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The U.S. House of Representatives voted on May 18 to protect America’s waterways. The House voted to stop U.S. EPA from implementing a 2003 policy that effectively eliminates basic Clean Water Act protections from many streams, wetlands and other waters around the country. For three years, EPA’s No Protection policy has left many of America’s waters open to unlimited pollution, filling and destruction. Next the issue moves to the U.S. Senate.

Brief Summary

Over the last 30 years, we have made significant progress in cleaning up our water, but we still have important work to do. Many of America’s great waterways from the Mississippi River to the Chesapeake Bay to the Great Lakes are struggling from too much pollution.

Instead of improving the quality of our water, the Bush administration is weakening water protections. The Bush administration has put in place a "No Protection" policy for America’s waters that removes basic Clean Water Act safeguards from small streams, wetlands and ponds that feed and clean our great waters. The "No Protection" policy puts these streams, wetlands and other waters at risk of unlimited development, pollution and destruction.

Environment Arizona is calling on the Bush administration to drop the "No Protection" policy and for Congress to restore the original intent of the Clean Water Act to protect all waters in the United States.

Additionally, the Supreme Court’s recent decision in Rapanos has left the extent of existing clean water protections in question. Absent some corrective action from Congress, the Rapanos decision could leave some vital wetlands, sensitive streams, and other water bodies open to unregulated pollution, dredging or fill. Environment Arizona opposes any efforts by powerful developers and other polluters to weaken the Clean Water Act. We support efforts at the local, state and federal level to ensure clean and safe water supplies for all Americans.