History of Pollution in the United
States
Pollution has been an issue that has gripped the United States for over 100 years. From the air to the ocean to the soil in the ground we are surrounded by pollution.
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Pollution has been an issue that has gripped the United States for over 100 years. From the air to the ocean to the soil in the ground we are surrounded by pollution.
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National Environmental Policy ActThe National Environmental Policy Act, often referred to as NEPA, was established on January 1st, 1970. The intent of this act is to protect human health and the environment in regards to government action and policy making in the environment. Ways that NEPA does this was by establishing a council of environmental quality in the executive office as well as establishing national environmental policies and goals and implementing a requirement for environmental impact statements for new and on-going projects.
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Clean Water ActThe Federal Water Pollution Control Act of 1948 was the first major U.S. law to address water pollution. Now we have the Clean Water Act of 1972. The clean water act was put into place with the intent to protect human health and the environment with regards to the surface waters of the United States. Ways in which the Clean Water Act does this is by having set state water quality standards as well as the implementation of NPDES permits. NPDES, the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System, has two different types of permits. There is an individual permit that is specifically tailored to an individual facility and there is a general permit that can cover a group of dischargers that have similar qualities within a certain given geographical location.
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Clean Air ActThe Clean Air Act was established by the EPA, the Environmental Protection Agency, with the intent to protect human health and the environment in regards to ambient air quality. Ways in which the Clean Air Act does this is by creating and maintaining a list of Criteria Air Pollutants which includes particulate matter, photochemical oxidants, carbon monoxide, sulfur oxides, nitrogen oxides, and lead. The Clean Air Act also developed the National Ambient Air Quality Standards, often referred to as NAAQS, as well as developing a compliance agreement with any parties in non-attainment.
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Pollution Prevention Act |
Safe Drinking Water Act |
The Federal Pollution Prevention Act of 1990 was established with the intent to protect human health and the environment with regards to proactive pollution prevention. To do this the act outlines how to prevent pollution at the source, recycling in an environmentally friendly manner, and how to treat it in an environmentally safe way.
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The Safe Drinking Water Act, often referred to as SDWA, was established in 1974. The intent of the Safe Drinking Water Act is to protect human health and the environment with regards to drinking water and groundwater sources. To do this some provisions were set in place including moving to lead-free plumbing, set standards for drinking water quality, and preventing contamination of drinking and groundwater sources.
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White River Pollution |
White River Clean-Up |
The White River first began seeing pollution when the internal improvements legislation of 1836, a large-scale transportation systems creation plan, failed due to many different factors including the state's approaching bankruptcy. As the city of Indianapolis grew it was clear that there was no feasible option to make a passable waterway for boats. Soon after this discovery the river became a dumping ground for industrial waste of factories and warehouses along the river, particularly from canneries, oil refineries, and meatpacking plants. Massive floods plagued the river as early as 1909 which led The State Board of Health to threaten the city with a lawsuit in 1912 if local officials failed to prevent the river from becoming a menace to health and property values. These floods were bringing sewage into contact with the general public as well as leaching more toxins into the river. By 1915, the pollution concerns moved to the State House when Representative William C. Deck introduced a bill that demanded all cities and towns using the White River for sewage disposal must install a sewage treatment center due to an outdated drain off system that caused the river to overflow with sewage whenever moderate rainfall would occur. This is still an issue in the river today. In 1968, sewage plants along the river were able to remove 90% of the pollutants in the water but as the residents along the river's community multiplied the pollution-load steadily increased. Outbreaks of histoplasmosis have occurred in the river since 1978, causing flu-like symptoms for the community's residents. Studies have shown that water runoff from the river contains chromium, copper, lead, mercury, zinc, PCBs and DDT.
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In 1983, the city finished the construction of an advanced wastewater treatment system by upgrading the secondary treatment plans. Studies following this showed significant improvements in the quality of the river downstream of the treatment plants. With the creation of White River State Park, the aesthetic of the river also improved. The state conducted an environmental study at the White River State Park and concluded with the following recommendations; species redevelopment habitats, dog and horse trails, canoe access, and a nature center.
Dig Indy is an ongoing project with a projected finish date of 2025. This project is a massive underground tunnel system designed to capture Indy's sewage and restore the White River. This project will divert 97% of sewage overflows to a wastewater treatment plant and is set to cost more than $2 billion once finished. Boating on the river is safe as long as certain minor precautions and preparations are made. Eating fish from the river is still not recommended and swimming in the river is especially dangerous. The main contaminant of the White River is fecal coliform, which is a nicer term for raw, untreated human and livestock excrement that washes into the river that can cause anything from vomiting and diarrhea to skin rashes and infections. Fecal contamination on beaches is not an uncommon occurrence but samples taken from the White RIver had sometimes 78 times the E. coli limit for swimming. |