Effluent Fees: An Alternative System for Achieving Water Quality Standards in Alabama; Pilot Study

摘要

The 1972 and 1977 Amendments to the 1948 Federal Water Pollution Control Act authorized the government to set national standards for effluent discharges and water quality. Enforcement of these standards was delegated to the individual states. Alabama applies and enforces these standards to all point source polluters through a permit system of fixed uniform standards. But no consideration has been given to the cost that each polluter incurs in meeting these uniform standards; consequently, the level of pollution abatement is not attained at the minimum cost to society.