I wish I was making this up.
Right now we can hold polluters accountable when chemicals or other pollutants they dump in groundwater flow into surface waters through the Clean Water Act. Across the country, fossil fuel companies, petroleum pipeline companies, and coal-burning utilities have been facing liability in courts for polluting water with gasoline, diesel, and heavy metals—and losing case after case. This is the way it should be -- you pollute our water, we hold you accountable.
But these companies don't like this -- so they are asking Scott Pruitt to help them. And, unsurprisingly, he is. He wants to weaken clean water protections by changing EPA's longstanding position that pollution discharged into groundwater that flows into surface water requires a water pollution permit. EPA and states have required permits for this type of pollution for decades.
Tell him not to rollback any more safeguards for clean water.
CLICK HERE to submit a public comment today and tell EPA to immediately withdraw its ridiculous scheme and instead work to protect communities from harmful water pollution.
*Remember to personalize it a bit - so they don't have the excuse to throw your comment out as a form letter.
It doesn’t make sense for the Clean Water Act to cover pollution dumped from a pipe into a river, but not pollution that flows through groundwater into that same river. Not only is it illegal for polluters to dump chemicals or other pollutants into groundwater that is connected to a river or stream without a permit, EPA has no authority to create a polluter loophole that does not exist in the language of the Clean Water Act. Congress included no such exemption because in order to “restore and maintain the chemical, physical, and biological integrity of the Nation’s waters,” all connected waters must be protected from harmful pollution.
Creating a new polluter loophole undermines EPA’s mission to protect public health and the environment and would leave a huge gap in water protections, leaving our most valuable resource without protection.
Tell EPA to reject this plan to give polluters a free pass to destroy our water. Take action today!
- Jennifer Peters, National Water Programs Director
Creating a new polluter loophole undermines EPA’s mission to protect public health and the environment and would leave a huge gap in water protections, leaving our most valuable resource without protection.
Tell EPA to reject this plan to give polluters a free pass to destroy our water. Take action today!
- Jennifer Peters, National Water Programs Director
More information on Scott Pruitt:
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