Statement of Christy Leavitt,
Environment America Federal
Clean Water Advocate
The
Bush administration issued a final rule today that could increase the amount of
pollution in America’s
waterways. Under the U.S. EPA rule,
water polluted with toxic chemicals, bacteria, viruses, and other contaminants
now can be dumped into rivers, lakes and streams without a Clean Water Act
permit.
We
are extremely disappointed by EPA’s decision to put people, the environment,
fish, and other wildlife at risk. By
exempting transfers of polluted water from the Clean Water Act, the Bush
administration has again undermined one of our country’s most important
environmental laws.
Environment
America,
other national, state and local environmental organizations and 13 state
attorneys general opposed the rule when EPA proposed it in 2006. Federal courts have made clear decisions that
transfers of polluted water should be regulated by permits. Despite this, EPA once again listened to the
special interests and finalized a rule that puts the environment and public
health in danger.
The goals
of the Clean Water Act are clear: eliminate the discharge of pollutants into U.S.
waterways and make all waters safe for swimming and fishing. We are more than 20 years past due in meeting
these goals. For the Bush administration
to issue a new rule that increases pollution in our waterways takes us a giant
step backward when we need to be moving forward.
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