A Big Day For Clean Water

Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works moves forward on clean water

June 18, 2009

Washington, DC -- Today the United States Senate Environment and Public Works Committee took important steps towards protecting the nation’s clean water by passing an amended version of the Clean Water Restoration Act and Sewage Right-to-Know legislation in addition to reauthorizing the Beaches Environmental Assessment and Coastal Health Act and the Great Lakes Legacy Act. American Rivers played a lead role advocating for Right-to-Know and the Restoration Act, important bills that protect public health and safety, and our nation’s priceless river heritage.

The Clean Water Restoration Act (S.787) and Sewage Right to Know (S.937) will next head to the floor of the United States Senate.

The president of American Rivers, Rebecca Wodder, made the following statement:

“Water is life, and nothing is more vital to the health of our communities and environment than clean water. Congress must act quickly to restore the historic scope of the Clean Water Act so that scientifically sound and robust protections can once again safeguard our nation’s waters. The bill reported by the committee is an important step in the right direction, and we applaud the committee for recognizing the need to restore clean water safeguards. We look forward to working with the Senate to ensure the bill provides the strongest possible protections for our nation’s waters. Senator Russ Feingold (D-WI) and Committee Chairman Barbara Boxer (D-CA) should be thanked for their strong leadership in restoring Clean Water Act protections to our nation’s waters.”
 
“Summer is here, and millions of Americans will soon be spending time on their local rivers and streams. But what we don’t know can hurt us. Taking a swim, or going fishing or boating, should never be a guessing game. Sewage right-to-know is about protecting public health and shining a light on a rather odious problem by requiring public notification of sewage spills so that we can build support for lasting clean water solutions.  We applaud Senator Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ) for seeing this common sense piece of legislation through committee.”

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American Rivers is the leading conservation organization fighting for healthy rivers so communities can thrive. American Rivers protects and restores America's rivers for the benefit of people, wildlife and nature. Founded in 1973, American Rivers has more than 65,000 members and supporters, with offices in Washington, DC and nationwide.