Thousands Support Clean Water in the Nutmeg State

By Susan Eastwood, Program Coordinator - follow Susan on Twitter (@sceastwood)

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On Monday, Clean Water Action presented the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Region One Administrator Curt Spalding with thousands of comments from concerned Connecticut residents who care about clean water and want to protect it! I had the pleasure of introducing several distinguished public officials who came out to speak on the importance of clean water and EPA’s recent efforts to better protect our nation’s streams and wetlands. Attendees included Senator Richard Blumenthal, Congressman John Larson, State Representative Mary Mushinsky, New England Regional EPA head Curt Spalding and DEEP Commissioner Rob Klee, and representatives from Clean Water Action, Rivers Alliance, Citizen’s Campaign for the Environment, Sierra Club, Connecticut River Watershed Association, CT Coalition for Environmental Justice, Interreligious Eco-Justice Network and other groups. The event was held on the banks of the Connecticut River, a waterbody that has benefited from the Clean Water Act (CWA). Water quality in rivers like the Connecticut has greatly improved since the Act was passed in 1972. However, confusion over which waters are covered under the Act has left small streams and many wetlands without clear protections. Nationally, there are 2 million stream miles and 20 million acres of wetlands currently at risk. Over 117 million Americans, including 2.2 million residents of Connecticut depend on drinking water sources fed by these streams. In March, EPA and the Army Corps of Engineers proposed a rule to clarify protection under the Clean Water Act for streams and wetlands. Speakers at Monday’s event underscored the importance of the proposal that, when finalized, will better protect small streams and many wetlands. Senator Richard Blumenthal, a long-time advocate for Connecticut’s environment, said, "No natural resource is as precious or as critical as clean water. I applaud the EPA for this important regulatory clarification, continuing to protect our nation’s water sources while reducing conflicting regulations on agriculture and business.  I urge the EPA to listen carefully to the comments and strengthen the regulation to ensure our water quality continues to improve.” Curt Spalding, Regional Administrator for EPA in New England, who travelled from Boston for the event, said “EPA and the Army Corps of Engineers have made a common-sense proposal based on extensive scientific analysis, to ensure that the federal Clean Water Act protects the streams and wetlands that impact water downstream. We are protecting public health by protecting clean water. It also means we are working to preserve our iconic places, including the Connecticut River and Long Island Sound.” Connecticut Department of Energy and the Environment Commissioner Robert Klee also spoke in support of the proposed rule, “Connecticut has a long, proud history of utilizing federal programs alongside state law to cleanup and protect the state’s precious water resources. The proposed EPA rule will provide a welcome clarification of jurisdiction over this nation’s waters.” EPA is taking comments on the rule until October 20th. For more information on this effort, go here. To comment in support of the rule, visit this page.