The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has just finished incorporating over 1 million public comments into an Administrative rule to clearly define 'Waters of the US' and restore Clean Water Act protections to small streams and wetlands. Here at Surfrider, we know clean water at the beach starts with healthy waters upstream, and we submitted comments to EPA in support of a strong CWA rule. Read more about Surfrider's interest in this rule and download our comments here.
The new draft rule is now awaiting interagency review by the Office of Management and Budget. It could be released as final as early as May, but unfortunately, there are interests in Congress that are trying to block the Clean Water Rule from moving forward. A bill has been introduced into the House of Representatives (HR 1732) to force the EPA to withdraw the current rule. Policy riders to funding bills have also been proposed in both the House and Senate to prevent the EPA from implementing the rule once the FY2016 budget is passed.
Join Surfrider in defending the Clean Water Act and tell Congress to stop interfering with your right to Clean Water. Click here to participate in our action alert and send an email to your representatives in DC.
Reprinted below is a blog posted by EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy and Assistant Secretary of the Army Jo-Ellen Darcy explaining why the Clean Water Rule is necessary and how the EPA has considered public comments in their administrative process.
2015 April 6 blog.epa.gov
Water is the lifeblood of healthy people and healthy economies. We have a duty to protect it. That’s why EPA and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers are finalizing a Clean Water Rule later this spring to protect critical streams and wetlands that are currently vulnerable to pollution and destruction. On April 3 we sent the draft rule to the Office of Management and Budget for interagency review. Since it’s not final yet, we can’t speak to every detail. But the spirit of this rule boils down to three facts:
First, people depend on clean water: one in three Americans get their drinking water from streams currently lacking clear protection.
Second, our economy depends on clean water: manufacturing, farming, ranching, tourism, recreation, and other major economic sectors need clean water to function and flourish.
Third, our cherished way of life depends on clean water: healthy ecosystems support precious wildlife habitat and pristine places to hunt, fish, boat, and swim.
A year ago, our agencies released the draft Clean Water Rule. Since then, we’ve held more than 400 meetings across the country and received more than one million public comments from farmers, manufacturers, business owners, hunters and anglers, and others. The input helped us understand the genuine concerns and interests of a wide range of stakeholders and think through options to address them. In the final rule, people will see that we made changes based on those comments, consistent with the law and the science. We’ve worked hard to reach a final version that works for everyone – while protecting clean water.
We’re confident the final rule will speak for itself. But we can broadly share some of the key points and changes we’re considering.
The public will see that the agencies listened carefully and made changes based on their input. That’s how an open and collaborative process works – so we can ensure everyone’s voices are heard, in a way that follows the law and the latest science. Our mission is to uphold that commitment to the American people.
We may have different opinions on how we best protect our water resources, but we can all agree that clean water matters, and that it deserves our protection. The health of our people, our economies, and our way of life deserve protection. That’s what the Clean Water Rule is all about.
About the authors: Gina McCarthy is the U.S. EPA Administrator and Jo-Ellen Darcy is the Assistant Secretary of the Army (Civil Works).