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<br />(If ptll!utalllS into navig;thk wall'rs ,If their trihu-
<br />laric~ without ;1 permit. loday. the provisions of
<br />this ;11:1 ,Ire hdng increasingly invo~cd ag;liml
<br />pllllutcrs.
<br />rhe' WaleT Quality Improwllh.'1l1 :\" of [Y70
<br />illdudl'd importalll new authorities III light pol1u-
<br />llun. and today a l1l;l'sivc ctTort has hl'cll bUI1l:l1cd
<br />1\1 Tl."lOfl.' Amcrica's wall.'r....
<br />Majl1f features of the currclII Fl'da;11 Program
<br />Ml':
<br />standards selling
<br />. Under the \Vatef Quality Act 01" 1(,l(j5. l,:tch
<br />of till" Stall'S. and the Dj..trict of ('llIUlIlhia. Guam.
<br />I'ucrt!l Rico, ;ulll th.: Virgin hlanJs. have h<..'cn
<br />in the prlX""SS of estahlishing w;ltl.'r l.ju;lIily slaml-
<br />arJ... fur all intl'r..tall' ;IIlJ cllastal wall'rs. These
<br />1II11'[ he fully ilpl'fllvnl hy U." hy };Lnu;I!"Y l,
<br />1'J7~. JIll' sland,tnls sp..:cify slream U:-.l' d;lssilka-
<br />lion l fel'fl':lIilln, fish and wilJlik pmpagatil1ll,
<br />puh1ic watl'r supplies, industrial and ;lgril'u!tur;JI
<br />USl'S l; tlk' qU:llity Ilf w;ltl'r reljuifl-tl to :-.Uppl1rt
<br />th~'w U:-'l'S: and CIIJll!,ktl.' plans for adlil'ving and
<br />l'nfpfl.'ing th\.' desirnJ kvds (,f lju:dily.
<br />Owr 90 pl.'rcefll (If all illtef~t;lt\.' w,!tl'n. haw
<br />hn'lI d:l:-.silkd fllr l'iltk'r rn'rl'ation or fish and
<br />wildlik propag:t1ioll USl'S, which requir\.' high
<br />lju:llity w;lter.
<br />enforcement
<br />. S!:t1l'S have fiN rl':-.plIllsihility for l'nfon.:illg
<br />thL' wata qual It)' sl:IllJank Ilowl'vcr, if the
<br />stand:If,ls an: villlalnl, EI'A l1l:lY l'nfurc\.' them
<br />through pn>("\.'durl's provi\kd hy tlk' Wakr Qual-
<br />ity ACI or hy initialing civil or criminal ,1l.:tiull
<br />undl'r the Refuse Act.
<br />One of the EI'A AJministr:ltllr's tirst oflki:d
<br />aCh was 10 issue violatiun notiecs III thfee major
<br />
<br />citin. plaeing them nn IInlicl' Ihat Ct,rrl..'ctiw ,u;-
<br />liull mllSl Iw lakl'll within I XO day.. III avoiJ
<br />pfO..L'culioll: hy the l'nJ of the t XO-d:IY pl..'l'ind,
<br />agn;elllL'nt h;ld h,'l'll rL';Il.:hl'd hlr l(lint k<kral-
<br />st:lIe-llll:al constru<:lion ,If Ihe n~'~'\kd Ife;lImcnt
<br />!,!:mh. In till' Ag~'ncy's lirsl l'lght I1Illnlhs, 47 ..w.:h
<br />notices w,'f\.' isslled hI Illunicip:J1 nf industrial
<br />plllllJll'fS. Illl'sl.' indlHkd 32 1l111llicipa1ilk.. which
<br />dlschargl.' wwagl' inlo Llkl' Fril..'.
<br />III ,,'vaal insl<lnccs, J.:I'A has initialed ~'nfnrel"
<br />m,'1l1 hy cllllvl'ning ;( conkrl'm'C of kdcral and
<br />sl"ll' I,tlkial", a IHOI.','dlUl' which is followed hy
<br />a puhllc Ill'arin~ and ~'nlll'l :Jl,tiol1 ,,~all1sl Ihe
<br />Vi'II:t1('r if r~'ql,iro..d. (If majl,r illllll,rt;lncl' arl' new
<br />~'('llkrerlC~'s c:llkJ tll l'nfon:e standards cowril1~
<br />th\.' il\t~'l's\at,' W:ll~'I'S Ilf !.nng Isbnd Slllllld in
<br />t'tllllll'l.tieul and New )',lrl, llf <i:llwstIHl B:IY
<br />;lI1d ib uihutaril's ill Tl'\as, of wL'..krn Snulh
<br />l>alllla, and nf I'..:arl llarh,lr, II.Jwaii. Conkr-
<br />,'IlI.'L'S nlllc\uded on LI\..I: :\.11..:hi!!illl :Illd Like
<br />SUIK'rior fl'sultl.'d in m;ljof EPt\ :tclillllS 10 "hate
<br />pollution.
<br />..\s "I' ll1id-1971, nll're Ih;lIl 5(1 eivil Ill' criminal
<br />actiolls h;ld Ix'cll hrought "gainsl industrial dis~
<br />ch:lrgers hy the lJ,S. Ikp;lrtllll'1l1 Ilf Jllslin' Illllkr
<br />the Rdlhl..' Act pnwisi'll1", F(lurl~'l'll l.ivil :-.uits
<br />h:ld h~','1I n'Iu:lu(kd favorahl\' hy C(\Uu-:lppmwd
<br />sl't1kllll'lIlS. 111 civil actions against 1<'11 discharg~
<br />lTS "f ll1\.'fcury, :t prompt rnlueliol1 of lolal dis-
<br />l'har!!l.'rs [mill I 39 pou1ld~ to 2 pOllnds d:Jily W:lS
<br />hrllughl ;.bollt, vdth linal JiSpllSilill1l of lhe case..
<br />(kp,'llding \III Fl't\ :lppro...:11 (If pl<lns for furthl..'r
<br />rnlllcli\ln: in onl' casl.' only, the disch:IQ:ing plant
<br />was shut dllWlI, Criminal prownJlions have gl.'n-
<br />nally r,'slllt,'d in CllnvktiollS and ilsseSSlllent of
<br />lines; in um: case, a violator was tincd $[25,000,
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