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Clean Water Act Enforcement
In 1972, Congress enacted the first comprehensive national clean
water legislation in response to growing public concern for serious
and widespread water pollution. The Clean Water Act is the primary
federal law that protects our nation's waters, including lakes,
rivers, and coastal areas.
The Clean Water Act focuses on improving the quality of the nation's
waters. It provides a comprehensive framework of standards, technical
tools and financial assistance to address the many causes of pollution
and poor water quality, including municipal and industrial wastewater
discharges, polluted runoff from urban and rural areas, and habitat
destruction. The Clean Water Act:
- requires municipalities and major industries to meet performance
standards to ensure pollution control;
- charges states and tribes with setting specific water quality
criteria appropriate for their waters and developing pollution
control programs to meet them;
- provides funding to states and communities to help them meet
their clean water infrastructure needs; and
- protects valuable wetlands and other aquatic habitats through
a permitting process that ensures development and other activities
are conducted in an environmentally sound manner.
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