The two clear violations of the Clean Water Act are: Discharges pollutants into surface waters without a permit. Uses equipment that does not meet the standards for "best available control technology". Here options A and C are correct.
The Clean Water Act (CWA) is a comprehensive US environmental law regulating the discharge of pollutants into waters of the United States. To identify two actions that would violate the CWA, let's analyze each option:
A. Discharges pollutants into surface waters without a permit:
Yes, this would violate the CWA. The CWA requires permits for any discharge of pollutants into navigable waters, tributaries, and even some wetlands. Discharging without a permit bypasses necessary pollution control measures and environmental impact assessments.
B. Releases hazardous chemicals into the environment:
This statement alone is too broad to definitively conclude a CWA violation. The CWA regulates specific pollutants and sets limits on their discharge. Releasing some hazardous chemicals within permitted limits might not violate the CWA, while others, even in small amounts, might be illegal. Therefore, we need more information about the specific hazardous chemicals and their release context.
C. Uses equipment that does not meet the standards for "best available control technology" (BAT):
Yes, this could violate the CWA. The CWA requires facilities to use BAT (technically and economically achievable) for controlling pollutant discharges. Using outdated or less efficient equipment that doesn't meet BAT standards potentially increases pollution and violates the Act.
D. Uses chemicals without first determining their impact on human health and the environment:
While responsible practice, this doesn't directly violate the CWA. The CWA focuses on pollution control and discharge limits, not necessarily the pre-use assessment of chemicals. However, some regulations within the CWA might require specific environmental impact assessments for certain chemicals before discharge. Here options A and C are correct.
Complete question:
Business will violate the Clean Water Act if it does which of the following? Choose 2 answers.
A - discharges pollutants into surface waters without a permit
B - releases hazardous chemicals into the environment
C - uses equipment that does not meet the standards for "best available control technology"
D - uses chemicals without first determining their impact on human health and the environment