ABSTRACT
The U.S. government has enacted various legislative controls during the past 50 years to protect the marine environment, including the following major environmental legislation: the Federal Water Pollution Control Act of 1948; Federal Water Pollution Control Act Amendments of 1972; Marine Protection, Research, and Sanctuaries Act of 1972; Clean Water Act of 1977; and the Clean Water Act Amendments of 1987 (also known as the Water Quality Act). The Federal Water Pollution Control Act regulates all discharges into navigable waters of the U.S. The Marine Protection, Research, and Sanctuaries Act and the Clean Water Act (Section 404) are the principal tools used by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to regulate the disposal of dredged or fill material into wetlands and marine waters of the U.S.
