Visit the Understanding Agricultural Law Educational Series Homepage
Materials:
- PowerPoint: Clean Water Act & Agriculture
- Recording: Understanding the Basics of the Clean Water Act & Agriculture
On June 28, 2024, from noon–1:00pm ET, the Penn State Center for Agricultural and Shale Law, alongside the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture’s (PDA) Agricultural Business Development Center (ABDC), will present the next webinar program in the Understanding Agricultural Law Educational Series, a course designed to develop subject matter literacy and competence on fundamental issues of agricultural law for attorneys and business advisors who work with or represent agricultural or rural clients but may not necessarily specialize in agricultural law:
“Understanding the Basics of the Clean Water Act & Agriculture.”
Enacted in 1948 as the “Federal Water Pollution Control Act,” the Clean Water Act (CWA) was amended and expanded in 1972 “to restore and maintain the chemical, physical, and biological integrity of the Nation’s waters” (33 U.S.C. §§ 1251–1387). Chiefly administered by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the CWA “establishes the basic structure for regulating discharges of pollutants into the waters of the United States and regulating quality standards for surface waters.” In the decades since its enactment, the CWA has spurred a web of regulatory requirements impacting the exercise of property rights by agricultural producers and rural landowners.
This webinar will explain the structure and operation of the CWA, provide an overview of how water quality standards are administered—including impaired waters, point and nonpoint source discharges, and the National Pollution Discharge Elimination System permitting—and discuss associated legal issues affecting agricultural producers and landowners.
1 hour of substantive CLE credit available for Pennsylvania-licensed attorneys at no charge.
