Plans to Repeal Dirty Water Rule a Big Win for Chesapeake Bay

(ANNAPOLIS, MD)—Yesterday, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced their intent to revise the definition of "waters of United States." In response, Choose Clean Water Coalition Acting Director Mariah Davis issued the following statement:

"We are thrilled by EPA's decision to repeal the Trump administration's Dirty Water Rule. The Clean Water Act, the landmark legislation that has played a pivotal role in the cleanup of waterways throughout the country, is only as strong as the definition of which waterways are included as 'navigable waters.'

"To meet our clean water goals in the Chesapeake Bay watershed, the Clean Water Act needs to protect all waterways including headwater streams, critical wetlands, and vernal pools. These waterways all feed into the Chesapeake Bay and are a crucial part of restoration efforts. They also perform critical ecological functions and provide numerous economic benefits.

"With pollution and climate change threatening clean water, we need to fulfill the promise of the Clean Water Act by protecting the millions of miles of streams, millions of acres of wetlands, and countless other water bodies that are currently unprotected under the Dirty Water Rule.

"We urge the EPA to not only carry forward with their effort to repeal the Dirty Water Rule, but to also replace it with a strong, enduring definition that will protect all waterways. Our responsibility to leave a legacy of clean water to future generations is at stake."

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