Statement of Environment America Clean Water Advocate Christy Leavitt
We applaud Reps. Bishop (N.Y.) and LoBiondo (N.J.) and the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee for taking action to protect our communities from sewage spills.
With summer swimming and boating season kicking off later this month, the Committee approved a bill to ensure families heading to the lake or river will no longer be left in the dark about sewage pollution. The Sewage Overflow Community Right to Know Act, H.R. 2452, requires public notification when sewage is spilled.
Thirty-five years after Congress passed the Clean Water Act, over 850 billion gallons of raw or partially treated sewage are dumped into U.S. waterways each year. This sewage pollution closes beaches, harms fish and other wildlife, and endangers public health. Millions of Americans become sick each year from waterborne diseases.
Unfortunately, when bacteria, viruses, toxics and other unspeakable things in sewage are dumped into local waterways, the public is not always informed about it. To truly protect the health of Americans, we need public notification whenever sewage is spilled.
We urge the House to move swiftly to safeguard public health and our waterways by passing this important sewage right to know bill.
