REGULATING AND REDUCING POLLUTION - Marine Pollution: What Everyone Needs to Know - page 220

metals, benzene, PAHs, and DDT. Regarding pollution from
ships, legislation states that polluting discharges constitute in
principle a criminal offence; this relates to discharges of oil or
other noxious substances from vessels. In 2014 the European
Parliament passed a directive aimed at cutting the use of thin
single-use plastic bags by 50 percent by 2017. Many develop-
ing countries have legislation on the topics but it is not always
enforced.
What are some success stories?
Many highly contaminated waterways in the United States
have been improving over the past few decades as a result
of the Clean Water Act. The Elizabeth River in Virginia was
highly degraded during its industrial heyday, with creosote
wood preserving operations and ship repair yards. Toxic
spills, explosions, and inadequate containment and disposal
practices at these sites caused extensive sediment contamina-
tion from compounds such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocar-
bons (PAHs) and a variety of metals. Bacterial contamination,
measured by fecal coliform levels, from upland runoff and
discharges from malfunctioning sewage treatment plants,
also contributed to the river's placement on the EPA's list of
impaired waters. However, over the last few decades, the
effects of long-term toxic discharges and sediment contamina-
tion have been reduced. There has been progress in improving
the river's sediment and water quality. Vibrant salt marshes
and productive oyster reefs can now be found along the river
in the midst of industrial operations that now are partners in
its restoration.
The Hackensack Meadowlands in Northern New Jersey
has undergone an impressive recovery after decades of abuse.
This twenty-one thousand acre marsh system has its eastern
edge three miles west of Manhattan, and is the largest brack-
ish marsh system in the New York/New Jersey area. As part
of the most densely populated region of North America, it