Dec 06, 2018
In a move environmentalists are warning will seriously endanger drinking water and wildlife nationwide, President Donald Trump's Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is reportedly gearing up to hand yet another gift to big polluters by drastically curtailing the number of waterways and wetlands protected under the Clean Water Act.
"The rollback will take us backward. And most people don't remember just how bad that was."
--Daniel Estrin, Waterkeeper Alliance
"As a result of the change, an estimated 60-90 percent of U.S. waterways could lose federal protections that currently shield them from pollution and development," The Intercept's Sharon Lerner reported on Friday, citing an analysis by Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility. "The new Trump administration rule imposes the most substantial restrictions on the Clean Water Act since its passage in 1972."
Brett Hartl, government affairs director at the Center for Biological Diversity, said if the new rule--which is expected to be unveiled on Tuesday--takes effect, corporations will be free to "dump as much crap into" rivers and streams as they want.
"For some parts of the country, it's a complete wiping away of the Clean Water Act," Hartl concluded.
\u201cThose who forget history are doomed to repeat it. https://t.co/TzMXfstaaH\u201d— Center for Biological Diversity (@Center for Biological Diversity) 1544205617
The Obama-era Waters of the U.S. (WOTUS) rule, which the Trump administration has long been aiming to roll back, was designed to limit pollution in most of the nation's large bodies of water in an effort to protect drinking water from contamination.
The Trump EPA is attempting to reinterpret the WOTUS rule in a way that allows oil giants, real estate developers, and golf course owners to freely pollute rivers and streams. Critics have pointed out that Trump's businesses may stand to profit from any weakening of the WOTUS rule.
According toE&E News, which obtained a copy of EPA talking points, the Trump administration's rule "will erase federal protections from streams that flow only following rainfall, as well as wetlands not physically connected to larger waterways."
"The exact number of wetlands and waterways losing federal protections won't be known until the full, detailed proposal is released," E&E News reported on Thursday.
Daniel Estrin, general counsel and advocacy director at Waterkeeper Alliance, argued that the success of the Clean Water Act--while far from complete--has led many to forget how contaminated and visibly polluted the nation's water supply was before the law.
"The rollback will take us backward," Estrin warned of the EPA's proposed rule. "And most people don't remember just how bad that was."
Join Us: News for people demanding a better world
Common Dreams is powered by optimists who believe in the power of informed and engaged citizens to ignite and enact change to make the world a better place. We're hundreds of thousands strong, but every single supporter makes the difference. Your contribution supports this bold media model—free, independent, and dedicated to reporting the facts every day. Stand with us in the fight for economic equality, social justice, human rights, and a more sustainable future. As a people-powered nonprofit news outlet, we cover the issues the corporate media never will. |
Our work is licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). Feel free to republish and share widely.
In a move environmentalists are warning will seriously endanger drinking water and wildlife nationwide, President Donald Trump's Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is reportedly gearing up to hand yet another gift to big polluters by drastically curtailing the number of waterways and wetlands protected under the Clean Water Act.
"The rollback will take us backward. And most people don't remember just how bad that was."
--Daniel Estrin, Waterkeeper Alliance
"As a result of the change, an estimated 60-90 percent of U.S. waterways could lose federal protections that currently shield them from pollution and development," The Intercept's Sharon Lerner reported on Friday, citing an analysis by Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility. "The new Trump administration rule imposes the most substantial restrictions on the Clean Water Act since its passage in 1972."
Brett Hartl, government affairs director at the Center for Biological Diversity, said if the new rule--which is expected to be unveiled on Tuesday--takes effect, corporations will be free to "dump as much crap into" rivers and streams as they want.
"For some parts of the country, it's a complete wiping away of the Clean Water Act," Hartl concluded.
\u201cThose who forget history are doomed to repeat it. https://t.co/TzMXfstaaH\u201d— Center for Biological Diversity (@Center for Biological Diversity) 1544205617
The Obama-era Waters of the U.S. (WOTUS) rule, which the Trump administration has long been aiming to roll back, was designed to limit pollution in most of the nation's large bodies of water in an effort to protect drinking water from contamination.
The Trump EPA is attempting to reinterpret the WOTUS rule in a way that allows oil giants, real estate developers, and golf course owners to freely pollute rivers and streams. Critics have pointed out that Trump's businesses may stand to profit from any weakening of the WOTUS rule.
According toE&E News, which obtained a copy of EPA talking points, the Trump administration's rule "will erase federal protections from streams that flow only following rainfall, as well as wetlands not physically connected to larger waterways."
"The exact number of wetlands and waterways losing federal protections won't be known until the full, detailed proposal is released," E&E News reported on Thursday.
Daniel Estrin, general counsel and advocacy director at Waterkeeper Alliance, argued that the success of the Clean Water Act--while far from complete--has led many to forget how contaminated and visibly polluted the nation's water supply was before the law.
"The rollback will take us backward," Estrin warned of the EPA's proposed rule. "And most people don't remember just how bad that was."
From Your Site Articles
In a move environmentalists are warning will seriously endanger drinking water and wildlife nationwide, President Donald Trump's Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is reportedly gearing up to hand yet another gift to big polluters by drastically curtailing the number of waterways and wetlands protected under the Clean Water Act.
"The rollback will take us backward. And most people don't remember just how bad that was."
--Daniel Estrin, Waterkeeper Alliance
"As a result of the change, an estimated 60-90 percent of U.S. waterways could lose federal protections that currently shield them from pollution and development," The Intercept's Sharon Lerner reported on Friday, citing an analysis by Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility. "The new Trump administration rule imposes the most substantial restrictions on the Clean Water Act since its passage in 1972."
Brett Hartl, government affairs director at the Center for Biological Diversity, said if the new rule--which is expected to be unveiled on Tuesday--takes effect, corporations will be free to "dump as much crap into" rivers and streams as they want.
"For some parts of the country, it's a complete wiping away of the Clean Water Act," Hartl concluded.
\u201cThose who forget history are doomed to repeat it. https://t.co/TzMXfstaaH\u201d— Center for Biological Diversity (@Center for Biological Diversity) 1544205617
The Obama-era Waters of the U.S. (WOTUS) rule, which the Trump administration has long been aiming to roll back, was designed to limit pollution in most of the nation's large bodies of water in an effort to protect drinking water from contamination.
The Trump EPA is attempting to reinterpret the WOTUS rule in a way that allows oil giants, real estate developers, and golf course owners to freely pollute rivers and streams. Critics have pointed out that Trump's businesses may stand to profit from any weakening of the WOTUS rule.
According toE&E News, which obtained a copy of EPA talking points, the Trump administration's rule "will erase federal protections from streams that flow only following rainfall, as well as wetlands not physically connected to larger waterways."
"The exact number of wetlands and waterways losing federal protections won't be known until the full, detailed proposal is released," E&E News reported on Thursday.
Daniel Estrin, general counsel and advocacy director at Waterkeeper Alliance, argued that the success of the Clean Water Act--while far from complete--has led many to forget how contaminated and visibly polluted the nation's water supply was before the law.
"The rollback will take us backward," Estrin warned of the EPA's proposed rule. "And most people don't remember just how bad that was."
From Your Site Articles
We've had enough. The 1% own and operate the corporate media. They are doing everything they can to defend the status quo, squash dissent and protect the wealthy and the powerful. The Common Dreams media model is different. We cover the news that matters to the 99%. Our mission? To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. How? Nonprofit. Independent. Reader-supported. Free to read. Free to republish. Free to share. With no advertising. No paywalls. No selling of your data. Thousands of small donations fund our newsroom and allow us to continue publishing. Can you chip in? We can't do it without you. Thank you.