Abolish the EPA (Sample)

8/14/2019 Abolish the EPA (Sample)

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EPA is GoodDisadvantages.....................................................................................................................2

1) Decreased water quality ...............................................................................................2) Decreased Water security .............................................................................................. 3

) Damaged Wetlands ........................................................................................................4Harmed species ................................................................................................................ 5


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Disadvantages

1) Decreased water quality

Link: SDWA is implemented by the EPA

US Environmental Protection Agency website March 17,2009 Safe Drinking Water

Act http://www.epa.gov/OGWDW/sdwa/

The Safe Drinking Water Act is the main federal law that ensures the quality ofAmericans drinking water. Under SDWA, EPA sets standards for drinking water qualityand oversees the state, localities, and water suppliers who implement those standards.

Link: SDWA ensures quality water

US Environmental Protection Agency website March 17, 2009 Safe Drinking WaterAct- Basic information http://www.epa.gov/OGWDW/sdwa/basicinformation.html

Millions of Americans receive high quality drinking water every day from their publicwater systems, (which may be publicly or privately owned).Nonetheless, drinking water safety cannotbe taken for granted. There are a number of threats to drinking water: improperlydisposed of chemicals; animal wastes; pesticides; human wastes; wastes injected deepunderground; and naturally-occurring substances can all contaminate drinking water.Likewise, drinking water that is not properly treated or disinfected, or which travelsthrough an improperly maintained distribution system, may also pose a health risk.Originally, SDWA focused primarily on treatment as the means of providing safe

drinking water at the tap. The 1996 amendments greatly enhanced the existing law by recognizingsource water protection, operator training, funding for water system improvements, and public informationas important components of safe drinking water. This approach ensures the quality of drinkingwater by protecting it from source to tap.

Link: SDWA assures quality of water.

Mary Tiemann (Specialist in Environmental Policy Resources, Science and Industry

Division) November 26, 2008 Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA): Selected Regulatoryand Legislative Issues Congressional Research Service

http://assets.opencrs.com/rpts/RL34201_20081126.pdf

Much progress has been made in assuring the quality of public water supplies since the

Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) was first enacted in 1974. Public water systems must meet extensiveregulations, and public water system management has become a much more complex and professional endeavor. TheEnvironmental Protection Agency (EPA) has regulated some 91 drinking water contaminants, and moreregulations are pending. In 2005, EPA reported that the number of systems reporting no violationsof drinking water standards reached a new high of 94% in 2003.


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Internal link: EPA regulates pollutants in water for health concerns.


Division) November 26, 2008 Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA): Selected Regulatoryand Legislative Issues Congressional Research Service

http://assets.opencrs.com/rpts/RL34201_20081126.pdf

Starting in 2001, and every five years thereafter, the EPA is required to determine whether or not to regulate at least five of the listed

contaminants. The act requires the EPA to evaluate contaminants that present the greatesthealth concern, and then to regulate those contaminants that occur at concentration levelsand frequencies of public health concern, where regulation presents a meaningfulopportunity for health risk reduction.

Internal Link: Regulations apply to many people.


Division) November 26, 2008 Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA): Selected Regulatory

and Legislative Issues Congressional Research Servicehttp://assets.opencrs.com/rpts/RL34201_20081126.pdf

Federal drinking water regulations apply to some158,200 privately and publicly ownedwater systems that provide piped water for human consumption to at least 15 service connections or thatregularly serve at least 25 people. (The law does not apply to private residential wells.) Of thesesystems, 52,837 are community water systems (CWSs) that serve most people in theUnited States a total residential population of roughly 282 million year-round. AllSDWA regulations apply to these systems.

Impact: Health hazard from polluted water

) Decreased Water security

Link: EPA lead agency for protecting water supply.

Mary Tiemann (Specialist in Environmental Policy, Resources, Science and Industry

Division) June 2, 2008 Safeguarding the Nations Drinking Water: EPA and

Congressional Actions Congressional Research Servicehttp://www.ncseonline.org/NLE/CRSreports/08July/RL31294.pdf

In 2003, President Bush issued Homeland Security Presidential Directive 7 (HPSD-7),which affirmed EPA as the lead federal agency for coordinating the protection of the

nations critical infrastructure for the water sector. To carry out its water sectorresponsibilities, EPA established a Water Security Division within the Office of GroundWater and Drinking Water. This Division works with drinking water and wastewater utilities, states, tribes, and otherstakeholders to improve the security of these utilities and improve their ability to respond to security threats and breaches. Amongits responsibilities and activities, the Water Security Division provides security andantiterrorism-related technical assistance and training to the water sector. Although the WaterSecurity Division was established in 2003, the Office of Water had provided assistance to its stakeholders for a number of years.


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Congress provides fund to EPA for security projects.

Mary Tiemann (Specialist in Environmental Policy, Resources, Science and Industry

Division) June 2, 2008 Safeguarding the Nations Drinking Water: EPA and

Congressional Actions Congressional Research Service

http://www.ncseonline.org/NLE/CRSreports/08July/RL31294.pdf

Since 2001, Congress has provided funds annually to EPA to improve the security ofpublic water supplies. TheEmergency Supplemental Appropriations Act for FY2002 (P.L. 107-117) provided EPA with$175.6 million for emergency expenses to respond to the September 11 attacks and to support counterterrorism activities. Theaccompanying conference report, H.Rept. 107-350, specified that approximately $90 million was for improving security at EPA

laboratories, performing drinking water vulnerability assessments, and anthrax decontamination activities. Another $5million was for state grants for counterterrorism coordinators to work with EPA andwater utilities in assessing drinking water safety. Congress has continued to provideroughly $5 million for these state grants each year.

EPA responsible for surveillance of water security.

Mary Tiemann (Specialist in Environmental Policy, Resources, Science and IndustryDivision) June 2, 2008 Safeguarding the Nations Drinking Water: EPA and

Congressional Actions Congressional Research Service (brackets added)

http://www.ncseonline.org/NLE/CRSreports/08July/RL31294.pdf

Some additional articulation of EPAs role was provided by [Homeland SecurityPresidential Directive] HSPD-9, which established a national policy to defend thenations water, agriculture, and food systems against terrorist attacks, major disasters, andother emergencies. This directive instructed EPA to develop a comprehensivesurveillance and monitoring program to provide early detection of contaminants in water

systems. HSPD-9 also directed EPA to develop an integrated network of water qualitylaboratories to support the surveillance program. EPA has pursued these responsibilitiesthrough its Water Security Initiative and Water Alliance for Threat Reduction program.

) Damaged Wetlands

Link: Clean Water Act under the EPA.

US Environmental Policy July 30th, 2009 Summary of the Clean Water Act

http://www.epa.gov/lawsregs/laws/cwa.html [brackets added]

Under the CWA [Clean Water Act], EPA has implemented pollution control programssuch as setting wastewater standards for industry. We have also set water qualitystandards for all contaminants in surface waters.

Brink: Without Clean Water Act waters, including wetlands, would still be polluted.

Melinda Kassen, July 2, 2009, "Restore the Clean Water Act", The Denver Post

http://www.denverpost.com/search/ci_12736157


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Many people may not remember what America's waters were like before the Clean WaterAct. The Cuyahoga River caught fire. Lake Erie was a dead zone. Rivers and streamsacross the country were foaming, foul-smelling dumps for industrial waste. Recklessdevelopment destroyed hundreds of thousands of acres of wetlands and wildlife habitat

each year. The sorry state of our waters was more than a national disgrace it also wasa clear and present threat to public health. Then, in 1972, Congress passed the CleanWater Act. The law ushered in a new era of stewardship of all "water of the UnitedStates," and it was widely understood to protect every stream, river, marsh and lake in thenation.

Impact: Wetlands Are Extremely Valuable (damaging them is not a good idea.)

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency "Economic Benefits of Wetlands" May 2006

http://www.epa.gov/owow/wetlands/pdf/EconomicBenefits.pdf

Wetlands provide an essential link in the life cycle of 75 percent of the fish and shellfishcommercially harvested in the U.S., and up to 90 percent of the recreational fish catch.Wetlands provide a consistent food supply, shelter and nursery grounds for both marineand freshwater species. Landings of crab, shrimp and salmon were valued at $1,167billion in 2004. These species are dependent on wetlands for at least part of their life cycles.In 2004 the dockside value of fin fish and shellfish landed in the United States was $3.7 billion and was the basis for the $7.2 billionfishery processing business.

Harmed species

Link: EPA protects endangered species.

US Environmental Protection Agency July 1st, 2009. Endangered Species ProtectionProgram http://www.epa.gov/espp/

EPA's Endangered Species Protection Program (ESPP) helps promote the recovery oflisted species. The ESPP is a program designed to determine whether pesticide use in acertain geographic area may affect any listed species.

Internal Link: EPA regulates pesticides to protect species.

Clyde L. Ogg (Extension Pesticide Safety Educator) and Erin C. Bauer, (ExtensionAssistant) September 2008 Pesticides and the Endangered Species Protection

Program (peer reviewed) University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension (a Division of theinstitute of Agriculture and Natural Resources at the University of Nebraska-Lincolncooperating with Countries and the United States Department of Agriculture.)

The Endangered Species Act (ESA) is designed to protect animal and plant species indanger of becoming extinct. The registration of pesticides is required by theEnvironmental Protection Agency (EPA). Because some pesticides may harm certainthreatened or endangered species, a review of potential impacts is required by the EPA.


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http://www.utexas.edu/law/journals/tlr/assets/archive/v86/issue7/shapiro_steinzor.pdf

http://www.energyindepth.org/PDF/Brief/BRIEF-Environmental-Statutes.pdf

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Abolish the EPA (Sample)