Protect America's Waters
Shortsighted legal decisions have left millions of acres of wetlands and more than half of the nation’s streams vulnerable to pollution and development — putting the drinking water for 117 million Americans at risk. Now, polluters’ allies in Congress are trying to block the EPA from restoring vital safeguards. To protect the rivers, lakes and streams that mean so much to so many of us, we need to show massive public support for clean water.
At risk: More than half of America’s streams
Right now, more than half of America’s streams and millions of acres of wetlands are vulnerable to pollution and development. Polluters can dump into streams, developers can pave over wetlands to build strip malls, and the cops on the environmental beat can’t do a thing about it. And it’s not just small streams and wetlands that will suffer — these waterways are the same ones that feed our great waters and keep them clean.
Polluters poke holes in Clean Water Act
For nearly 40 years, the Clean Water Act has helped states across the nation care for and clean up our waterways. Thanks in large part to this groundbreaking law, rivers are no longer so polluted that they catch fire, as Ohio’s Cuyahoga infamously did in 1969. Still, much work remains to be done. Our report, “Wasting our Waterways,” found that polluters dumped 232 million tons of toxic chemicals into America’s waters in a single year. We need to do more to protect our waters — not less.
Unfortunately, over the past decade, polluters and irresponsible developers have used the courts to put Clean Water Act protections in legal limbo, arguing that the law doesn’t cover the smaller streams and wetlands that feed and clean America’s great waters. They want to throw out nearly 40 years of Clean Water Act protection, leaving polluting industries free to dump into our streams and pave over our wetlands without asking for permission.
The EPA can protect our waters — but Congress threatens to stand in the way
Since 2006, we have been urging Congress to protect our waters by simply declaring that the Clean Water Act applies to all of America’s waters. But stymied at every turn by industry lobbyists and powerful special interests, we turned instead to the EPA for action.
We and our allies have submitted more than 170,000 comments to EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson, urging her to restore protections to all of our waters. In April, she announced a plan to do just that. But polluters’ allies in Congress won’t give up — and now they’re threatening to stop the EPA from doing its job.
At the same time, powerful corporate interests are preparing for battle: ExxonMobil threatened “legal warfare” if the EPA moves forward with its plan to restore Clean Water Act protections.
Our plan to defend our rivers, lakes and streams
We refuse to let polluters and their allies in Congress open our precious waterways to more dumping and development. We’re bringing together Americans from all walks of life to protect the waters we love, from Long Island Sound to Minnesota’s 10,000 lakes. From anglers to white-water enthusiasts, clergy to scientists, local officials to ordinary families, we all have a stake in keeping our water clean.
Our citizen outreach staff has been knocking on doors across the country, educating Americans about what’s at stake. Join our campaign by sending the EPA a message today.
Tell the EPA that you want to see all of America’s rivers, lakes and streams protected.
Key Facts
- More than half of American’s streams and millions of acres of wetlands are vulnerable to pollution and development.
- Polluters dumped 232 million pounds of toxic chemicals into our waters in a single year.
- More than 170,000 Americans have already joined our call to protect our waters.