Congressional Investigation Details Decline of Clean Water Act Enforcement
American Rivers calls for Obama administration and Congress to swiftly pass the Clean Water Restoration Act Statement by Melissa Samet, senior director of water resources for American Rivers
Washington, D.C. -- American Rivers today applauded House of Representatives Committee Chairmen Henry A. Waxman and James L. Oberstar for seeking the truth on the Bush Administration’s failure to enforce the Clean Water Act and called on Congress to swiftly pass the Clean Water Restoration Act.
Melissa Samet, senior director of water resources for American Rivers made the following statement:
“The Congressional investigation released Tuesday finds a dramatic decline in the number of Clean Water Act enforcement actions over the past two years, and serious concerns within EPA that the agency is no longer able to ensure the safety and health of the nation’s waters. These findings are based on a review of subpoenaed agency documents."
"The Waxman-Oberstar report adds additional powerful support for the quickest possible passage of the Clean Water Restoration Act, which will restore the historic scope of protection provided by the nation’s legal cornerstone for water protection, the Clean Water Act."
"The decline in cases enforcing the Clean Water Act can be tied directly to the ill-conceived policy guidance issued by EPA and the Army Corps of Engineers in 2007. That guidance creates enormous and inappropriate hurdles to protecting the nation’s waters. Rescinding this vague and misleading guidance should be a top priority for the Obama administration.”
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American Rivers is the leading organization working to protect and restore the nation’s rivers and streams. Rivers connect us to each other, nature, and future generations. Since 1973, American Rivers has fought to preserve these connections, helping protect and restore more than 150,000 miles of rivers through advocacy efforts, on-the-ground projects, and the annual release of America’s Most Endangered Rivers®.
Headquartered in Washington, DC, American Rivers has offices across the country and more than 100,000 supporters, members, and volunteers nationwide. Visit www.americanrivers.org, www.facebook.com/americanrivers and www.twitter.com/americanrivers.
