WASHINGTON, D.C. Jan. 19, 2012 - Nineteen leaders of the nation's largest environmental organizations sent a letter to President Obama calling on him to restore critical Clean Water Act protections to America's waterways by finalizing proposed guidelines and conducting a rulemaking in 2012.
From the Chesapeake Bay to the Great Lakes, from the Everglades to Puget Sound, America's waterways are fundamental to our country. Americans deserve to have clean water for swimming, fishing, boating, bird-watching, and vacation. The letter comes nearly nine months after the administration proposed guidelines to help restore protections to the thousands of waterways that have been left at risk of increased pollution due to two polluter-friendly court decisions over the past decade, and nearly forty years after the Clean Water Act was signed into law.
An excerpt from the letter to the President [PDF]:
"We believe finalizing the guidelines and undertaking a rulemaking to restore critical Clean Water Act protections to America's waterways should be the centerpiece of your administration's commitment to clean water. Please protect America's legacy of clean water so that future generations may continue to benefit from these critical resources."
The following organizations' leaders signed the letter: American Rivers, Clean Water Action, Defenders of Wildlife, Earthjustice, Environment America, Friends of the Earth, Green for All, Greenpeace, Izaak Walton League of America, League of Conservation Voters, National Audubon Society, National Parks Conservation Association, National Wildlife Federation, Natural Resources Defense Council, Pew Environment Group, Sierra Club, Trust for Public Land, Waterkeeper Alliance, and The Wilderness Society.
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