Congress is considering a sweeping permitting bill that would weaken long-standing environmental protections and make it harder for states and Tribes to protect their own waters from federally permitted projects.
Supporters are calling the bill “permitting reform.” Still, the package contains a grab bag of provisions sought by polluting industries, including new restrictions on the authority states and Tribes use to protect rivers, streams, wetlands, and drinking water sources from harmful projects.
A Grab Bag of Giveaways to Polluters
Polluting industries have spent years pushing Congress and federal agencies to weaken environmental safeguards they view as obstacles to development. This legislation includes many of those long-standing industry priorities and gives the oil and gas industry and developers new ways to limit or challenge protections intended to keep pollution out of our water.
The result would be a permitting system that gives polluting industries greater leverage while reducing the authority of states and Tribes to protect their communities.
We can build infrastructure, create jobs, and improve the permitting process while maintaining strong Clean Water Act protections.
Protect the Clean Water Act
The Clean Water Act should not be weakened to speed up industrial development. The bill would fast-track oil and gas pipelines, AI data centers, and other large infrastructure projects at the expense of clean water protections. The bill would also lock in outdated pollution controls and limit opportunities for the public to weigh in by extending permit durations from five to 10 years.
Protect State and Tribal Authority
States and Tribes understand their waters, drinking water sources, and local needs. Their role in the Clean Water Act is an important part of the partnership between federal, state, and Tribal governments. This permitting bill would place new limits on how states and Tribes can protect their waters and make it easier for project developers to challenge clean water safeguards.
These changes would especially benefit industries seeking approval for major projects like pipelines and transmission infrastructure, while communities downstream could be left with fewer tools to prevent pollution before it happens. Weakening that authority would leave states and Tribes with fewer tools to prevent water pollution from federally permitted projects.
Tell your members of Congress to reject provisions that weaken Clean Water Act protections.
Send a Message to Congress Today and Stand Up for Clean Water
TAKE ACTION