On March 15th, 2010 many longtime Clean Water Network groups will be holding a national call in day to help stop the dumping of mining waste in our water. Please call the White House on March 15th and ask President Obama to restore the Clean Water Act's prohibition on filling waters with waste. This issue is one of the CWN's top administrative priorities.

The Great Lakes Ecosystem Protection Act was introduced in both the House and the Senate today by Great Lakes champions. The bill, S. 3073, was introduced in the Senate by Carl Levin along with co-sponsors George Voinovich (R-OH), Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Amy klobuchar (D-MN), Al Franken (D-MN) and Richard Durbin (D-IL). The House bill, H.R. 4755, was introduced by Representative Vern Ehlers with co-sponsors John Dingell (D-MI), Louise Slaughter (D-NY) and Mark Kirk (R-IL). The House sponsors are also circulating a dear colleague letter to elicit support for this bill from other members.

On March 1st the New York Times published a compelling article describing how the SWANCC and Rapanos Supreme Court decisions are hampering the ability of federal regulators to protect our nation's waters from pollution. Since 2001, Clean Water Act violations have risen while EPA enforcement has declined.

Yesterday EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson announced an ambitious 5-year plan to tackle toxic contamination, invasive species and dwindling wildlife habitat in the Great Lakes.  The federal government plans to spend $2.2 billion restoring this precious ecosystem, which stores 20 percent of the world's freshwater.