Transportation and Infrastructure (T&I) Committee Chairman James Oberstar (MN-8th) held a press conference April 21st on Capitol Hill to introduce H.R. 5088, America's Commitment to Clean Water Act (ACCWA). The purpose of this landmark legislation is to reaffirm the ability of the Clean Water Act (CWA) to protect all of the nation's waters. Following controversial Supreme Court decisions in 2001 and 2006, over 20 million acres of wetlands and tens of thousands of miles of streams are losing protections under the landmark 1972 Clean Water Act.
 

Several Members of Congress spoke in support of Oberstar's new bill, including long-time clean water champions Republican Vernon Ehlers of Michigan, and Democrat John Dingell of Michigan. Freshman Congressman John Garamendi of California and Kristin Jacobs, a county commissioner from Broward County, Florida, both commended Oberstar's efforts to ensure that all Americans have safe, clean water. Three Clean Water Network member organizations also voiced their support at the press conference for the new bill, including Clean Water Action, Environment America, and the Izaak Walton League.

ACCWA has the same basic goal, to protect all of the nation's waters, as the Clean Water Restoration Act, legislation sponsored by Oberstar in years past. Numerous Clean Water Network member organizations attended the press conference to support the introduction of this seminal legislation. Several groups including Earthjustice and the Sierra Club, highlighted the fact that ACCWA is a compromise bill that is different from prior versions. Key changes in the new legislation include:

• The bill codifies an exemption for prior converted croplands;
• The bill codifies an exemption for waste treatment systems; and
• The bill explicitly states that ground water is considered separately from "waters of the United States"

You can watch a video of today's press conference on Youtube. For more information on ACCWA, contact Jennifer Peters - jenniferpeters@cwn.org/ 202-547-4208.