Final answer:
The Clean Water Act, enforced by the EPA, is the primary regulation that governs industrial waste disposal in the U.S., aiming to maintain and restore water quality.
Step-by-step explanation:
The regulation of industrial waste disposal in the United States is primarily managed through the Clean Water Act of 1972. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is the government agency responsible for overseeing the implementation of this act, setting national water quality standards, and regulating the discharge of pollutants into U.S. waters. It is illegal to discharge pollution into surface waters without a permit, and the Clean Water Act aims to maintain and restore water quality to make waters swimmable and fishable.
Other policies like ISO 14000, the National Environmental Policy Act, and the Superfund have their own respective roles in environmental conservation and remediation, but specifically for industrial waste disposal, the Clean Water Act, enforced by the EPA, is the key legislation.