous for human consumption.
Abatement Conferences
EPA also has authority to abate air and water pollution which originates
in the United States and affects a foreign country. When an international
organization or nation complains that some activity in the United States is
causing air pollution that endangers the health or welfare of persons in a
foreign country, the Administrator may call a conference of the air pollu-
tion control agencies having jurisdiction over the source of the pollution.
The Secretary of State, on his own initiative, may also request EPA to con-
vene a conference. At the conference, the foreign country affected is ac-
corded the same status that a State air pollution control agency would re-
ceive in domestic situations. The Administrator will undertake this type
of action on a reciprocal basis, that is, when the country involved stands
ready to take similar remedial action within its own borders about air
pollution affecting American citizens. The procedures for abating water
pollution originating in the United States with impact in a foreign country
are quite similar, but in this case the complaint must come from the
Secretary of State.
As a matter of policy, EPA pays particular attention to domestic efforts
to abate air and water pollution having an impact beyond our borders. The
main idea is still to protect the health and welfare of the American people.
This kind of reciprocal and good neighborly cooperation hopefully will
lead to the solution of common problems.
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For many nations, the economic imperatives of development coupled with
a rapidly growing population will conflict with efforts to control environ-
mental degradation. The recent Stockholm Conference illustrates the di-
mensions of this problem. Nevertheless, it is critical to the future of
mankind that we begin to plan a coordinated and cooperative international
effort that will allow man to live in harmony with nature. EPA recognizes
its responsibilities to help in this vital work.
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