Key Legislation You Should Know

August 12, 2010 | Greening Water Infrastructure, Clean Water, Stormwater & Sewage

Stacey Detwiler
Conservation Associate

Here are some key legislation pieces that we have been working on recently:

 H.R. 3534: The CLEAR Act
Thanks to your help the House passed the CLEAR Act, a comprehensive response to the BP oil spill in the Gulf.  The bill fully funds the Land and Water Conservation Fund, which assesses a fee on offshore oil and gas wells to pay for state and federal land preservation, wildlife protection, and recreation efforts.  The bill also contains a proposal championed by American Rivers that closes the loophole in current law that exempts oil and gas companies from the Clean Water Act’s requirements to secure permits for storm water runoff.

 S.3561 : Green Infrastructure for Clean Water Act of 2010
S. 3561, introduced by Senators Tom Udall (D-NM.) and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI.), will provide critical support for green infrastructure practices by providing funding for projects, research on green infrastructure strategies, and technical assistance for communities. This legislation is a critical step forward in improving our ability to manage polluted runoff and sewage overflows while relieving pressure on aging infrastructure. 

 S.3602 Safe Treatment of Polluted Stormwater Runoff Act
The STOPS Runoff Act (S. 3602) introduced by Senator Cardin (D-MD.) will reduce polluted stormwater runoff from highway construction by requiring that projects must use technologies to infiltrate stormwater onsite so the stormwater running off of the site is the same as it was before construction.  Without this sort of 21st century infrastructure, water runs along the surface of the road and collects pollutants like tailpipe emissions and road salt, overwhelming our water infrastructure and flowing untreated into rivers and streams. 

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