#SavetheCleanWaterAct

“We forget that the water cycle and the life cycle are one.”
~Jacques Cousteau

This year marks the 50th anniversary of the Cuyahoga River fire in Ohio. Back then, rivers were often used for dumping industrial waste and raw sewage, and it wasn’t all that uncommon for waterways choking on these chemical contaminants to spontaneously burst into flames.

When the Cuyahoga River fire caught national attention, people rallied together across party lines and mobilized to protect our waterways. The event inspired action that eventually led to the passage of the Clean Water Act in 1972.

The Clean Water Act is at the heart of the work we do as Waterkeepers. It gives all citizens the power to protect swimmable, fishable, drinkable water after decades of neglect had turned our rivers into flowing dumps of flammable trash, chemicals, and debris.

American citizens have quietly been given only 60 days to have their voices heard on the Clean Water Rule proposal that is attempting to strip away decades of federal Clean Water Act protections across the country.

The proposed revisions to the Clean Water Rule by the United States Environmental Protection Agency and Army Corps of Engineers is without question the most far-reaching attack ever attempted on the Clean Water Act. It would roll back decades of hard work and remove historically protected rivers, streams, lakes, wetlands, and other waterways from its Waters of the United States definition.

We need a strong national clean water policy because all water is connected. What happens upstream ultimately flows downstream and affects us all. A clear, broad definition of Waters of the United States is critical to protecting the drinking water for millions of Americans, reducing the public’s exposure to toxic metals and pollution, and preventing the contamination of thousands of miles of vast, interconnected waterways across the country.

Rivers don’t often catch on fire anymore. But the job is not done. This is a time when we should be doing more, not less, to protect clean water. And it is definitely not the time to reverse course on water protections. Tomorrow, April 15th, 2019, is the last day to speak up in opposition of this revised definition of Waters of the United States.

Take Action to protect clean water in Missouri during the open comment period on WOTUS

The Meramec River is one of the longest free-flowing waterways in Missouri and among the most biologically diverse and significant river basins in mid-continental North America.

Many of the streams and springs that flow into the Meramec River risk losing protection under the proposed changes to the Clean Water Rule’s definition of Waters of the United States . If passed, the revised rule will significantly roll back the Clean Water Act and decades of cleanup efforts, negatively impacting water quality here in Missouri and across the nation.

Currently in the United States, more than 40% of rivers and streams and almost half of all lakes are too dangerous for fishing, swimming, or drinking. We deserve to play in our waterways without getting sick. We have the right to fish and eat those fish without being poisoned by heavy metals and toxins. And we must have access to drinking water free from contaminants that can harm our families.

The Clean Water Act gives us the power to protect our right to swimmable, fishable, drinkable water. And the proposed revisions to the Waters of the United States attack the heart of the Clean Water Act. This is our chance to speak up in support of clean water, and your voice matters. Please join us by submitting a comment directly to the EPA through the link below, and share why clean water is important to you.

All comments are due by April 15, 2019.