Clean Water Act and Safe Drinking Water Act

Clean Water Act and Safe Drinking Water Act

Clean water act and safe drinking water act (SDWA) are the main federal laws that ensure and protect the water quality in the U.S.  For the Clean Water Act, it requires industrial companies cannot discharge any pollutants from a point source into lakes, rivers, and coastal waters, unless they have received a permit from the government. In addiction, the act provided generous financial assistance to state and local governments to build or upgrade their wastewater treatment facilities.

The SDWA is the main federal law that ensures the quality of Americans' drinking water. Under this law, the EPA sets standards for drinking water quality and oversees the state water suppliers who implement those standards. This policy was set in 1974 to ensure Americans receive high-quality drinking water every day from a public water system. The reason mainly for the policy set was to ensure the safety of the Americans health. Both water acts have play an important role in protecting people’s health and minimizing many environmental health outbreaks in public. We know water is the basic of life. Since people cannot survive without clean water, clean water issue should always be prioritized and focused on.

Ideal Chemical Policy

Ideal chemical policy

Ideal chemical policy should contain the following components:

1.     Give the public the right to know the chemical information.

2.     Require a comprehensive safety data for all chemicals.

3.     Phase out highly toxic chemicals and require safer substitutes and solutions.

4.     Take immediate action to protect the communities and workers

Personally, I think the most important element of the ideal chemical policy should let the public know thoroughly about the chemical products. If people do not have a right to know about the chemical, how can people know to protect themselves and avoid the harmful effects from them? For example, many cosmetic products, due to the trade secret, the public does not have the right to know the chemical content of the products.  Many people may choose daily household products with harmful chemicals, such as lead and mercury. This issue is related to the social determinants of public health. Without the right to know, it is also a social injustice for the public.