Policy

This page has information on legislation and regulations that Clean Water Network has taken official positions on. 

 

The following Politico article reports on EPA's disappointing decision to announce that it will more than likely approve Florida DEP's weak attempt to craft its own set of regulations for nitrogen and phosphorus standards. CWN Water Quality Standards Workgroup Co-chair Albert Ettinger (IL) is quoted in the article. 

Politico

DSW Comment letter for sign on link available through link above. Signatures due by COB October 19 and should be sent to Emily Greenlee at Egreenlee@earthjustice.org.

American Rivers and Smart Growth America commissioned ECONorthwest to prepare a report regarding the influence of stringent stormwater standards on redevelopment decisions. 

Final report can be found through the link below.  

The Water Protection and Reinvestment Act of 2009 amends the Internal Revenue Code to establish in the Treasury the Water Protection and Reinvestment Trust Fund to support investments in clean water and drinking water infrastructure.

The act imposes through 2015:

  1. An excise tax on the sale of containers of water-based beverages, water disposal products, and pharmaceutical products;
  2. A clean water tax on corporations.

 

The NAWQA program was created by Congress in 1991 to give credible, scientific information to policy makers about the condition of streams and ground water nationwide, to assess trends over time, and to determine the causes of water contamination and the impacts of reduced water quality on human and ecological health. It is the only program that provides this critical decision-making information. Federal, state, and local governments and our own organizations and members use NAWQA’s data and assessments to inform scientifically sound water protection and management decisions.

This document puts the protection of our nation's waters in greater jeopardy and makes it more urgent than ever for Congress to pass the Clean Water Restoration Act, which will reaffirm Clean Water Act protections for all of our nation's waters.

Defend the Clean Water Act and States' Rights to Protect Their Waters Against Invasive Species and Other Pollution!

The Corps of Engineers has issued final notice of reissuance of Nationwide Permits (“NWP”) for dredged and fill materials that would increase flooding risks, write off protection of many streams and allow for senseless industry give aways that harm our waters. NWPs are general permits that permit certain activities that result in the dredge and fill of waters without the stricter review of the individual permit process.

On March 28, 2006, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Army Corps of Engineers (ACE) jointly proposed a rule revising the standards governing compensatory mitigation for aquatic resources. Despite the abysmal track record of the mitigation program to date, this rule allows for vastly greater flexibility in meeting mitigation requirements. By making it easier to compensate for destroying ecologically crucial streams and wetlands, it will effectively promote, not discourage continued destruction.

Join CWN

If you are a non-profit organization working on clean water issues, you can get access to our online member site. Join the Clean Water Network>>

Mailing List Signup

Keep up to date with the latest Clean Water Network news, action alerts, and events. Sign up >>