Using Your Manager Skills - Research Paper Example

First is the definition of the words used in defining the act pollutant, point source, navigable waters, and person (Manheim, 2009). Pollutant represents the solid waste, sewage, sewage sludge, biological materials, municipal, industrial, agricultural, discarded equipment and other forms of waste dumped into the water. The point source defines pipes, vessels, or containers from which pollutants are discharged. Navigable waters are water surfaces including wetlands whether or not water vessels use them.

Finally, person defines corporations, government agencies, and actual people that may dump waste in water (Manheim, 2009). Secondly, the meaning of “in compliance” with the clean water act is also fundamental in understanding the act. It means that before an individual releases waste into the water, he or she must receive approval from the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (Ferrey, 2010). The permit provided by the agency is dependent on the individual’s waste components in accordance with the effluent limitations.

The effluent limitations are limits that determine the amount and type of pollutant that can be put in a particular mass of water (Buck, 2006). This ensures that the waste dumped in particular water masses does not have a negative impact on the people that use the water. It uses technology-based standards to determine the best existing technology that every industry can use to control water contamination. For instance, it ensures that an individual has treated the waste and reduce pollutants in the water as much as possible.

Additionally, the agency determines whether a particular water surface can handle any more waste products or not. Solid Waste Disposal Act deals with solid waste disposal. Solid waste includes refuse, garbage, industrial waste, and sludge from waste treatment plants. The act aims to reduce solid waste contamination in the environment by developing cost-effective and environmentally