Federal Legislation Water Quality Monitoring and Human Health


Federal Legislation |


Chapter 5 There are a number of federal laws that pertain to surface water and groundwater. This chapter presents a brief overview of the six primary pieces of applicable federal legislation. We describe the laws in brief and explain for each how the law can benefit citizen’s groups.


The Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA)


The Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) regulates the production, storage and disposal of hazardous wastes, including underground storage tanks. It also regulates solid waste, or what most of us call garbage. RCRA requires that industries use appropriate practices to limit the impact of waste on groundwater. In order to ensure that such practices are implemented RCRA requires treatment, storage and disposal facilities to conduct groundwater monitoring. Such monitoring not only applies to the present, but for up to 30 years after a RCRA facility closes.


Why it’s important for citizens to know about: RCRA authorizes private citizens to file suit demanding compliance with RCRA’s performance standards and the abatement of “imminent and substantial endangerments to public health and the environment” in the absence of government enforcement.


Unlike the Clean Water Act or CERCLA, citizens are not required to allege past violations of RCRA’s substantive provisions, but instead can allege a future (near-term) “imminent and


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