Clean Water Act Turns 40 – Progress Made, More Needed

Media Contacts

Environment America

Washington, DC – Today, October 18, 2012, marks the 40th anniversary of the Clean Water Act, a landmark environmental law. The Clean Water Act was enacted after years of citizen outrage about massive and persistent water pollution across the country. Ohio’s Cuyahoga River was so polluted it even repeatedly caught on fire. Anna Aurilio, Washington DC Office Director of Environment America issued the following statement:

“We’ve made a lot of progress in the last forty years. But unfortunately, polluters and their allies in Congress are going in the opposite direction. Instead of wishing clean water a happy birthday, the U.S. House of Representatives has voted to gut clean water laws nearly 40 times this year. That is just appalling- for all of our waterways, from the Chesapeake Bay to the Puget Sound and for our health, and for our families.

“Forty years ago, citizens across the nation stood up and demanded a national law to protect our rivers, lakes, and streams. And we are still here – calling on Congress to stop the dirty water attacks, so we can finally restore our rivers lakes and streams.”