AWT: black box or Pandora's box
When the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (PL 92-500) was issued in 1972, it seemed to instill a kind of national pride in Americans to demand clean and safe water. With ambitious goals of secondary treatment by 1977 and fishable/swimmable waters by 1983, municipalities, state water pollution control agencies, and the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) got to work. Everybody wanted cleaner water - how clean was another story. Secondary treatment was fine for some, but others set higher water quality standards and subsequently opted for more stringent levels of treatment - advanced waste treatment (AWT) - which gave rise to innumerable questions challenging AWT benefits, costs, and justification. A short review of the AWT program is presented, and some of the possible areas where an ambitious approach went astray are examined. The most recent criticisms of AWT involve an Illinois vs EPA lawsuit, a General Accounting Office (GAO) report, and directives from the House Appropriations Committee's Subcommittee on HUD-Independent Agencies, the details of which also are discussed.
- OSTI ID:
- 5059259
- Journal Information:
- J. Water Pollut. Control Fed.; (United States), Journal Name: J. Water Pollut. Control Fed.; (United States) Vol. 52:9; ISSN JWPFA
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
290300* -- Energy Planning & Policy-- Environment
Health
& Safety
CLEAN WATER ACT
COST
ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY
EVALUATION
LAWS
LAWSUITS
LEGAL ASPECTS
LIQUID WASTES
MANAGEMENT
POLLUTION LAWS
PROCESSING
WASTE MANAGEMENT
WASTE PROCESSING
WASTES
WATER QUALITY