What is a pollutant?
The term pollutant is defined very broadly in the Clean Water Act because it has been through 25 years of litigation. It includes any type of industrial, municipal, and agricultural waste discharged into water. Some examples are dredged soil, solid waste, incinerator residue, sewage, garbage, sewage sludge, munitions, chemical wastes, biological materials, radioactive materials, heat, wrecked or discarded equipment, rock, sand, cellar dirt and industrial, municipal, and agricultural waste. By law, a pollutant is not sewage or discharges incidental to the normal operation of an Armed Forces vessel, or water, gas, or other material injected into an oil and gas production well.
Related Questions
- Will the recommended additional lanes result in increased air pollutant emissions and decreased air quality in southeastern Wisconsin?
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- What is the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) program?
