Real-Life Communication
You're a wildlife technician working for a small natural resources
consulting firm. Right now, your firm is initiating a project to clean up
a local wetland.
You were involved in the first tests in the wetland
and found the water to be heavily polluted, harmful to the wildlife in that
habitat and in danger of invading groundwater sources throughout the area.
The city has contracted your firm to do some of the major work, but the project
requires extra funding, and for that, your firm has gone to a government agency.
Based
on your initial tests, the agency has given your firm the go-ahead for the
project. As a formality, they've asked that someone from your firm sign a
declaration stating that, to the best of their knowledge, the project follows
the guidelines outlined in section 1254(a) of the Clean Water Act.
It's
just a formality, but one of your co-workers passes the task on to you. You're
well-known for having strong reading and communications skills,
so they've decided you're the person for the job.
Read over this section
of the Clean Water Act and make a list of these criteria in plain English
for your co-workers to read over. Using this list, decide whether or not your
firm's project meets the criteria stated here.
Clean
Water Act
1254 (a) Research on Effects of Pollutants
...
shall conduct research on the harmful effects on the health and welfare of
persons caused by pollutants in water, in conjunction with the Fish and Wildlife
Service, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and other agencies
carrying on such research.
Such research shall include, and shall place
special emphasis on, the effect that bioaccumulation of these pollutants in
aquatic species has upon reducing the value of aquatic commercial and sport
industries. Such research shall further study methods to reduce and remove
these pollutants from the relevant affected aquatic species so as to restore
and enhance these valuable resources.