Why Do We Fight About Clean Water?

By Lynn Thorp, National Campaigns Director - Follow Lynn on Twitter (@LTCWA) Today we launch a wide array of activity leading up to an unusual “bicameral” hearing on Capitol Hill next week. “Bicameral” means that it is a joint hearing put on by the majority leadership of committees in both the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate. This does not happen often. I wish I could say that this special water policy hearing is happening because our water resources are so precious, or because we have learned how critical it is to protect drinking water from contamination or because polls have consistently shown for decades that people consider clean water the most important environmental issue. No. I can’t say that. The February 4 hearing is being held to give voice to unscientific and cynical opponents of a proposal to close gaps in Clean Water Act protection for water bodies that are vulnerable under current policies. Opponents of fixing this problem have delayed action for over a decade. Now, as the Obama Administration closes in on a solution to this water quality challenge, opponents are staging an all-out assault in the U.S. Congress. A bill to block this clean water progress has already been introduced in the U.S. House and one is pending in the U.S. Senate. The benefits of what we call the “Clean Water Rule” to our water quality, public health and community well-being are described in as much detail as you can handle in our materials which you can explore here. All environmental organizations who work on water policy are in agreement on the importance of closing Clean Water Act loopholes. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has completed an impressive analysis of the underlying water science which supports the proposal. Elected officials, cities and counties, Attorneys General from states, Mayors, state agencies and hundreds of thousands of individuals have formally commented in favor of fixing this problem. It’s almost hard to believe that we have to go through all of this yet again, when the benefits of and support for protecting the streams, wetlands and other water bodies which are vital parts of our nation’s water infrastructure are so clear. But we do. And Clean Water Action will be on the frontlines. Please join us by taking action here, following and retweeting us on Twitter (@CleanH2OAction) and by doing anything else you can do to weigh in for clean water. If you are reading this, we need you now.