As field organizers with Clean Water Action, we inform residents about environmental issues and ask them to contact elected officials to take action. We have been working on the most important water campaign since the passage of the Clean Water Act in 1972. And this week we had a huge victory - the Obama administration finalized the Clean Water Rule.
The Clean Water Rule will restore protections for the drinking water for 2 in 3 Marylanders and safeguard the streams and wetlands that are vital to communities, wildlife, and small businesses throughout Maryland. Speaking to residents around the state, especially in Baltimore, we find that protecting clean water is hugely popular.
Over the years, Clean Water Action campaigns to restore clean water protections have garnered hundreds of thousands of public comments. The message from the public is the same — our water comes first. This isn't surprising - a recent poll found that 80% of Americans support Last summer, the Baltimore City Council, recognizing clean water is inextricably tied to the quality of life of its citizens, voted unanimously on a resolution in support the Clean Water Rule. Passing this resolution shows that despite what dirty water legislators are doing in Congress there are elected officials like Baltimore's City Council who stand with constituents instead of the deep-pocketed polluters.
We applaud the council for standing up for Baltimore's water. Like the many Maryland residents we speak with every evening, they understand. If your goal is fishable, swimmable, drinkable water, you can't get there by protecting some of the water. You have to protect it all.
