December 11, 2018
CHICAGO – Today’s announcement by the Trump Administration’s EPA to rollback federal clean water rules undermines safe clean drinking water across the nation and threatens progress to protect the Midwest’s vital waterways, including the Great Lakes and the Mississippi River basins.
“The Trump Administration’s attacks on safe clean drinking water are a threat to the environment and public health. Too many Midwest cities and towns are already experiencing unsafe drinking water, and this rollback of critical protections of our community waterways will only exacerbate the problem,” said Howard Learner, Executive Director of the Environmental Law & Policy Center.
The action today rolls back clean water rules that define which waterways are protected by the Clean Water Act. The 2015 Waters of the United States standard recognized that our water resources are so interconnected that in order to protect our celebrated waterways – like the Mississippi River and the Great Lakes – it’s necessary to protect the backyard brooks, community creeks, and steady streams that feed them.
“This foolish proposal rejects science and it imperils progress for safe clean drinking water in the Midwest,” Learner said. “The interconnectedness of our waterways must have federal oversight to ensure the safety and security of our fresh water. We need more protections for the clean water we all rely upon for drinking, fishing, and recreation, not less. We can’t afford to go backwards when it comes to reducing pollution of rivers, lakes, and streams.”
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