Protecting America’s Waters: Clean Water Restoration Act of 2007 introduced

Environment Colorado

“Environment Colorado applauds U.S. Rep. Diana DeGette (D – Denver) and more than 150 of her colleagues in the U.S. House of Representatives for introducing the Clean Water Restoration Act of 2007. This important legislation protects America’s waters by ensuring that all U.S. waterways continue to be safeguarded by the Clean Water Act.

“From the Colorado River to the Great Lakes to Chesapeake Bay, Americans rely on our treasured waterways for clean drinking water and safe places to swim, boat and fish. Today, these waters are struggling from too much pollution and the important safeguards of the Clean Water Act are being undermined by Bush administration policies and court challenges by polluters. As a result of these attacks, thousands of miles of streams and millions of acres of wetlands are at risk of unlimited pollution and destruction.

“To clean up our great waters, all U.S. waterways from the large rivers and lakes to the streams and wetlands that are their source waters must remain protected by the federal Clean Water Act.

“States, including Colorado, are doing their part to protect the country’s waters and wildlife:

· In Colorado last week, the Water Quality Control Commission reaffirmed storm water protections from oil and gas runoff, helping to keep our rivers and streams clean.

· In Maryland, the governor recently signed a new law to curb runoff pollution into Chesapeake Bay.

· In the Great Lakes, the states are working on a regional compact to conserve Great Lakes water resources.

· In Washington, the state legislature passed a bill in April to ban the use of toxic flame retardants that are showing up in ever larger concentrations in the orca whales, harbor seals and salmon of Puget Sound.

“All of these efforts have a significant impact in cleaning up our waterways, but they will mean less if the streams and wetlands that feed and clean the nation’s waters lose Clean Water Act protections.

“Congress should take swift action to pass the Clean Water Restoration Act and protect all of America’s waters. We look forward to working with Rep. DeGette to enact this important legislation.”