Governmental
Control of Industrial Wastes
B. A. POOLE, Technical Secretary
Indiana Stream Pollution Control Board
Indianapolis, Indiana
INTRODUCTION
More attention has been given to the nation's water problems in the last
10 years than in the preceding 50. The growing concern over our water resources is attributable to manylactors, including the increased devastation by
floods, the multiplying number of shortages during periods of drought, the apparent urge of all citizens to own a boat and water skis, and the discovery by
farmers that supplemental irrigation will increase crop yields even in the so-
called humid east.
This concern has resulted in the establishment of legislative study commissions in practically every state and in the creation of a Senate Select Committee on National Water Resources. The latter held hearings throughout the
United States in 1959.
The investigations of these groups reveal a current national water use of
about 250 bgd. By 1980 it is estimated at 600 bgd. The U S Geological Survey has said the manageable supply of water available to this country is
1,160 bgd. Some people assume 1,000 bgd will be required by the year
2000.
Many areas of the country exist today only by repeated reuse of water.
In Indiana's west fork of White River the water is used five times between
Muncie and Martinsville, a distance of 80 river miles. Obviously if future requirements are to be met, there must be much more reuse of water. Fortunately, the astronomical figures quoted do not mean water lost since a very
high percentage of the total used will be returned to the streams. Notwithstanding this, water quality management will become one of the very important activities of the future.
There will be more governmental control of water quality, presumably at
all levels of government -- federal, state and local. The phenomenal growth
of the suburbs of the cities has resulted in so many localized cases of water
pollution that local officials have been forced to assume a role in waste disposal .
WHAT HAS BEEN GOING ON IN POLLUTION LEGISLATION
Federal
The first comprehensive federal pollution abatement law was enacted in
1.948. Public dissatisfaction with the rate of progress under this law resulted
in the enactment of the present federal legislation (P.L. 660) in 1956.
Continued dissatisfaction with the rate of progress in the country resulted
in the introduction of several additional pollution abatement bills in Congress.
The Blatnik Bill (H.R.3610) passed the first session, 86th Congress, by a substantial majority in each House. It was held over in Conference Committee
until the second session opened, following which differences in the Senate and
House versions were resolved and the Conference Committee report accepted
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