Clean water is essential for life, yet very little regulation has historically existed in order to ensure that communities have access to this basic human right. On October 18, 1972, the Clean Water Act came into existence, requiring stricter regulations in order to provide access to safer water for America's communities. Through the Clean Water Act, corporations are now kept accountable for their contribution of sewage, runoffs, and toxins that their manufacturing practices unsafely and unjustly introduce into our environments. The Clean Water Act introduced the need for permits to regulate point-source and fill pollution, giving the government the ability to regulate what and how much toxins are getting into our water sources. Environmental hazards and public health concerns are evident when water is unsafe, a current example being the Flint water crisis in Michigan. Water is used to bathe, to cook, to drink, to maintain our food system, and much more! For this reason, it is imperative that we have something as essential as government support to demand and regulate our water, especially when we need to go against big corporations.
Hi Nalleli,
ReplyDeleteI'm appreciative for the existence of the Clean Water Act, however situations like the Flint Water Crisis make me question the worth of the law. The crisis in Michigan is just one example of how the law is failing its constituents, just in our own backyard Oakland has its own water crisis at hand, but it isn't getting the attention it deserves.
Link regarding East Bay water safety:
https://www.eastbaytimes.com/2017/06/14/how-safe-is-your-east-bay-water/