Statement of Christy Leavitt,
Environment America Clean Water Advocate
The
Bush administration issued a final rule today that will increase the amount of
pollution in America’s waterways. Under the new U.S. EPA rule, polluters can
dump water contaminated with toxic chemicals, bacteria and invasive species
into our rivers, lakes and streams without a Clean Water Act permit.
We
are extremely disappointed by EPA’s decision to put people, waterways, fish,
and other wildlife at risk. By exempting
the pumping of polluted water from the Clean Water Act, the Bush administration
has again undermined one of our country’s most important environmental laws.
The
new rule authorizes the pumping of water from a polluted waterway into a clean waterway
without a permit. These transfers of
water will increase pollution by allowing water contaminated with toxics or
sewage to be dumped into waterways used for swimming, fishing and drinking
water.
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.
