The federal Clean Water Act (CWA) is the most comprehensive, powerful tool to protect and restore our waters. Passed in 1972, the CWA set forth bold, clear goals to “restore and maintain the chemical, physical, and biological integrity of the Nation’s waters.” Over its 30 year history, the CWA has proven effective at restoring many waters and reducing pollution from many sources.
- Grain facility on the Illinois river
The State of Illinois, through Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (IEPA), is responsible for implementing and enforcing many of the CWA programs. However, they are still far short of meeting the goals of the Clean Water Act. Much work remains, and it is our collective responsibility to get it done.
Fortunately, a key element of the CWA is citizen involvement. The Act reflects a critical understanding that protecting and restoring every water (sea to shining sea, and every water in between), will require vigilance and cooperation on the part of the people who know those waters. Prairie Rivers Network continuously fights for the effective and full implementation of the Clean Water Act, but we need your help too. This section provides information on how citizens can help enforce the CWA and resources if you want a more thorough understanding of the Clean Water Act.
Citizen Involvement in the CWA
Opportunities for citizens of Illinois to protect their waters through the CWA include:
Strengthening Water Pollution Permits (NPDES Program) – Water pollution permits (National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System or NPDES permitting) are required for anyone who discharges pollution into Illinois rivers to assure that the discharge will not violate water quality standards set by the CWA.
Protecting Wetlands and Stream Habitats – Under Section 404 of the CWA, anyone who hopes to fill a wetland, channelize a stream, or otherwise fill a portion of a water with sediment, must obtain a “404 permit” from the US Army Corps of Engineers (Corps). The Corps must assure that each permit it issues complies with guidelines developed together by the Corps and the US Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA).
Controlling Stormwater Pollution – The water pollution permitting program of the CWA requires that dirt be maintained on construction sites to the extent possible and states that construction sites may not contribute to stream impairments. To comply with the law, each construction site must develop and implement a Storm Water Pollution Prevention Plan that describes the techniques the contractor will use to prevent soil from leaving the site.
Restoring Degraded Waters (TMDL Program) – The CWA Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) program requires that states and EPA identify impaired waters and develop clean-up plans (TMDLs) for those waters.
Improving Water Quality Standards – The CWA requires water quality standards to be defined to insure “water quality which provides for the protection of fish, shellfish, and wildlife and provides for recreation in and on the water…” At least once every three years, IEPA is required to conduct a review of the standards and solicit public input on the standards.
Ending Coal Mines Exemptions from Water Pollution Standards – Coal mines are exempted from meeting water quality standards in the State of Illinois. This includes exempting mines from the antidegradation rules that were recently adopted to bring Illinois into compliance with the Clean Water Act antidegradation requirements.
Visit Understanding the Clean Water Act for resources available to help you better understand its provisions and how they have been used to protect our water.
Additional Resources
USEPA Water Quality Standards Database (Numeric Criteria for Priority Pollutants)
http://oaspub.epa.gov/wqsdatabase/wqsi_epa_criteria.rep_parameter
Priority Pollutants (You can click on any of the pollutants to find human health hazards, chemical use profile, hazard rankings, and more)
http://www.scorecard.org/chemical-groups/one-list.tcl?short_list_name=pp
Clean Water Network provides a number of great tools to help you participate in several programs of the CWA.
You can find laws and regulations in place to achieve these goals in the Illinois Pollution Control Act and Title 35 of the Illinois Administrative Code:http://www.ilga.gov/commission/jcar/admincode/035/035parts.html