May Not Do the Job Adequately. States were free to control water pollution in any way they chose before 1972. The federal government was forced to step in because many states were allowing harmful pollution to be indiscriminately dumped causing fish kills, beach closings due to raw sewage, and rivers that literally caught fire. In contrast, large industrial sources and cities have invested billions since 1972 to control their discharges. The main sources of polluted runoff are fertilizers and pesticides used on agricultural lands and suburban lawns, animal waste from livestock, and oil and grease from city streets and parking lots.
Agriculture is the largest source by far.
Sources should be free to design and obtain approval of plans which are effective but are the most cost efficient and flexible for that source. Phaseout Dangerous Toxics. Recent science indicates that certain persistent toxic chemicals still legally dumped into our waters are linked not only to increased rates of cancer but to other serious health effects. These health effects include infertility due to endometriosis and low sperm counts, impaired immune systems, and learning and behavioral disorders. Our environment and our children simply cannot take any more.