Environment
An investigation by The New York Times has found that violations of the US’s Clean Water Act have increased in recent years, and that the majority of violators are not punished. The Clean Water Act regulates more than 100 pollutants. The Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) sets limits for 91 chemicals or contaminants in tap water. The newspaper estimates that 40% of community water systems, which serve a total of 23 million people, violated the SDWA last year. Between 2004 and 2007, the number of facilities that violated the Clean Water Act increased 16% and 60% of violators were cited with “significant noncompliance.” States instituted significant punishments in less than 3% of the violations, and the EPA often declined to file charges against violators. According to interviews with state officials, rising workloads, fewer resources and industrial lobbying have resulted in lax enforcement. Internal EPA memos discussing a five-year investigation noted that states did not impose sufficient punishment and that the EPA knew of the problem.
Source: The New York Times