When it comes to CO2 emissions,,,The USA is tops in that polluting dept,,,china russia and india follow.
It has been more than 30 years since the original clean water act,,,what is amusing most states Did not monitor or begin testing All of there streams and lakes till 1991. Only partial tests were done so the numbers are sketchy. The Major Industrial Polluters did clean up there acts,,,but developmental,,and residential pollutions is soaring,,,yes,,growing.
here is one outlook of lets say Indianas water ways,,,
More than half of Indiana's industries and municipal wastewater plants violated their water discharge permits between January 2000 and March 2001, according to a study released in August by the U.S. Public Interest Research Group.
Thousands of fish are killed each year in an average of 35 separate incidents, usually from fertilizer or animal waste runoff from farm fields, sewer overflows or discharges of waste from livestock feeding operations.
The state Health Department has issued fish consumption advisories in all 92 Indiana counties this year, including warnings against eating any fish from 12 waterways, largely because of PCBs and heavy metals.
PERSISTING PROBLEMS
- Fertilizer or animal waste runoff from farms or livestock operations.
- Runoff from lawns and construction sites.
- Discharge of untreated sewage from combined storm and sanitary sewers and septic systems.
- PCBs and heavy metals released into the atmosphere from manufacturing.
WHAT'S BEING DONE
- The state is trying to determine how much pollution and sediment the impaired waterways can safely handle.
- Watershed management groups are forming to create plans for reducing runoff. * Farmers are being encouraged to adopt practices to control runoff.
- The public is encouraged to limit use of fertilizers and not wash cars on paved surfaces.
- Developers are being asked to make more use of paving bricks to allow water to seep into the ground.
State officials say the figures don't tell the whole story. The number of impaired waterways has risen because of increased monitoring, not more pollution, they say.
Now this is just a limited type of pollution that the planet is exposed to,,per capita right now USA leads the pact,,,wait in 20 years and look at asia india and russia. Soylent green here we come.
Another amazing tid bit,,,Most individuals that fish in fresh water lakes and streams will not drink the water,,,due to advisorys,,,but will eat the fish.
I would say that the clean water act is a partial success,,,or was,,,because are coastal waters especially in the gulf of mexico and the north atlantic are in worse shape than 30 years ago
resinman