Water is one of Earth's most precious resources. It is especially valuable for human beings who need to drink it in order to survive. Everyone needs clean and safe water to drink. In the United States, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ensures that bodies of water used for drinking are protected from pollution. It ensures that this water will not be contaminated. This is what they are supposed to do. However, sometimes they look the other way while industrial companies pollute the drinking water. They overlook violations and/or completely ignore the ways that these companies are polluting the water. In this research, I will look at some of the ways that the EPA is ignoring its responsibility to protect drinking water and stopping companies from polluting it. Since 2006, the EPA has been making reduces on the number of inspections they conduct per year. According to the Washington Post, these reduces will continue until 2018. Here is some of the data: By 2018, the agency would conduct an average of 14,000 federal inspections and evaluations per year across the country. That’s a 33-percent dip from the annual EPA caseloads from 2005-09, and a 30-percent drop from 2012. By 2018, the EPA would initiate an average of 2,320 civil judicial and administrative enforcement cases a year in the five-year span. The drop: 41 percent from 2005-2009 figures, and 23 percent from 2012. And, by 2018, the agency envisions concluding 2,000 civil judicial and administrative enforcement cases per year, a 47-percent dip from the caseloads in 2005-09, and a 33-percent cut from 2012 (Hamby). The EPA has decided instead to focus on the worst offenders, those that have, “the most significant health, environmental, and deterrence impacts” (Hamby). T... ... middle of paper ... ...ect the water and enforce the law. The public, though, is not convinced. Several cases and lawsuits reveal that the EPA is not doing what it is supposed to be doing, and companies are getting away with polluting water sources. This is occurring all over the country in both rural and urban areas. The EPA says it would be able to respond more efficiently to complaints if the public used electronic reporting rather than paper reporting. However, this seems to be irrelevant as there is no data to show that the EPA responds more quickly to electronic reports. When all of these facts are taken into consideration, it is clear that the EPA has fallen behind in its duty to protect this country's water. Hopefully the attention given to this subject by watchdog groups and the media will make the public more aware of the problem so that they demand that the EPA change its ways.
Kenneth Schiff wrote an editorial for the Marine Pollution Bulletin in 2014 where he asked environmental scientist about the effectiveness of the Clean Water Act. Three topics were discussed to support their approval; The Cuyahoga River, Platform A and declines in marine life. The Cuyahoga River in Ohio had hit a point 1969 where there was so much oil on the surface of that it caught on fire and now it has been deemed as fishable by the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency, thanks to the Clean Water Act. Platform A was located in Southern California. In 1969, an explosion occurred, causing 100,000 barrels of oil to devastate beaches along the Pacific Ocean and kill thousands of animals located in this region. Also discussed was the effects of hazardous substances, in this example DDT, on marine life. The use of this pesticide caused brown pelicans and California sea lions to experience intense decline in population- thanks to the Clean Water Act being followed by much research, restrictions and bans were able to be placed on these chemicals, allowing these populations to flourish once more. Within this editorial, there is also many who state that this Act has not been effective enough. One big argument is that the EPA has a list of pollutants that has not changed since the 1970’s yet in the last 40 years, there has
The environment and the health of the surrounding population go hand in hand. The Environmental Protection Agency takes on this ever so important mission of protecting them both. The mission statement of the EPA states, “The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Office of Small Business Programs is to support the protection of human health and the environment by advocating and advancing the business, regulatory, and environmental compliance concerns of small and socio-economically disadvantaged businesses, and minority academic institutions (US Enviromental Protection Agency, 2010).” The impact of its mission can be defined clearly as it examines the impact of contamination in the air, the water, and the land on human health.
Humans need water. In a world that is overpopulated, we use a lot of water and other natural resources. Currently, in our world, clean water is getting scarce. Recently, for example, Flint, Michigan, had a water crisis. In early 2016, the water was discovered to be tainted with lead and other toxins. Long before that, the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, and Governor Rick Snyder along with his council, knew about the lead, but to save money for the city of Flint in early 2014 Snyder had changed the city’s water source to the Flint River which had corroded pipes, causing people of all ages to be sick from the high amounts of lead
... on the economy, environment and society. Everyone should judiciously use water in a sustainable community. Not everyone has the wherewithal to implement a home water filtration system which can remove hazardous chemicals such as chlorine, lead, asbestos, pharmaceuticals and pathogens from our drinking water. Industries and public should take it seriously and not consider profit alone as it goals. They should have ethical responsibility to reduce water pollution and conserve it. EPA and other water utilities board should strictly monitor and take action against violators. Water pollution abatement plans should be made and implemented.
Bleifuss, Joel. "A Deadly Disorder at the EPA." In These Times. Mar. 2013: p. 20. SIRS Issues Researcher. Web. 03 Apr. 2014.
---. “The Clean Water Act—Is it Successfully Reducing Water Pollution?- Final Draft.” UTSA: WRC 1023, 11 Apr 2014. Print.
Whether we want to believe it or not water pollution is one of the world’s l...
These regulations led to a sectoral shift in production and employment away from newly regulated, polluting sectors. The “Clean Air Act” of the 1970s led to a loss of more than 500,000 jobs in regulated sectors relative to unregulated sectors. However, it is difficult to interpret the effects of job loss without knowing the long-run earnings losses associated with these job transitions (Walker, 2013). It is a beneficial act due to the lives saved but the number of people that it affected in the work force was substantial. Workers had to look for new jobs and in many cases new
"Water Pollution." Current Issues: Macmillan Social Science Library. Detroit: Gale, 2010. Opposing Viewpoints in Context. Web. 5 May 2014.
It might be easier to live a healthy life for many people, but for others it can be very challenging. I have tried to be healthy so many times, but I always fell off the wagon. For many days I would “feel” healthy, but in reality I was not the healthiest person mentally or physically. I knew that I had to change my behavior, and become healthier (or at least almost healthy) if I wanted to live a longer life. I began my journey by drinking more water, balancing my eating with exerting, all while trying to stay mentally well.
Clean Water: “An under-appreciated liquid to Survive” Water is pure and transparent liquid that is vital for all humans, plants and animals on the planet. In the United States, people have access to clean drinking water and clean sanitation systems, not like in other parts of the world where clean, safe drinking water is getting scarce. A lot of people don’t have access to it, and many regions are suffering severe drought. Yet, when humans take it for granted, they don’t appreciate that a reliable, clean supply of water is essential to human health, economy and agricultural prosperity. Having clean and safe potable water is a right, and not a privilege.
Have you ever wondered how it would be like 40 or more years from now? Having to walk out of your home with an air mask on, just because it is extremely polluted outside to even be able to breathe? Our environment has been changing so much in the past years, and this continues to be a problem that everyone ignores. Pollution is serious matter and it should be a priority to take action for this cause. Not only for ourselves but for the next and upcoming generations. People ignore the fact that pollution even exist. According to my studies, right now pollution has increased tremendously that our kid’s children have a high chance of dealing with more pollution than what we are dealing with now. The Government should implement new laws to control the amount of pollution companies release by taxing the companies, or encourage American citizens to go green, and use natural solar and energy equipment. Candidates who support these laws will gain greater support during elections.
What is pollution? Pollution is a detrimental enemy to all species that walk on earth. It is a product of mankind carbon foot print on the environment. It consists of chemicals or particles in the air that can harm the health of humans, animals, and plants. Pollution occurs when pollutants contaminate the natural surrounding; which brings about changes that affect our normal lifestyles adversely. Pollutants are the key elements of pollution which are generally waste materials of dissimilar forms. Pollution disturbs our ecosystem and the balance in the environment. With innovation and development in our lives pollution has reached its peaks; giving rise to global warming and human illness. When raw materials, water, energy and other resources
Wastewater is the combination of water-carried or liquid wastes starting in the sanitary conveniences of dwellings, industrial or commercial facilities. In addition to this, surface water, groundwater and storm water may also be present. It is any water that has been badly affected in quality by anthropogenic influence. It contains waste from residential, industrial and commercial processes. Municipal water contains industrial wastewater, sewage and gray water. Gray water is the water from sinks and showers. Large industries also produce wastewater.
...tion and regular control programs for different types of waste-water discharge. The EPA supports all acts that could help save our reefs or to find the causes on why our reefs are disappearing.