Public Health Threatened by EPA Decision

(ANNAPOLIS, MD)—Yesterday, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced that it will no longer enforce environmental laws and regulations during the coronavirus outbreak. In response, Choose Clean Water Coalition Director Kristin Reilly issued the following statement:

"The mission of EPA is to protect human health and the environment. In the midst of the worst public health crisis in recent memory, EPA should focus on the first part of its mission. Eliminating enforcement indefinitely risks further endangering the health of all Americans at the worst possible time in our history.

"Millions of Americans are venturing outdoors for fresh air to reinvigorate their minds and bodies during this unsettling time. We cannot afford to allow America's natural resources sullied and exploited while the nation focuses on responding to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Choose Clean Water Coalition and its more than 250 members will continue fighting for clean water in the Chesapeake Bay and its rivers and streams despite the total abdication by EPA to do its job."

The Choose Clean Water Coalition is an organization that harnesses the collective power of more than 250 local, state, regional and national groups to advocate for clean rivers and streams in all communities in the Chesapeake region.

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Media Contact:
Drew Robinson
443-927-8049
RobinsonAQ@nwf.org