Eliminate the discharge of pollutants into navigable waters by 1985, 

 and maintain water quality suitable for fish and wildlife, and other 

 forms of recreation by 1983. 



Prohibit the discharge of toxic pollutants. 



Provide financial assistance to construct publicly-owned waste 

 treatment works. 



Develop and implement area-wide waste treatment. 



Develop the technology necessary to eliminate the discharge of pol- 

 lutants into navigable waters. 



To attain these goals, the emphasis of legislation has been changed from 

 water quality standards to effluent limitations. The new approach uses efflu- 

 ent limitations as a basis to eliminate pollution by 1985. Water quality 

 standards also are established in the new act. States such as Florida may set 

 up their own water quality standards based on the Federal Class I through 

 Class V classification system. 



The 1972 amendments require that all publicly owned sewage treatment 

 plants provide a minimum of secondary treatment by 1 July 1977 and advanced 

 waste treatment by 1 July 1978. The amendments also require that industrial 

 discharge should meet the best practical technology requirements by 1 July 

 1977 and the best available technology by 1 July 1983. EPA has extended the 

 deadlines to 1 July 1983 for compliance with requirements for publicly owned 

 sewage treatment works as described below: 



Type pollutant Level of technology Legislative deadline 



Conventional Best conventional 1 July 1984 



pollution control 

 technology 



Toxic Best available 1 July 1984 for 



technology economi- existing toxic pollu- 

 cally achievable tants; 1 to 3 years 



after determination of 

 new toxic pollutants 



Nonconventional Best available technology 3 years after effluent 



economically achievable. limits are established 



but no later than 

 1 July 1984 and never 

 later than 1 July 1987. 



Ocean Dumping Act 



This act forms congressional policy to regulate the dumping of all types 

 of materials into those waters lying seaward of the base line from which the 

 territorial sea is measured. The act is particularly concerned with the 



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