Clean Water Act
The Clean Water Act was passed by Congress in 1972, three years after the Cuyahoga River in Cleveland caught fire in 1969. Almost four decades later, Congress must once again come to the aid of the nation's waterways by passing the Clean Water Authority Restoration Act. The legislation, which would preserve current rigorous federal enforcement of wetlands protections, is needed in the wake of Monday's Supreme Court ruling, which brings confusion to the future of one of the nation's fundamental environmental laws.
For the time being, the court's 5-to-4 decision should uphold the power of federal regulators to protect most wetlands from development. But it also opens the door to future challenges from developers and industry. Unless Congress acts to clarify and reinforce wetlands protections, the result could be long term reductions in the government's authority to prevent the pollution and filling of thousands of marshes, seasonal streams, lakes and watersheds across the country.
Clean Water Act Link.
June 22, 2006 6:45 AM | Category: Politics