Assignment #7 Oil Spills, Pollution and the Clean Water Act

 

Lesson 7- Oil Spills, Water Pollution and the Clean Water Act

 

OBJECTIVES

  1. •Explore the problems caused by oil spills. What are their worst effects and how big of a problem are they overall to water quality?

  2. •What can be done to prevent oil spills?

  3. •How does the Clean Water Act affect water pollution today?

  4. •Propose and evaluate solutions to the most common and serious water pollution problems today.

 

The Issue

The Clean Water Act was passed to clean up our water ways from industrial pollution. 

This Week's Assignment

Explore and investigate the effect of oil spills on the environment.  Compare and contrast their effects with other pollution affecting water quality in the United States.

 

Follow these guidelines when writing your essay:

  1. •Organize by using an introduction, body and conclusion.

  2. •Be sure to define key terms for the reader.

  3. •Support your opinion using research examples.

  4. •Always use your own words and cite sources (all resources used to get information and ideas) in a Works Cited page at the end of your essay.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

DUE DATE: May 11, 2012
TO: Environmental Law Students
FROM: Helen Haberman, Instructor
SUBJECT: Oil Spills, the Clean Water Act and Water Pollution

Assignment (40 points)

Your task this week is to write a 2 page paper that explores the effect of oil spills on water quality, the role of the Clean Water Act on water quality today and the biggest challenges that remain a threat to our nation’s waters.

You will use the guiding questions provided to organize your paper. You will use the websites provided to read the main article and to research information.

Skills: You will need to read, research, evaluate and compose an essay about sprawl and its effects.

Format: Papers must be word-processed using a 12-point font and double-spaced.


Websites

What is the Clean Water Act? Overview and history of the law.

Effects of Oil Spills on Wildlife and Habitat

Oil Spill Data--compares/contrasts major sources of oil spills in oceans today

The Gulf Oil Spill Two Years Later--The worst spill in US history two years later.  What have we learned?


Guiding Questions

  1. 1. Provide an overview of the Clean Water Act--how does it work and what are its objectives?

  2. 2.Relative to other water pollution problems, how great of a problem are oil spills in navigable waters?

  3. 3.What are the greatest risks to environmental health due to oil spills? Are there long-term negative effects, too? Explain.

  4. 4. What have we learned from the Gulf Oil Spill of 2010? Has it inspired any meaningful changes in the behavior of Americans or the laws regulating oil companies and their practices?