Keynote Address
FREDERICK J. CLARKE, Executive Director
National Commission on Water Quality
Washington, D.C. 20036
For the past year and a half I have found myself concerned, for the major portion of my
time, with the problems that you are going to be discussing for the next three days. A rough
allocation of the total contract effort in our study plan provides a figure of over $3,000,000,
that we are spending directly on industrial waste studies. Another $3,000,000 is being spent
indirectly, as we use the studies of the technologies to examine the impacts of applying those
technologies from economic, social and environmental viewpoints. The major portion of
our efforts is directed to the matters in which you are interested.
We have sent out to many industrial leaders, brochures which describe in some detail
the contract studies which bear directly on the problems of industrial waste. To those
should be added the general economic studies which we have underway, the analyses of
water quality and predictions of future environmental changes which will result from
reducing waste loadings, the problems of permits, compliance and enforcement, and the
industrial portions of the regional studies.
We have discussed the industrial problems with a wide variety of people, including
those who were responsible for originating the present law, those who must execute it at
various levels of government, and those who must carry it out in industry. Like many
others, I am convinced that it is an extremely complex law and one which will have
substantial impacts as it is carried out. I am equally convinced that there will be substantial
impacts if some of its goals are not achieved.
We must all recognize some of the basic elements involved in the law. First, and
foremost, the law expresses very positively a will of the people that the waters of the country
be cleaned up. This will has been expressed in previous laws but not as positively as it is
expressed in the current law. The law goes further than previous laws in providing a very
strong program which required action on the part of polluters to clean up on a fixed
schedule. There are strong enforcement provisions. A big change in this law from past laws
is that generally it does not allow for consideration of the ability of the receiving waters to
assimilate any pollution. Instead it prescribes for many categories of polluters, uniform
minimum standards which are to be met on the fixed time schedule. The law does recognize,
however, that polluters fall into different groups who may be treated quite differently and
that pollution comes from many sources. It recognizes also, particularly in establishing the
principles for limitations to be met in 1983, that there is a need to consider economic
impacts as the limitations are applied to industry.
Sources of pollution are treated in different manners. Industrial sources must meet
standards which deal with terms such as practicability, availability and economic
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