The Clean Water Act exists as an effort to protect the quality of water in Georgia and throughout the entire U.S. The environmental legislation outlines various rules for entities to follow for them to run a business that is in line with the environmental expectations set in this country.
Though the Clean Water Act has gone far to protect the land’s resources, environmental groups argue that more could — and should — be done by the legislation. They are fighting to get the EPA to close a loophole left open by the current water runoff laws.
First, what is water runoff and why is it an environmental threat? When it rains, the water doesn’t just hit the ground and disappear. It runs through the land or developed land on which it falls and travels throughout a community. It will run into low-lying land within communities and often ends up in the water systems. When there are chemicals or other toxins and pollutants on the land on which the water runs, that pollution, therefore, can lead to contaminated land and water.
Today, environmental groups challenged the EPA to improve the “loophole” within the Clean Water Act that doesn’t allow the government to regulate runoff tied to buildings that existed before the passage of the law. Essentially, critics of the current law want the government to take action against companies working through older buildings that continue to neglect to recognize the importance and value of combating polluted runoff.
The EPA says it will evaluate the water quality request. We will post an update when there’s a development in the environmental matter.
Source: The Boston Globe, “Environmental groups ask EPA to regulate runoff,” Nikitia Lalwani, July 11, 2013