Verified Document

Legislative Approach Controlling Water Pollution Industrial Sources: Essay

Legislative Approach Controlling Water Pollution Industrial Sources: Comparison of Trinidad Tobago European Union (EU) and the United States The objective of this study is to compare legislative controls of water pollution by industrial sources in Trinidad and Tobago as compared to those in the United States.

Trinidad and Tobago

Environmental degradation in Trinidad and Tobago is reported to have "historical roots that are not too dissimilar from those in the reset of the world largely attributed toe economic growth and the development and growth of human population." (Emergency Management Association, 2005) This environmental degradation in Trinidad has been due to heavy industrial development and in Trinidad due to tourism development. Trinidad and Tobago both experience "much of the full range of environmental problems, from widespread pollution of its waterways and near shore waters to air pollution, chemical spills, illegal dumping, deforestation, fisheries and wildlife depletion.' (Emergency Management Association, 2005)

The Environmental Management Act No. 3 of 2000 is reported to "describe the approach to pollution management in all environmental media" including air, water and land while the Environmental Management Authority "has chosen water pollution as the area that requires immediate attention." (Emergency Management Association, 2005) It is reported that previous studies conducted to assess watershed degradation, land use and watershed management have found the following factors to be responsible for the degradation of the watershed in Trinidad and Tobago:

(1) Indiscriminate clearing and degradation of forests for housing and urban development, shifting cultivation and squatting;

(2) Loss of forest and protective vegetation cover by forest and bush fires;

(3) Quarrying operations and road construction on steep slopes; and (4) Cultivation on steep slopes, without application of...

(Emergency Management Association, 2005)
It is reported that the 'Act' sets out a "systematic sequence of requirement for effective management of all pollution in all environmental media. In the water medium, the requirements of the Act as they are defined in Section 52 and which are mandatory on the Authority are stated as follows:

(1) Ascertain the extent, character, and sources of water pollution in Trinidad and Tobago;

(2) Develop a rule which lists water pollutants defining them by their quantity, condition or concentration; and (3) Develop and implement a programme for the management of water pollution, which shall include registration of significant sources of water pollutants. (Emergency Management Association, 2005)

It is reported that Section 53(1) of the Act may make a requirement that the Authority grant permits as part of a water pollution control program. The requirements of the Act can be understood through the following four documents:

UMA Environmental, (1997) Technical Background Paper for Parameters in Water Effluents. Prepared for the EMA with assistance from the Caribbean Industrial Research Institute (CARIRI), October 1, 1997. In 1997, the Authority contracted UMA Environmental to conduct a study entitled Technical Background Paper for Parameters in Water Effluents. The objective of this study was to provide recommendations and the supporting rationale for limits on pollutants in industrial effluent in Trinidad and Tobago. The study report included the following: (1) An overview of the industrial and environmental profile for Trinidad and Tobago, including an assessment of the quantity and character of liquid effluents; (2) A discussion of pollution prevention opportunities and control technologies; (3) A cost/benefit analysis of implementing standards; and (4) Recommendations for effluent limits and monitoring and reporting requirements. (Emergency Management Association, 2005)

TTS 547:1998. Trinidad and Tobago Standard. Specification for the Effluent from Industrial Processes Discharged into the Environment. Published by Trinidad and Tobago Bureau of Standards (TTBS). It is reported that the study was also to be utilized by the Authority as a contributor to the discussion of the Trinidad and Tobago Bureau of Standards (TTBS), Specifications Committee on Liquid Effluent from Industrial Processes into the Environment. The Trinidad and Tobago Standards was declared on March 5, 1998. The standard is reported to have been accomplished following deliberation by the committee. The standard sets the maximum permissible limits for discharge of parameters in industrial effluents into four categories as follows: (1) inland surface waters; (2) coastal near shore; (3) marine offshore; and (4) environmental sensitive areas; (Emergency Management Association,…

Sources used in this document:
Bibliography

Harrington, W. (1989) Regulating Industrial Water Pollution in the United States. Retrieved from: http://www.rff.org/rff/documents/rff-dp-03-03.pdf

Water Pollution Management Programme (2005) Emergency Management Association. 2 June 2005. Retrieved from: http://www.ema.co.tt/docs/techServ/water/rewpmp.pdf
Cite this Document:
Copy Bibliography Citation

Related Documents

Controlling Air Pollution From Industrial Sources: Air
Words: 1864 Length: 6 Document Type: Essay

Controlling Air Pollution From Industrial Sources: Air pollution is the most commonly used term to refer to the wide range of contaminants to the atmosphere that occur either through natural causes or through human activities. These contaminants to the atmosphere are in most cases identified as gases or particles with the most common sources being combustion processes. The growing range of emissions from industrial processes and combustion of industrial wastes is

Water Pollution in China Fresh
Words: 1412 Length: 5 Document Type: Thesis

In the year following that incident, China's State Environmental Protection Agency (SEPA) announced a five-year plan to address the widespread water pollution issues, committing a budget of 125 billion dollars to that national effort (Pacific Environment, 2006). In 2006 alone, the SEPA responded to 161 emergency environmental pollution incidents, almost two-thirds of which pertained to water pollution (China Daily, 2008). Solving the Water Pollution Problem in China: According to Ke Zhang

Pollution According to the EPA
Words: 2397 Length: 9 Document Type: Research Paper

D.), Miller Brewing was the first brewery to "recover excess carbon dioxide from the brewing process for sale…to food processors for refrigeration purposes." Likewise, Miller resells its brewer's yeast to food processors instead of wasting it. The brewery is saving money by administering its pollution prevention program. Taken together, source reduction and recycling annually are saving the company $3 million (North Carolina Division of Pollution Prevention and Environmental Assistance n.d.). "Capital

Water in the Middle East
Words: 22307 Length: 75 Document Type: Term Paper

While on one hand, the Nile gets the highest discharge from rainfall on the highlands of Ethiopia and upland plateau of East Africa, located well outside the Middle East region; on the other hand, discharge points of the other two rivers, Euphrates and Tigris, are positioned well within the Middle East region, prevailing mostly in Turkey, Syria along with Iraq. In other areas, recurrent river systems are restricted to

Water Legislation Origins of Environmental
Words: 11427 Length: 37 Document Type: Dissertation

The Leblanc alkali production processes were especially pernicious, but they followed along the lines of previous industrial processes. In other words, the first British environmental legislation was a response not so much to a qualitative change in industrial processes and their environmental impact but more to a quantitative increase in sources of pollution that had up to that point been (if only barely) tolerable. Legislation Arising From Public Anger At the

Noise Pollution Thermal and Acoustic
Words: 6532 Length: 20 Document Type: Term Paper

S. However, Russia continues to treat noise exposure as a minor problem. American physicians have associated some seemingly unrelated conditions to sound exposure. Long-term exposure to transportation noise has been associated with increased cardiovascular risk (Babisch, 2006). Hearing loss can occur at even low levels of sound that occur for an extended time (Sisto et al., 2007; Reuter et al., 2007; Dobie, 2007). Noise related hearing loss can occur in

Sign Up for Unlimited Study Help

Our semester plans gives you unlimited, unrestricted access to our entire library of resources —writing tools, guides, example essays, tutorials, class notes, and more.

Get Started Now