THESE FACILITIES OFTEN BREAK THE LAW MORE THAN ONCE AND FOR MORE THAN ONE POLLUTANT

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October 2007 An analysis of 2005 Clean Water Act compliance Troubled Waters An analysis of 2005 Clean Water Act compliance October 2007 Troubled Waters i Acknowledgments Written by Christy Leavitt, Clean Water Advocate with PennEnvironment Research & Policy Center. © 2007, PennEnvironment Research & Policy Center Cover photo: Victor Balabanov, under license from Shutterstock.com The author would like to thank Alison Cassady, Research Director with PennEnvironment Research & Policy Center, for her contributions to this report. Additional thanks to the numerous staff at state environmental protection agencies across the country for reviewing the data for accuracy. The recommendations are those of the PennEnvironment Research & Policy Center and do not necessarily reflect the views of our funders. To obtain additional copies of this report, visit our website or send a check for $25 made payable to PennEnvironment Research & Policy Center at the following address: PennEnvironment Research & Policy Center 1420 Walnut St. Suite 650 Philadelphia, PA 19102 215-732-5897 www.pennenvironment.org Troubled Waters ii Table of Contents Executive Summary ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1 Introduction: The State of America’s Waters ...

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      October 2007

An analysis of 2005 Clean Water Act compliance 

      

  Troubled Waters      An analysis of 2005 Clean Water Act compliance                            

  October 2007      

 

  Acknowledgments   Written by Christy Leavitt, Clean Water Adthv oPceantne Ewnivironmente Raercsh & Policy Center.    © 2007, PennEnvironment Research & Policy Center   Cover photo: Victor Balabanov ,l iucnednesre from Shutterstock.com    The author would likeh taon kt Alison Cassady, Research D irweitcht orPennEnvironment Research &  Policy Center, for her contributions to thi s Ardedpitoirot.n al thanks hteo  staff at statent umerous environmental protection agencies acrostsr tyh feo rc roeuvniewing dtahtea  for accuracy.     The recommendations are thtohse irylseasn cen todod anr teen CcyiloP & hcraeseR P neEnvnrinoemtn of  reflect the views of our funders.   To obtain additional copies of this reporrt,u websitvisit  d ahcce eros nema5  pdefok $2r  obayat el PennEnvironment Research & CPeolnitcey r at thell ofowing address:    PennEnvironment Recseh a&r Policy Center  1420 Walnut St. Suite 650 Philadelphia, PA 19102 215-732-5897 www.pennenvironment.org   

 

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Table of  

Contents

Executive Summary ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------1 ----------------

Introduction: The Sta tAem oefrica’s Waters---------------------------------------------------------------------------------3 

Background: A Permit to Pollute--------------------------------------------------------------------------4- ------------------

Findings: America’s Troubled Waterways---------------------------------------------------------------------- 7

The Bush Administration’s Aossn atuhlte  Clean Water Act-------------------------------------------------------------14 

Recommendations ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------17--------------------- 

Methodology-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

Appendix A. Facilities Exceeding Their Clean t WPeartemri tAsc for at Least 6 of the 12 Reporting Periods  between January 1, 2005 and December 31, 2005-.-----------------------2- 2--------------------------------

Appendix B. All Pennsylvanilait iFeasc iExceeding their Clean Wta tPeer rAmcits at Least Once be tween January 1, 2005 and December 31, 2005 -----------------------------------35------------------------------- --

 

         

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Executive Summary   O ctober 18, 2007 marks th ae n elC fhtyro ersanniv ae 35dnetni wal kramdan l at,Acr teWadet  oertsro e a   tione naater’s wgeiri tn fhtyto  hep nI  .st gnissad maintain the pnanl bid ogolalicisyh,lacehc acim Clean Water Act, Congress set the goals of eliminating the discharge of pollutants into the nation’s waterways by 1985 and making all U.S. waterways fishable and swimmable by 1983. Although we made significant progress in improving watenrc eq utahleit yp assisage of the Clean Water Act, we are far  from realizing the Act’s original vision.   Using information provided Ub.yS .t hEen vironmentaol tPerction Agency (EPA) in response to a Freedom  of Information Act request, this report analyzes all m a licitith e exactojaaf redsed their Clean Water Act permits between January 1, 2005 caenmd bDere 31, 2005; reveatlsy pthe eo f pollutants they are  discharging into our waterways; and details  ttoh ew heixcthe ntthese facilities are exceeding their permit  levels .     More than two decades after the drafte1r9s7 o2f  tClheAct intended for the discharge of allan Water pollutants to be eliminated, facilities acrostsr yt hceo nctoinuune to violaltue tipoonl limits, at times  egregiously.     Findings include:   Thousands of facilities continue to exceed their Clean Water Act permits.   ”Nationally, more than 3600 major facilities (57%) exceeded their Clean Water Act permit limits once between January 1, a2n0d0 5D ecember 31, 2005.      ” efotngarof m jaitieacilceeds exieht gni naelC rAcr teWatreectsp giehehh th ts witateS. s.U 01 ehT  permit limits at least once anre, Ma Ohiire,mpshw Hatu ,tccinoen,oC ishcastesu ,stodRhIse ndlaNe,  New York, North Dakota, California, and West Virginia.   ”The 10 U.S. counties with the most faxcirhe tng Wanle Cseitiliideee leas at ce it onA tctareimstp re n this period are Harris County, Texas; Los Angeles County, California; Worcester County, Massachu New Haven County, Connecticlcuta;s iCeau Parish, Louisiana; AllegChoeunyty, Pennsylvania; Hartford County, Connecticut; Will County, IllinoisC; oWunatyyn, eM ichigan; and Erie County, New York.       These facilities often exceed their permaint so nmcoe rea ntdh for more than one pollutant.    ”24,40ert ah nroet domeddiep rodritu smit ep eni seht ieitilacedceexs ieht gnitimrep r 6300hT erof m ja exceedances of their Clean Water Act permitislimns teaT.s  tihat many facilities exceeded their permits more than once and for more than one pollutant.  

                                                  a Facilities are designated as “major” based on an EPA scoring system that considers a combination of factors, includ pollutant potential, streamflow volume, public health impacts, and proximity to coastal waters.

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