Opinion ID: 327524
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: the scheme of the 1972 act.

Text: 9 The Federal Water Pollution Control Act Amendments of 1972 restructure the federal program for water pollution control. The 1972 Act was enacted against a background of frustration and ineffectiveness in controlling the quality of the nation's waters. The keystone of the pre-1972 program had been the setting of water quality standards for interstate navigable waters. Under that program, if wastes discharged into receiving waters reduced the quality below permissible standards, legal action could be commenced against the discharger. To establish that a given polluter had violated the federal legislation, a plaintiff had to cross a virtually unbridgeable causal gap by demonstrating that the cause of the unacceptable water quality was the effluent being discharged by the defendant. The enforcement mechanism of the prior legislation was so unwieldy that only one case had reached the courts in more than two decades. See S.Rep.No.92-414, 92d Cong., 1st Sess. (1971), reported in A Legislative History of the Water Pollution Control Act Amendments of 1972 at 1423 (1973), U.S.Code Cong. & Admin.News, 1972, p. 3668. 5 10 The 1972 Act brought about a major change in the enforcement mechanism by shifting the focus from water quality standards to effluent limitations. See id. at 1425. It provides in § 301(a) that the discharge of any pollutant is unlawful unless it is in compliance with conditions (effluent limitations) contained in a permit issued under § 402. Permits are to be issued by the EPA, or by those states whose permit programs have been approved by the EPA pursuant to § 402(a)(5). 6 11 The Act declares that it is the national goal that the discharge of all pollutants into the navigable waters be eliminated by 1985. § 101(a)(1). To move the country toward this goal, the Act establishes a system of standards and guidelines under which permit conditions are to become more and more restrictive, culminating hopefully in a zero-discharge condition. 12 For new sources, the Administrator is directed to categorize sources and to publish regulations establishing Federal standards of performance. § 306(b)(1)(B). The new source standards are to reflect 13    the greatest degree of effluent reduction which the Administrator determines to be achievable through application of the best available demonstrated control technology, processes, operating methods, or other alternatives, including, where practicable, a standard permitting no discharge of pollutants. 14 § 306(a)(1). 15 For existing sources, § 301(b) of the Act provides: 7 16    (T)here shall be achieved 17 (1)(A) not later than July 1, 1977, effluent limitations for point sources, other than publicly owned treatment works,    which shall require the application of the best practicable control technology currently available as defined by the Administrator pursuant to section 304(b)    . 18 (2)(A) not later than July 1, 1983, effluent limitations for categories and classes of point sources    which    shall require application of the best available technology economically achievable for such category or class, which will result in reasonable further progress toward the national goal of eliminating the discharge of all pollutants, as determined in accordance with regulations issued by the Administrator pursuant to section 304(b)(2)    which such effluent limitations shall require the elimination of discharges of all pollutants if the Administrator finds    that such elimination is technologically and economically achievable for a category or class of point sources as determined in accordance with regulations issued by the Administrator pursuant to section 304(b)(2)    . 19 The phrases used in § 301(b), best practicable control technology currently available and best available technology economically achievable, are to be given content by the Administrator of the EPA in regulations which he is directed to publish under § 304(b): 20 For the purpose of adopting or revising effluent limitations under this Act the Administrator shall, after consultation with appropriate Federal and State agencies and other interested persons, publish within one year of enactment of this title (October 18, 1972), regulations, providing guidelines for effluent limitations, and, at least annually thereafter, revise, if appropriate, such regulations. Such regulations shall 21 (1)(A) identify, in terms of amounts of constituents and chemical, physical, and biological characteristics of pollutants, the degree of effluent reduction attainable through the application of the best practicable control technology currently available for classes and categories of point sources   ; and 22 (B) specify factors to be taken into account in determining the control measures and practices to be applicable to point sources    within such categories or classes. Factors relating to the assessment of best practicable control technology currently available to comply with subsection (b)(1) of section 301    shall include consideration of the total cost of application of technology in relation to the effluent reduction benefits to be achieved from such application, and shall also take into account the age of equipment and facilities involved, the process employed, the engineering aspects of the application of various types of control techniques, process changes, non-water quality environmental impact (including energy requirements), and such other factors as the Administrator deems appropriate; 23 (2)(A) identify, in terms of amounts of constituents and chemical, physical, and biological characteristics of pollutants, the degree of effluent reduction attainable through the application of the best control measures and practices achievable including treatment techniques, process and procedure innovations, operating methods, and other alternatives for classes and categories of point sources   ; and 24 (B) specify factors to be taken into account in determining the best measures and practices available to comply with subsection (b)(2) of section 301    to be applicable to any point source    within such categories or classes. Factors relating to the assessment of best available technology shall take into account the age of equipment and facilities involved, the process employed, the engineering aspects of the application of various types of control techniques, process changes, the cost of achieving such effluent reduction, non-water quality environmental impact (including energy requirements), and such other factors as the Administrator deems appropriate   . 25