| Show How To Stop Mercury Polluters Polluters' From the Conservation News of the National Wildlife e Fed Fed- The 1899 Refuse Act has been around for Cor awhile It very explicitly prohibits the discharge discharge discharge dis dis- dis- dis charge of wastes broadly defined as virtually anything except liquid municipal sewage sewage sewage sew sew- age into the nations nation's navigable navigable navigable nav nav- waterways without a permit from irom the Army Corps of Engineers ONE OF the Acts Act's most important features requires identification of the nature of all discharges in order to get a Corps permit Another Another Another An An- other is the Acts Act's provision provision pro pro- provision vision for immediate regulatory regulatory regulatory reg reg- action The Act was never really enforced until untila a few years ago when hen conservationists conservationists conservationists con con- began to use it with increasing frequency to get at some local pollution problems But it took the current merc mer- mer c iry crisis to bring out the Acts Act's best attributes and conversely the worst attributes of more contemporary laws Jaws designed designed designed de de- de- de signed to protect the public from water pollution Faced with the imminent health hazards ot of mercury pollution the Federal Government sorted sorted sorted sort sort- ed through recent laws Jaws and found itself legally powerless powerless powerless power power- less to stop mercury pollution pollution pollution tion now So they had to go goback goback goback back to the 1899 Refuse Act that no had ever bothered to enforce Which is in- in WHOLE sorry story about mercury pollution has yet to be told Another installment installment installment in in- came to light recently recently recently re re- re- re however and the Refuse Refuse Refuse Re Re- fuse Act again had a major role According to the House Conservation Conservation Con Con- and Natural Resources Resources Resources Re Re- sources Subcommittee of the House Government Operations Committee the Corps of Engineers Engineers Engineers En En- has notified the 50 polluters pollute who are discharging toxic mercury into the nations nation's waterways that they must comply with the 1399 Re Re- fuse Act and apply for Corps permit WHEN THE Federal Water Quality Administration provided provided provided pro pro- vided the Subcommittee with its list of 50 known mercury dischargers Chairman Henry S. S Reuss Wis asked the Corps on Oct 2 1970 which had permits required by the 1899 Refuse Act Reuss urged that the Corps notify them to apply for permits The 1899 law Jaw imposes a maximum 2500 fine for each days day's violation HAS referred 10 of the 50 cases to the Justice Justice Justice Jus Jus- tice Department and suits were instituted under the 1899 Refuse Act against these 10 polluters Subcommittee Chairman Reuss said But has not referred the theother theother theother other 40 cases to either the Justice Department or the Corps despite the fact that the polluters are in violation violation violation vio vio- lation of the 1899 law which is administered by the Corps On Nov 13 1970 Reuss was informed the Corps had forwarded the names of the individual dischargers to appropriate Division Engineers Engineers Engineers En En- and directed that District Engineers write to the companies involved to bring to their attention the provisions of the Refuse Act and to advise them of the requirement for a L Corps permit WE COMMEND the Corps for doing what failed to do Reuss said The Corps' Corps response is f further evidence that it now recognizes the publics public's right to clean poison-free poison waters is superior to the polluters polluter's prof profits ts All of these polluters polluters polluters pol pol- pol- pol luters now will either have to obtain a Corps permit with imposed Corps-imposed conditions conditions con con- preventing further poisoning of our waters or face prosecution under the 1899 law Quote we would like to he hp r from a mercury polluter polluter pol pol- pol- pol luter Im sorry |
