Legislation

Listed below are selected federal water legislation from the 112th and 111th Congresses.  Clean Water Network does not have a position on every bill listed and some are included for informational purposes only.  If you know of legislation that should be added to this page, please email cwnheadquarters@cwn.org.  Also, we have a list of House Transportation and Environmental Staff to help you contact those who might be of some assistance.

 

 

Updates on Taking Action to Ban Coal Tar Sealants 

Thanks to Thomas E. Ennis, PE, LEED AP from Coal Tar Free America for the following links.  For the last year and a half he has compiled a blog about the news, science and status of legislative activity regarding coal tar sealants.  He has send some links to good information on this important topic. If you have additional questions please contact Thomas at 
 
Links to Resources

 http://coaltarfreeamerica.blogspot.com/p/references.html

 http://coaltarfreeamerica.blogspot.com/2011/12/california-on-road-to-being-coal-tar.html
Note: 1 in 4 contractors prefer to use coal tar in CA!)  One ad in CA says: "Seal Coating is a complex mixture of chemicals specifically designed to protect asphalt pavements. It is a refined coal tar emulsion that is environmentally safe and practically odorless and is harmless to people." 

 

CWN Position:

Clean Water Network strongly supports The Coal Tar Sealants Reduction Act of 2011, a proposed bill to ban the use of coal tar sealant.   This bill would protect public health and the environment by banning the use of this unnecessary poison.

The Coalition for Sensible Safeguards (CSS) is urging the Senate to oppose the so-called Regulatory Accountability Act (RAA). This disastrous bill that would weaken critical public health and safety protections. Clean Water Network is a steering committee member of CSS.

This destructive bill is sponsored by Senators Mark Pryor (D-Ark), Susan Collins (R-Maine) and Rob Portman (R-Ohio) and Representatives Lamar Smith (R-Texas) and Collin Peterson (D-Minn). RAA passed the U.S. House of Representatives in December.

Tell Your Senators to Vote NO on the Barrasso-Heller Dirty Water Amendment to the Energy and Water Appropriations Bill! 

VOTE NO

This dirty water rider would block the Army Corps and EPA from taking critical regulatory action to restore Clean Water Act protections to streams, wetlands, and other important waters.

Background

Congress passed the Clean Water Act in 1972, guaranteeing that all of the Nation's waters would be covered by a suite of pollution control programs.  In 2001 and 2006, Supreme Court decisions created uncertainty about whether certain kinds of waters are protected by the law, especially ones that are geographically "isolated" from others or ones that lack permanent flow.  

H.R. 3145, the Water Quality Protection and Job Creation Act of 2011, renews the Federal commitment to addressing our nation’s substantial needs for wastewater infrastructure by investing $13.8 billion over five years in wastewater infrastructure through the State Revolving Fund and other efforts to improve water quality. 

Dirty Water Voting Chart for U.S. House of Representatives, 112th Congress. To make this information more accessible and user friendly, CWN will be taking the data from the chart and posting it directly on the website and will eventually replace this attachment. If you have any questions or have difficulty accessing the chart please email cwnheadquarters@cwn.org.

Congressman David McKinley (R-WV) has introduced a dangerously weak bill for “regulating” coal ash disposal that would defy logic by allowing States to continue operating every leak-prone and high hazard toxic coal ash dump without requiring basic safeguards and virtually blocking EPA from stepping in to protect communities. 

If passed, H.R. 2018 would severely limit the federal government's ability to oversee state compliance with the Clean Water Act, give upstream states the power to weaken their pollution protections; and weaken the power of downstream states to protect their water supply, their communities, and their economy. This bill would threaten water quality in our nation's rivers, lakes and streams and limit the ability of both federal and state governments to ensure that all Americans have access to clean water.

Specifically, H.R. 2018 would:

With all the bad news on clean water lately, show your support for green infrastructure by signing on to a letter in support of the Green Infrastructure for Clean Water Act of 2011 (H.R. 2030, S. 1115)! The letter is accessible through the link above.

Amends the Safe Drinking Water Act to:
(1) repeal the exemption from restrictions on underground injection of fluids near drinking water sources granted to hydraulic fracturing operations under such Act; and
(2) require oil and gas companies to disclose the chemicals used in hydraulic fracturing operations.

This legislation would amend the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) to prohibit states or the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) from requiring additional permits under the Clean Water Act.  It would also amend the Clean Water Act (CWA) to exempt discharges of pesticides to waterways from the CWA's National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit program.

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