Introduction

The most ambitious effort ever undertaken by the federal government to cleanup the nation's waterways began with the passage of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act Amendments in 1972. As the law requires, the Environmental Protection Agency has set guidelines for citizen participation in "208" water quality planning. This chapter outlines a brief historical account of the nation's federal water poullution control legislation. In 1948 Congress took the first major step towards improving the country's water quality by passing the Water Pollution Control Act. The 1972 legislation appropriated more money than any other bill in the nation's history. It authorized more than 24.5 billion dollars to be spent for improving water quality. Environmentalists, industry lobbyists, and federal officials agree that about 85 percent of industrial pollutants have been removed from the nation's waterways since Congress passed the Federal Water Pollution Control Act Amendments of 1972. The chapter also presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in this book.