Landmark Clean Water Announcement

AUSTIN – Environment Texas hailed the Obama administration for releasing a proposed guidance that, if adopted, would restore Clean Water Act protections to vital streams across Texas and protect Texans’ drinking water.  In response to the announcement, Environment Texas is launching a major initiative to build support for clean water protections.

“Right now, waters like the Trinity River and the Edwards Aquifer are at risk as the very streams that feed them and the wetlands that keep them clean may no longer be protected by the Clean Water Act.  We need to stop giving polluters a free pass and start protecting our waterways and our drinking water,” said Alejandro Savransky, Environment Texas Field Organizer.

One of America’s core environmental laws, the original Clean Water Act was intended to protect all of our waters from harmful pollution.  But over the past decade, developers and others have used litigation to create loopholes in the Act, leaving thousands of streams and millions of acres of wetlands likely beyond its scope.

Here in Texas, this means that 75% of the streams in the state and waters that feed the drinking water supplies of more than 11.5 million Texans may no longer be protected by the Clean Water Act, according to EPA. 

“Restoring Clean Water Act protections to all our waters is crucial to our health, economy, and environment.  The clean water guidance released today will take a much needed step towards restoring Clean Water Act protections to these vital waterways,” said Savransky.

“Texans want clean water. In fact, whenever I talk to people across Texas about this issue, they are simply appalled to learn that the Clean Water Act might no longer protect their favorite local stream,” said Savransky. 

“In the face of powerful polluters who want to continue fouling our waterways without limit, President Obama is showing true courage in moving forward to protect Texas’ waters,” continued Savransky. “Environment Texas is ready to mobilize Texans to show that the public is on the side of the Trinity River, the Edwards Aquifer, and clean drinking water.”