Filter By:
Type
State
Priority
Posted On
Search Results
Our Water Has Waited Too Long
By Michael Kelly, Director of Communications - follow Michael on Twitter - @MichaelEdKelly The Clean Water Act became law in 1972. Since then industry and their allies in Congress have attempted to weaken the landmark law – asking Americans to put their bottom line ahead of protecting our water. In the mid-2000’s, industry got its wish when the Bush administration effectively broke the Clean Water Act and removed protections from nearly 20 million acres of wetlands and more than half the nation’s streams. The Bush administration’s actions put the drinking water for more than 1 in 3 Americans
Derailments and Spills and Protecting Clean Water
By Andy Fellows, Chesapeake Regional Director A CSX train carrying crude oil going off the tracks in Virginia is a news flash that grabs national attention for a moment, but for those involved and for the communities in which they happen, a derailment can be catastrophic, life changing and deadly. 50,000 gallons of oil are “missing,” as officials are uncertain as to how much burned in the blaze and how much ended up in the water. Though no one at this time appears to be injured, the burning oil along the James brings to mind the image of the Cuyahoga River in flames in the late 60’s, a
Background: Federal Regulation of Lead in Drinking Water
For our introduction to lead and drinking water, click here. The Federal Government regulates lead in drinking water, primarily through the Lead and Copper Rule. Lead and Copper Rule Adopted as part of the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) in 1991 by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) the Lead and Copper Rule (LCR)'s purpose is to protect public health by minimizing lead and copper exposure at the tap. The LCR requires water systems to monitor the drinking water they provide and control for corrosion. Because lead can get into drinking water at various points throughout the system, as well
Harmful Algal Outbreaks and Drinking Water
Freshwater Harmful Algal Blooms happen most often where there are high levels of nutrients like nitrogen or phosphorus present in warm, still waters like lakes, ponds, or reservoirs. They can also occur in rivers, especially during summer months. Aquatic ecosystems need nutrients to thrive but fertilizer runoff from agriculture, sewage and industrial discharges, and urban stormwater have added an excessive of nutrients into many of our nation’s bays, lakes and rivers.
Texas Aquifer Exemptions
The Railroad Commission of Texas has failed to implement Safe Drinking Water Act protections and allowed injection activity into underground sources of drinking water — removing them from future supplies at a time of rapid population growth and recurrent drought.
