Leave The Clean Water Act Alone
When the Clean Water Act was passed in 1972, the need was desperately apparent. Rivers were catching on fire. Pollution choked waterways. Most rivers and streams weren't safe to swim in. For some reason, Rep. Nick Rahall is supporting an effort by the coal industry and other major polluters to turn the page back to those days.
Enforcement of the Clean Water Act has kept billions of pounds of toxic chemicals and other pollutants out of America's waterways.
A bill quietly working its way through Congress, H.B. 2018, the "Clean Water Cooperative Federalism Act of 2011," would undo decades of progress and render the Clean Water Act all but useless.
The bill -- supported by both Rahall and Rep. Shelley Moore Capito -- strikes at two vital provisions of the Clean Water Act. First, it would strip the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency of the ability to make states improve deficient water quality standards. The EPA could no longer withdraw approval of state programs, limit financial assistance or object to specific permits because of inadequate water quality standards enforced by the state.
An analysis of the legislation by the EPA says, the bill would prohibit the agency from revising water quality standards without buy-in from the state "even in the face of significant scientific information demonstrating threats to human health or aquatic life."
Second, the bill essentially allows a state to overrule a determination by EPA scientists that a dredge and fill permit could harm municipal water supplies, fishing, wildlife or recreation areas.
This bill would turn the Clean Water Act on its head, giving states the right to allow less stringent protection of the nation's waterways.
Together, these two provisions would lead to a race to the bottom in places like West Virginia where industry holds substantial sway over state regulatory agencies. The entire point of the Clean Water Act is to ensure a nationwide clean water standard because the waters of this nation are a shared resource.
more at the link
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Rahall Congressional Website
Moore-Capito Congressional Website
Waterways don't end at state borders. Passage of this would be lethal for the health of people in this country, particularly in areas where coal mining is going on. Their offices need to be bombarded.
This is a short segment from a 1972 documentary entitled, 'The Gifts' which was narrated by actor Lorne Greene. This is what they wish to bring us back to. I don't care if you are a Republican or a Democrat you cannot look at this and tell me you support this. Where has our collective morality as a nation gone? Where our environment is concerned there should be no such thing as partisan politics. I will be posting a commentary about this on the blog as you all know how close to my heart this is and also sending it on to them as well. I have seen the strides the Clean Water Act has made. I am not about to sacrifice the present and future health of our children and environment to these selfish raiths for one more day. They must know how so very wrong this is.
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