Can We #ProtectCleanWater?

By Angelique Giraud, Florida Energy Community Organizer Advocates from all over the nation gathered together July 10th in Washington, DC to speak out in support of clean water. For the first time in over 30 years, we have the chance to make power plants, particularly coal-fired plants, clean up their toxic trash. Power plants contribute more than half of all of the toxic pollution in our water – billions of pounds every year. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has finally proposed long overdue standards to restrict this pollution and #protectcleanwater. EPA can ensure that our children and grandchildren will have clean water to live long healthy lives by approving the strongest protections possible. We need EPA to step up, now more than ever, and we need your help to make it happen. Under the Clean Water Act utilities receive permits to dump pollution into our water and contaminate our lives. The new EPA proposal would force utility companies to drastically cut back the amount of pollutants they discharge into our water supply. Unfortunately, because of industry pressure and inter-agency differences, EPA proposed 5 versions of the rule. The strongest proposal would provide a clear path to reducing toxic discharges to our water by 50%. And the technology exists to get it done. Utilities can affordably eliminate 5.3 billion pounds of toxic chemicals from our water, but they aren’t doing it – yet. That’s why we need the new rules. I was pumped up at the #ProtectCleanWater, #NoToxicWater rally outside EPA headquarters last week. In DC heat that made even this Floridian scurry to the shade, we listened and cheered. As we went into EPA HQ, the room filled with the excitement of over 100 supporters of clean water. Each testimony highlighted the very real consequences of toxic pollution from coal power plants in diverse communities. This public hearing brought humanity into the spotlight of the issue. Giant corporate utilities are not just polluting unknown and unused waterways, these rivers, lakes, streams, and bays are part of our homes, they are our livelihoods, they make our communities. We are not talking about living without a mall, we are talking about clean water and everyone deserves drinkable, fishable, and swimmable waters. Take action to #ProtectCleanWater today!