Liquid waste can be defined as the waste in the form of liquids or liquids containing waste. Liquid waste can be hazardous and it mainly pollutes water.
However, liquid waste can also contaminate soils. While referring to the issue of liquid waste pollution, it is necessary to note that the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is the main agency responsible for protecting the health of humans and environments from negative effects of pollution.
To understand the role of the EPA in protecting the human health and environment in the United States from liquid waste pollution, it is necessary to discuss the EPA’s activities and importance and to focus on identifying federal regulations developed to organize the environmental and human health protection in the country.
The EPA was established by the United States Federal Government in 1970 in order to protect the human health and environments with the help of legal regulations and laws. The EPA is also responsible for providing the regulations regarding the issues of liquid waste pollution.
In the United States, the liquid waste pollution mainly affects the country’s water resources (United States Environmental Protection Agency, 2009). To overcome this problem and to prevent the pollution of the United States’ water resources, the EPA formed the specific permit system known as the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) in 1972.
The NPDES permit system works in order to control the quality of surface waters in relation to the aspects of water pollution which can be caused by discharging the liquid waste and pollutants into the water resources of the country (National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System, 2009).
The role of the EPA is preventing the liquid waste pollution is significant because it is the main federal agency to regulate the aspects of environmental protection in general and pollution in particular (EPA Data, 2009). The role of the NPDES in protecting people from the negative effects of the liquid waste is considerable because this system’s work guarantees the quality of water used in the United States.
Main federal regulations developed to address the risk of the liquid waste pollution are also associated with preventing the water pollution because liquid waste pollution is most hazardous for surface water in the United States. The situation is regulated with references to the Federal Water Pollution Control Act of 1972 and the Safe Drinking Water Act of 1974.
The Federal Water Pollution Control Act of 1972 is followed to prevent the negative effects of pollution sources on all the types of water resources in the country. This law also addresses the problem of the liquid waste pollution. The Safe Drinking Water Act is developed to address the problem of the liquid waste pollution in relation to the issue of the drinking water quality (Hocking, 2006, p. 112).
The role of the United States Environmental Protection Agency in preventing and liquidating the effects of the liquid waste pollution on the human health and environment is significant because it is the main federal agency which develops the laws and regulations to monitor and control the situation in the country.
The problem of the liquid waste pollution is closely connected with the problem of water pollution. In the 1970s, the EPA made efforts to develop such laws to address the situation as the Federal Water Pollution Control Act and the Safe Drinking Water Act. Furthermore, the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System was formed.
References
EPA Data. (2009). Web.
Hocking, M. (2006). Handbook of chemical technology and pollution control. USA: Academic Press.
National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System. (2009). Web.
United States Environmental Protection Agency. (2009). Web.