News Release | Environment America Research and Policy Center

America’s Waterways received 226 Million Pounds of Toxic Chemicals

Five states—Indiana,  Virginia, Nebraska, Texas, and Georgia—account for forty percent of the total amountof toxic discharges to U.S. waterways in 2010, according to a new report released today by Environment America. Wasting Our Waterways: Industrial Toxic Pollution and the Unfulfilled Promise of the Clean Water Act also reports that 226 million pounds of toxic chemicals were discharged into 1,400 waterways across the country.

News Release | Environment America

Obama Administration Takes Important Step toward Protecting America’s Waterways

From the Chesapeake Bay to the Puget Sound to the many smaller waters in between, America’s waterways are today one step closer to protection under the Clean Water Act, as the Obama administration is now in the final stage of issuing guidelines to restore critical Clean Water Act protections to the nation’s waterways.

News Release | Environment America

Leaders of Nation’s Environmental Organizations Urge President to Restore Critical Protections to America’s Waterways

 

Nineteen leaders of the nation’s largest environmental organizations sent a letter to President Obama calling on him to restore critical Clean Water Act protections to America’s waterways by finalizing proposed guidelines and conducting a rulemaking in 2012.

 

News Release | Environment America

America’s Waterways under Attack by Senators Barrasso and Heller

This week, the U.S. Senate could vote on an amendment to the Energy and Water Appropriations Bill that would put the health of America’s waterways like the Everglades, the Colorado River, and the Chesapeake Bay at risk.  If passed, the amendment introduced by Senators John Barrasso (WY) and Dean Heller (NV) would block the Army Corps of Engineers and EPA from restoring the Clean Water Act, leaving the drinking water of 117 million Americans vulnerable to polluters. 

News Release | Environment America

Administration’s Drilling Plan Protects Virginia, Creates other Concerns

Today, Secretary of Interior Ken Salazar unveiled the Department of Interior’s offshore leasing plan for years 2012 through 2017. The plan reaffirmed the Obama administration’s December 2010 announcement to protect the Atlantic and Pacific coasts as well as to limit expansion of drilling leases in the Eastern Gulf of Mexico. The plan additionally removed an area off the coast of Virginia from consideration for drilling. 

News Release | Environment America

California Passes Bill to Ban Shark Finning

Governor Brown announced that he signed into law AB 376. AB 376 prohibits the possession, sale, or distribution of shark fins in California.

News Release | Environment America

U.S. EPA Proposes Protections against Air Pollution from Oil and Gas Industry

As U.S. EPA held a public hearing today in Pittsburgh, Environment America praised the agency’s proposed rules to curb air pollution from oil and gas operations as part of an urgently needed response to the public health threats posed by ‘fracking’.

News Release | Environment America

Santa Cruz County Votes Unanimously To Ban Single-Use Bags

Today Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously to ban single-use bags from Santa Cruz County. The ordinance includes a fee on single-use paper bags of $0.10 in the first year and an option to increase it to $0.25 every year there after. Additionally, the ordinance includes restaurants in the ban on plastic bags, yet they will not be required to charge a fee on paper.

News Release | Environment America

Senate Must Craft Energy & Water Bill that Protects Health and the Environment

Today, the Senate Energy and Water Development Appropriations subcommittee will mark-up a bill to fund federal water and energy programs. In July, the House passed the Fiscal Year 2012 Energy and Water Development Appropriations bill (HR 2354). The House bill made large cuts to the Department of Energy budget, especially to energy efficiency and renewable energy programs. Additionally, the bill contained a rider that would block the Army Corps of Engineers from implementing new Clean Water Act protections for streams and wetlands across the country.

News Release | Environment America

Environment Rhode Island Announces Filing of Landmark Settlement to Keep Sewage out of Newport Beaches and Harbor

Environment Rhode Island declared a critical victory for Newport beaches and harbor today, announcing that the City of Newport has agreed to take steps to end its illegal sewage and stormwater pollution.

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