Tell Congress Not to Mess with Clean Water Protections

Photo credit: Spencer Watson

Clean water affects everyone in America. From paddlers to swimmers to surfers to families who want to trust the drinking water coming out of their tap, clean water is profoundly important for Americans. However, Congress recently voted to overturn a critical clean water ruling that helps protect clean water for the country.

On Thursday, March 7, the House voted to overturn recently-finalized clean water protections and the Senate followed by overturning protections on March 29.

The Clean Water Act has helped protect water in the U.S. for more than 40 years, ensuring that Americans have clean water to drink and feel safe recreating in our rivers, beaches, lakes, and streams. However, the question of which bodies of water should fall under the jurisdiction of the Clean Water Act has been at the center of a decades-long debate.

In December, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released a final rule that offers strong protections for clean water, and Congress has already put forth a resolution to repeal it. The EPA’s recently-finalized rule ensures that seasonal streams and adjacent wetlands are included in clean water regulations. Why? Because these streams and wetlands feed into downstream waters, affecting the drinking water of 1 in 3 Americans and countless recreation opportunities (source).

Lawmakers voted to overturn the EPA’s rule using the Congressional Review Act (CRA), a little-known tool that allows Congress to roll back recently-finalized rules.

The EPA’s final rule protects the public’s right to clean water, not only to recreate in, but also to drink and produce goods. It is not in need of repeal. Paddlers, boaters, and swimmers in particular know that even intermittent streams all flow downstream into the rivers that provide clean water for everyone.

While the Biden administration will veto Congress’s resolution, the vote signals an attack on clean water that does not bode well for the future. Protecting clean water seems pretty basic, but Congress frequently needs a reminder from the public about the importance of clean water. With American Whitewater, we have made it easy to send a letter to your member of Congress expressing your disappointment in the recent vote. The form will auto-populate with draft letters based on your lawmakers vote.