Responding to #ProtectCleanWater Myths

By Margi Armstrong, Lake St. Clair Program Coordinator Protecting all of our nation’s water seems like a no brainer. In fact, when I ask folks in my community to take action to fix the Clean Water Act and ensure that we protect our drinking water sources, the most common response is “Well, duh! Where do I sign?!”. However, some of our elected officials in Michigan don’t feel the same way. A State Representative in Southeast Michigan has proposed a resolution calling on the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Army Corps of Engineers (the Corps) to recall their proposed “waters of the United States” rule. The claims in the resolution do not add up.

• “The proposed rule would create greater uncertainty for business and homeowners” – the proposed rule would do the exact opposite. Clearly defining what waters are protected under the Clean Water Act will increase efficiency and save businesses time and money.
• “EPA and Army Corps [are] usurping power reserved to the states” – EPA’s proposed rule is bringing the Clean Water Act closer to what it looked like when it was passed in 1972. Zero additional waters are gaining protections. The Clean Water Act serves as a minimal standard for water protection. States have always had the power to increase protections and develop innovative programs that would ensure safe and clean drinking water.
• “High-quality scientific input must be the basis for environmental regulations and the end result of scientific review should never be presumed” – EPA reviewed thousands of pieces of scientific literature and released a report on the Connectivity of Streams and Wetlands to Downstream Waters. The report tells us what we have known all along – ALL of our waters are connected and what happens upstream has an impact downstream. EPA will not finalize the proposed rule until the peer review by the EPA’s Science Advisory Board is complete and the report is finalized.

This is another example of our elected leaders choosing the interest of big business over citizens. It’s time to protect people, not polluters. Join me in telling the EPA to protect all our water - click here.