December, 18 2008, 01:24pm EDT
For Immediate Release
Contact:
Melissa Samet, American Rivers, (415) 482-8150
Angela Dicianno, American Rivers, (202) 347-7550 x3103
Congressional Investigation Details Decline of Clean Water Act Enforcement
American Rivers calls for Obama administration and Congress to swiftly pass the Clean Water Restoration Act
WASHINGTON
American Rivers today applauded House of Representatives Committee Chairmen Henry A. Waxman and James L. Oberstar for seeking the truth on the Bush Administration's failure to enforce the Clean Water Act and called on Congress to swiftly pass the Clean Water Restoration Act.
Melissa Samet, senior director of water resources for American Rivers made the following statement:
"The Congressional investigation released Tuesday finds a dramatic decline in the number of Clean Water Act enforcement actions over the past two years, and serious concerns within EPA that the agency is no longer able to ensure the safety and health of the nation's waters. These findings are based on a review of subpoenaed agency documents."
"The Waxman-Oberstar report adds additional powerful support for the quickest possible passage of the Clean Water Restoration Act, which will restore the historic scope of protection provided by the nation's legal cornerstone for water protection, the Clean Water Act."
"The decline in cases enforcing the Clean Water Act can be tied directly to the ill-conceived policy guidance issued by EPA and the Army Corps of Engineers in 2007. That guidance creates enormous and inappropriate hurdles to protecting the nation's waters. Rescinding this vague and misleading guidance should be a top priority for the Obama administration."
American Rivers is the only national organization standing up for healthy rivers so our communities can thrive. Through national advocacy, innovative solutions and our growing network of strategic partners, we protect and promote our rivers as valuable assets that are vital to our health, safety and quality of life. Founded in 1973, American Rivers has more than 65,000 members and supporters nationwide, with offices in Washington, DC and the Mid-Atlantic, Northeast, Midwest, Southeast, California and Northwest regions.
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