7 



IV-575 



Technology exists to provide thorough treatment for nearly every 

 kind of municipal and industrial waste, and there is no reason not 

 to provide treatment sufficient to protect the environment from 

 damage and to permit other uses. Treatment requirements for 

 different wastes may vary from place to place according to local 

 conditions, but damage to the environment and restriction of other 

 uses can be prevented. 



Water quality standards have been set and are now being implemented 

 in all the coastal states. These standards are the foundation upon 

 which the effective control of estuarine pollution rests, and they 

 provide the framework within which technical management can effectively 

 operate. 



As pointed out earlier in this chapter, however, estuarine waters 

 even in busy harbors are used for recreational purposes by those 

 who cannot afford to go elsewhere, regardless of whether the waters 

 are safe for body contact or not. Also the role of the estuarine 

 zone as a nursery for some fish, passage for others, and a residence 

 for still more is readily apparent although its full implications 

 in the energy conversion chain are not understood. For these reasons 

 the long-range achievable water quality goal of estuarine management 

 should be to keep all waters safe for direct contact by humans and 

 also usable as a fish and wildlife habitat. 



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