ABSTRACT
The nation’s history of the control of water pollution goes back to the River and Harbor Act of 1899, which was the first federal water pollution control legislation. Section 13 of the Act made it unlawful to discharge any refuse matter other than that flowing from streets and sewers into navigable waters. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers could grant permission for the deposit of any material that might otherwise violate the language of Section 13. The Department of Justice was given authority to enforce the provisions of the River and Harbor Act of 1899 as they pertain to water pollution (Mackenthun and Bregman, 1991).
