A look back at what our unique network accomplished in 2023
Here are 10 examples of how our advocates won positive results for the public and the planet in 2023.
Clean water
If we want a greener, healthier world we need to protect our rivers, lakes and streams.
Clean water is vital to ecosystems, to our health, and our quality of life. But too many of our rivers, lakes and streams are vulnerable to pollution. This pollution, along with outdated infrastructure – like lead pipes in our schools – puts our health at risk. We need to work together to protect our waters.
The Latest on Clean water
Statement: EPA tells power plants to clean up their act
Statement: White House launches new effort to protect clean water
Updates
Lobby day secures bipartisan support for the Plastic Pellet Free Water Act
Clean water groups urge Congress to tackle microplastics
Ending mercury pollution should be a no-brainer
Featured Resources
Clean Water Act on Trial
The Threat of “Forever Chemicals”
Who are the top toxic water polluters in your state?
Green schools guide
The Latest
Type
Statement: EPA advises stronger limits on levels of toxic PFAS chemicals to protect Americans’ health
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) unveiled on Wednesday new health advisories for four of the most common toxic PFAS chemicals that pollute drinking water nationwide. These official EPA actions “provide technical information to drinking water system operators, as well as federal, state, Tribal, and local officials, on the health effects, analytical methods, and treatment technologies associated with drinking water contaminants.” In addition, the EPA announced the first round of funding to help clean up these so-called “forever chemicals” in public water systems. However, the EPA does not have the authority to enforce any PFAS standard associated with the health advisory.
More nature in Texas with Castner Range
This Texas mountain range should become our next national monument
Two more states take action to limit lead in schools’ drinking water
Legislators in Missouri and Colorado have just approved bills requiring remediation when lead in schools' drinking water exceeds 5 parts per billion (ppb).
Maine looks to make polluters pay for farmland contaminated by ‘forever chemicals’
Statement: Congress should pass legislation to protect drinking water from PFAS contamination
Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand of New York and Rep. Chris Pappas of New Hampshire introduced the Clean Water Standards for PFAS 2.0 Act into the Senate and the House this week. The bill would require the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to establish limits on how much PFAS chemicals producers can dump into waterways and to set water quality criteria to protect human health. There are currently no federal regulations that address industrial releases of PFAS into America’s waterways. Already, millions of Americans’ drinking water is contaminated with PFAS.