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A long-standing fight for the public's right to their land and waterways came to an end April 22 when Gov. Cuomo's New York State Department of Environmental Conservation denied the Clean Water Act Section 401 Water Quality Certification for the proposed Constitution Pipeline. The pipeline was proposed to run for 124 miles and require the destruction of nearly 700,000 trees.
Further, the pipeline would have carried fracked natural gas through the Hudson River estuary, crossing 289 waterbodies, multiple public drinking water sources and three watersheds. There was no expected public benefit from the pipeline. While the pipeline's proponents alleged they would ship the fracked gas to New England, it was clear that the gas pipes leaving the pipeline's terminus are all constrained, leaving no other option but to ship the gas to a Nova Scotia LNG facility before ultimately shipping it to Europe and Asia. Thankfully, New York State recognized the applicant's failure to demonstrate how they would mitigate or avoid impacts to the state's waterways.
Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., Waterkeeper Alliance and partners joining the rally against Jordan Cove LNG. Photo credit: Waterkeeper Alliance
This landmark decision in New York was the latest in a flurry of victories over pipeline projects across the country within the past two months. In Oregon, a proposed liquified natural gas (LNG) terminal in Warrenton and the Jordan Cove Energy project were defeated. The Jordan Cove project would have crossed nearly 400 waterbodies, a number of which are critical habitat for endangered coho salmon. Further, the Jordan Cove LNG terminal would have become Oregon's largest greenhouse gas emitter. Kinder Morgan pulled the plug on its Northeast Energy Direct pipeline and its Palmetto Project. And in Georgia, the legislature moved to block easements for the Sabal Trail Pipeline and Gov. Nathan Deal approved a moratorium that prohibits eminent domain for pipeline companies through July 2017.
The common denominator of these victories was the galvanized communities who mobilized and used the power of democracy to subjugate Big Energy's greed. These communities took back the rights that had been stolen from them when the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission transferred the sacred authority of eminent domain through its outrageous rubber-stamping of permits for expansion of the gas industry. As these pipeline projects threatened to bulldoze land, pollute waterways and destroy communities, people raised their collective voices and used the law to bring about action, proving yet again that democracy is the best safeguard for our water, air and land resources.
This is the beginning of a new era. It is a time when the people will demand more for their future, by exerting their collective democratic power and forcing politicians to do the right thing to reclaim our natural resources from the hands of big business. It is this grassroots power that is catalyzing action against climate change. It is this movement that is driving our energy future away from dirty fossil-fuel projects to clean renewables. This is a shift that is imperative if we are to save our home from the destructive impacts of a fossil-fuel carbon overload in the Earth's atmosphere.
These defeated pipeline projects are a testament to the power of the growing bottom up movement for change. They are stories of communities galvanizing around the notion that we must leave polluting fossil fuels in the ground and invest in a clean energy future. Not only are these inspiring tales of David versus Goliath, they are examples of people power over corporate power that we will see repeated time and time again on the road to victory for our climate and and our planet.
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Today, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) released a draft five-year plan for 2017-2022 that closes the Atlantic Ocean for oil and gas drilling leases, citing strong local opposition along with market dynamics and conflicts with military and commercial use. The plan also proposes 10 new leases in the Gulf of Mexico and three in the Arctic Ocean, but says that a no-lease option will be possible for the Arctic Ocean in the final plan.
Along with its new proposal, BOEM also released a Draft Environmental Impact Statement that examines the program's potential impacts on the environment. The five-year plan will be open for comment until June 16 and the Draft Environmental Impact Statement, which will be released March 18, will be open for comment until May 2.
We are pleased that President Obama responded to concerns of businesses and residents along the East Coast by removing the Atlantic Ocean from the areas open to offshore drilling. This is wonderful news for the Atlantic coast economy and millions of Americans who want to keep treasured beaches from Florida to Virginia oil free. That said, to avoid catastrophic climate change, we need to keep a vast majority of fossil fuel reserves in the ground. This requires decisive action, including stopping offshore drilling in the Gulf of Mexico and Arctic Ocean.
The five-year plan would still allow drilling in the Gulf and the Arctic. This endangers the fragile Arctic ecosystem and subjects the already battered Gulf coast to further risk from fossil fuel disasters. How can President Obama allow more oil and gas drilling when we have a decade-long ongoing oil spill that the government won't force Taylor Energy to fix and are still struggling to recover from the damages that Deepwater Horizon inflicted on our waters, wildlife and economy? It is time for the federal government to stop sacrificing the Gulf to a dirty, destructive industry that exploits and destroys our shared resources.
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In 2014 alone, there have been a series of unprecedented disasters on our waterways. A climate of lax government regulations including the recent weak rule for the disposal of toxic coal ash from coal-fired power plants by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, makes it critical for us to find a way to protect communities and the integrity of our waterways when a water emergency strikes.
Pete Harrison (L) of Waterkeeper Alliance and Justin Quinlivan of Yadkin Riverkeeper on the scene responding to the Dan River coal ash spill. Photo credit: Brian Williams / Dan River Basin Association
When a chemical used to wash coal (4-methylcyclohexane methanol, or MCHM) leaked into the Elk River in West Virginia from a storage facility in January 2014, more than 300,000 residents were suddenly left without water to drink. As MCHM is not listed in EPA's public database of toxic chemicals and is not federally regulated, this incident showcased just how vulnerable we all are to facing a similar fate.
The rapidly increasing volume of toxic, volatile crude oil by rail and barge has upped the ante on the risk of future accidents even more.
And this past February, a collapsed stormwater pipe released 140,000 tons of toxic coal ash sludge and wastewater into the Dan River in North Carolina, a public drinking water supply for downstream communities like Danville, Virginia. State regulators and Duke Energy, the company responsible for the spill, waited more than 24 hours before notifying the public that it had happened. And just weeks after this catastrophic spill, Waterkeeper Alliance discovered that Duke Energy had deliberately and illegally dumped 61 million gallons of coal ash into the Cape Fear River.
Waterkeeper Alliance is taking action to be part of the solution by launching a rapid response program based on its proven protocol in responding to and remediating some of the nation's worst waterway disasters. Waterkeeper Alliance staff and local Waterkeepers provided on-the-ground support, water quality testing, and advocacy for the Dan River incident and in Lynchburg, Virginia, when a train carrying volatile Bakken crude oil derailed and exploded, spilling an estimated 50,000 gallons of oil into the James River. In past years, Waterkeepers have responded to Hurricanes Floyd and Sandy and the BP oil disaster in the Gulf of Mexico.
Deploying a highly-trained team of advocates and experts by boat and aircraft to assess a situation, test the water, document the impact and rapidly share information with the media and the public allows Waterkeeper Alliance to work quickly to amplify the voice of affected communities, dispersing the truth about the impacts and dangers in real time and ensuring that polluters and government officials don't have the opportunity to downplay or cover up the threat. The response team then advocates for the waterway and affected communities until a cleanup plan is implemented. This requires a myriad of advocacy actions, including filing lawsuits and pursuing legislative remedies.
As a result of rapid response work by Waterkeeper Alliance and North Carolina Waterkeepers on the Dan River, Duke Energy has agreed to clean up not only the spill site but also three other sites with leaking coal ash ponds in Asheville, Charlotte and Wilmington.
Throughout history, the biggest wins for our environment have been the result of citizens advocating for their rights. As always, people are the last line of defense when communities are under assault from polluters. Please join us in helping to defend communities across the country and around the world.
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When was the last time you heard the following story on national news: today, a truck transporting solar panels overturned on a highway spilling them into a river? I'm pretty sure the answer is never. That is because, at most, it would be a local news story for causing a traffic jam. The conclusion of that story would be that crews pulled the solar panels out of the river, dried them off, and took them to their destination, where they provided clean, free energy to a neighborhood for many years to come.
The story is very different when it comes to fossil fuels, which, in addition to being dirty during extraction, combustion and disposal, can violently disrupt our communities during transport. Over the past year, we have seen a remarkable increase in fossil fuel transport disasters. And when fossil fuel transport goes wrong, it goes wrong in a big way. Quite often, these disasters involve crude oil that is extremely dangerous and volatile and that is transported via railways that run next to or over our nation's waterways. This unnecessarily threatens drinking water supplies, recreational resources and the health and safety of our communities.
Recent examples abound: In July 2013, a train carrying oil from North Dakota lost control in Quebec and the resulting explosion killed 47 people. In November 2013, a tanker train hauling 2.9 million gallons of Bakken crude oil derailed into a west Alabama swamp, devastating the community of Aliceville. Shortly after that, a train derailed in Casselton, ND, prompting a "strongly recommended" evacuation of residents. In April 2014, a train carrying Bakken crude derailed into the James River, causing hundreds of people to be evacuated from downtown Lynchburg, VA. That is just a small sampling of how the fossil fuel industry puts our communities at grave risk transporting such dangerous, explosive cargo. According to Politico, there were 132 oil train incidents from 2009 to 2012; 118 incidents in 2013; and already 70 just through the first five months of 2014.
Even as these disasters become more frequent, the industry pushes for increased oil transport, including a proposal in New York to turn the Hudson River Valley into a virtual pipeline of crude oil transport by rail and vessel. Why should our communities be forced to allow these DOT-111 "bomb trains"—so called by rail workers due to their inadequate safety measures combined with crude oil's volatility—to go through their communities by rail? The answer is, they shouldn't. After the Exxon Valdez disaster, and despite industry protest, the Oil Pollution Act of 1990 required oil tanker ships to be double-hulled. While double hulling may not have prevented the Valdez disaster, it likely would have dramatically reduced the amount of oil spilled. The National Research Council estimated that double hulls would reduce spills from groundings by 85 percent and from collisions by 50 percent. The acceptable level should be 100 percent; fortunately, we haven't had a major tanker spill since the double hull requirement.
However, we now allow dangerous bomb trains to run right through our communities, without the adequate precautions from the agencies that are supposed to be looking out for our public interest. As a result, disasters like those referenced above are increasing in frequency. The National Transportation Safety Board has acknowledged that DOT-111s are easily ruptured during accidents. After the Quebec disaster, the Canadian government ordered 5,000 DOT-111 trains to be removed from service and for 65,000 other cars to be either removed or retrofitted within three years. The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) also acted in May 2014, but with too little, too late. The Agency's emergency order requiring railroads to notify state emergency management officials before moving large shipments of crude oil through their state only applies to trains carrying 35 cars or more of Bakken crude oil. A requirement covering all rail transport of crude oil would be more transparent and best protect first responders, the general public and the environment. Even better would be a mandatory removal of DOT-111 "bomb trains" from service, until the industry proves it can transport oil safely.
As it stands now, the order does not do enough to reduce the risk of future derailments. Of the 92,000 bomb train cars currently used to transport flammable liquids, only 14,000 meet the latest safety standards. It cannot be acceptable to have 85 percent of train cars in service not meeting the latest safety standards.
These bomb trains need to be stopped until the industry makes essential safety improvements. This transport of crude oil puts at risk our communities and the waters we use for swimming, drinking and fishing. The railways need to learn from the Exxon Valdez spill and put in place preventive measures to protect the environment before we see the rail equivalent of a Valdez disaster. Congress and regulatory agencies like the DOT need to step in and stand up for communities and waterways to protect them from these disastrous bomb trains. I encourage you to contact your elected officials and demand the oversight that we all deserve—and that we desperately need.
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Marc Yaggi
In his State of the Union, President Obama noted, "[we] will respond to the threat of climate change, knowing that the failure to do so would betray our children and future generations ... Some may still deny the overwhelming judgment of science, but none can avoid the devastating impact of raging fires, and crippling drought and more powerful storms."
Increasingly, we have opportunities to become our own power plants and mitigate the environmental devastation caused by traditional energy sources. In particular, we can harness the power of the sun. We know that every hour, enough sun hits the earth's surface to power the world's energy needs for a year. How can we not capitalize on that cheap, plentiful, renewable energy? Until now, for most of us, the cost of installing solar panels on our homes has seemed out of reach.
And of course, we know that coal barons, mining magnates and others who profit from poisoning us with their deadly affinity to fossil fuels have undermined efforts to increase our renewable energy portfolio, as they continue to get fat on taxpayer subsidies. Moreover, regulatory red tape unnecessarily increases solar installation costs. However, solar installations have increased six fold over the past four years and new economic models and entrepreneurs are bringing us closer to the possibility that we all can afford to generate a large amount of power to our homes and offices from the sun. Increasingly, solar companies are offering consumers the option of leasing solar panels, leading to no up front cost and lower energy bills.
It is a win-win for consumers and our planet. That is why Waterkeeper Alliance has partnered with Sungevity, a solar company that will lease solar panels to consumers and give back to a non-profit. If your home qualifies for the program, you can lease solar panels with $0 down, have Sungevity's team install them (jumping through regulatory hoops for you), and likely save on energy costs from day one. Additionally, if you lease from Sungevity, you will receive a $750 rebate and Sungevity will give $750 to a non-profit that you choose from its partnership program. By signing up and selecting Waterkeeper Alliance, people can fight climate change both at home with their solar investment, and through a donation to our organization, which goes to fight more climate change—double win!
As we struggle with a path towards a clean energy future, programs like those offered by Sungevity give homeowners a cheap and easy option to lead the way. Just like the President said, "America cannot resist this transition. We must lead it."
Visit EcoWatch’s RENEWABLES page for more related news on this topic.
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Click here to tell Congress to Expedite Renewable Energy.
Marc Yaggi
Forty years ago, Congress, inspired by strong Presidential leadership, enacted the Clean Water Act (CWA) in response to a growing environmental crisis. One of the CWA's goals was to "restore and maintain the chemical, physical and biological integrity" of our nation’s waterways and to make the nation's waters safe for fishing and swimming, eliminate harmful discharges of pollution and protect the nation's wetlands. The CWA's success is largely because it empowers ordinary citizens to enforce the CWA's provisions, giving us all a chance for cleaner water.
In the next four years, we urge President Obama to lead in Washington and authorize the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to require closed-cycle cooling for power plants, develop objective standards for stormwater runoff and require industrial factory farms to comply with the CWA. We hope the White House drops the illusion of “clean coal,” stops mountaintop mining, limits coal ash pollution and ends subsidies to dirty energy companies.
Waterkeeper Alliance congratulates President Obama on his election victory and looks forward to working together for cleaner, safer water for every American.
Visit EcoWatch’s CLEAN WATER ACT page for more related news on this topic.
Marc Yaggi
After a year of kowtowing to big polluters with piecemeal attempts to gut the Act, last month, House Republicans decided to go whole hog and try to pass a super polluter bill—the "Stop the War on Coal"—which more properly belongs on the pages of Mad magazine. Unfortunately, some members of Congress are dead serious on threatening your right to clean air and water. The bill included attacks on the Clean Water Act, Clean Air Act, the Surface Mining Control Act and U.S. EPA, among other things, including rejecting the science on climate change.
Let's review where we've gotten with the Clean Water Act since 1972:
Forty years ago the Hudson River was more of an industrial waste conveyance than a great waterway. Today, thanks to the Clean Water Act and citizen action from groups like Hudson Riverkeeper, who stood up to polluters and gave meaning and force to the Clean Water Act, the Hudson River is a model of ecosystem revitalization.
Using the Clean Water Act, Puget Soundkeeper forced the City of Bremerton, Washington, to reduce the volume of its combined sewer overflows by 99 percent, which directly led to the reopening of nearby commercial shellfish beds in Puget Sound. These shellfish beds, which had been closed for more than 40 years, are culturally and economically important to the Suquamish Tribe, who now can harvest their ancestral fishing grounds once again.
Clean Water Act successes are by no means limited to the Hudson River and Puget Sound, and there are hundreds of advocates using the Act to fight for your right to clean water. Waterways across America have been brought back from the perilous brink they had reached 40 years ago.
At the same time, many of our waterways remain in decline or have suffered at the hands of greedy polluters. Just ask the citizens of Pike County, Kentucky, whose drinking water would catch fire, turn black or orange, and burn their skin after it was contaminated by the coal industry. Or talk to surfers in Malibu, California, and you're sure to find someone who became sick—some with life-threatening illnesses—after coming into contact with raw sewage and runoff.
Many dirty water horror stories across the country are the result of state and federal agencies abdicating their responsibility to properly implement and enforce the Clean Water Act, along with court decisions and agency guidance documents that are gutting the Clean Water Act's jurisdiction over our waters.
On the Clean Water Act's 40th birthday, here are a few wishes for its future:
1. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency finally requires closed-cycle cooling for power plants, which now consume more than 70 trillion gallons of water a day, kill billions of fish and vomit hot water back into our rivers destroying ecosystems even further. Closed cycle cooling—a technology already in use—would reduce water withdrawals and fish kills by about 95 percent.
2. The U.S. EPA provides clear information about the location and activities of industrial factory farms, requires states to issue meaningful permits to the factories and enforces the permits.
3. The U.S. EPA convinces the White House to change the chant of "Clean Coal" to "Coal Kills," ends mountaintop removal coal mining, announces a rule to regulate coal ash and stops the export of coal from the U.S. to Asia.
4. The U.S. Supreme Court affirms every American's right to clean water by upholding NEDC v. Brown, which ruled that polluted stormwater from logging roads is subject to Clean Water Act regulation, and by upholding L.A. County Flood Control District v. NRDC, which requires Los Angeles County to clean up its polluted stormwater. And while we are on stormwater, the EPA promulgates a national stormwater rule that provides for objective performance standards for polluted stormwater, one of the greatest threats to water quality in the U.S. Such a rule would drive innovative green infrastructure techniques to capture polluted runoff on development sites, preventing it from destroying our waterways. It would reduce energy consumption, create jobs, increase property values and much more.
5. Congress passes the "End Polluter Welfare Act" (H.R. 5745), a bill introduced by Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont and Rep. Keith Ellison of Minnesota. The fossil fuel industry is the biggest water polluter on earth. Ending more than $110 billion in tax payer subsidies to this toxic industry is the best thing we could do for water and American tax payers.
While we reflect on the Clean Water Act's achievements, as well as the threats it faces, we should remember this: the Act's great promise of swimmable, drinkable, fishable waters is not a wish list but a delineation of every American's inalienable right to this precious resource, water.
Happy birthday Clean Water Act—we are grateful to you and will continue to fight for you.
Visit EcoWatch’s CLEAN WATER ACT page for more related news on this topic.
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WHAT DO YOU WISH FOR THE CLEAN WATER ACT THIS YEAR?
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Marc Yaggi
In the spring and summer of 2010, BP sprayed nearly two million gallons of dispersants into the Gulf of Mexico during the BP Deepwater Horizon disaster.
Earlier this week, a coalition of public health, wildlife and conservation organizations filed a Clean Water Act lawsuit in an effort to compel the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to issue a rule regarding the use of chemical oil dispersants. In particular, the suit notes the U.S. EPA's failure to identify the waters in which dispersants, and other substances, may be used and in what quantities. The suit is an effort to inject science and safety into decisionmaking around oil disasters.
How did we get to this point? The U.S. EPA's failure to have already taken these actions caused major confusion and uncertainty surrounding the failed response to the BP Deepwater Horizon disaster. In the spring and summer of 2010, BP sprayed nearly two million gallons of dispersants into the Gulf. This poisonous brew mixed with the 172 million gallons of BP's toxic oil, turned the Gulf into Frankenstein's laboratory.
The dispersants created an optical illusion making the size of the spill seem smaller. The dispersants also made it extremely difficult to clean up the oil, and subjected the Gulf's waters, aquatic life and communities to unknown long-term threats. According to a recent study, dispersants may have had a very harmful impact on our food chain. In the frantic period immediately following the disaster, it soon became clear that little was known about the health and environmental impacts of discharging these massive quantities of dispersants onto and beneath the surface of the Gulf.
The U.S. EPA repeatedly acknowledged their ignorance about the effects of the dispersants being poured into the Gulf. The EPA statements reflected that science was being done on the fly and that the long-term effects on aquatic life were unknown. The Gulf of Mexico became a guinea pig for the new and untested use of dispersants, substituting the scientific method with a dirty Band-Aid. The result was a haphazard response.
Had the U.S. EPA performed its Clean Water Act duties, it already would have determined in which waters dispersants could be used and what quantities could be safely used. Consistent with the law's intent, various scientific analyses and data would have been available for use in the response efforts.
It is imperative that the U.S. EPA act now to avoid similar situations in the future. Since the moratorium on deepwater oil drilling in the Gulf ended on October 12, 2010, more than 400 oil drilling permits have been granted, more than 28,000 permanent and temporary abandoned wells in Gulf pose a continued threat, and nearly 38 million acres of the Gulf are being sold off to big oil. Meanwhile, the system for reporting spills is still broken. There have been and will be more oil spills in our coastal waters.
The damage from dispersants in the Gulf has already been done. Nearly two million gallons of dispersants with essentially unknown environmental effects were released into the waters. We need more effective and responsible dispersant rules so that we are never caught unprepared and uninformed in a crisis situation again.
The coalition, represented by Earthjustice, includes Louisiana Shrimp Association, Florida Wildlife Federation, Gulf Restoration Network, Louisiana Environmental Action Network, Alaska-based Cook Inletkeeper, Alaska Community Action on Toxics, WaterkeeperAlliance, and Sierra Club.
Read the summer issue of the Waterkeeper Magazine by clicking here.
Visit EcoWatch’s CLEAN WATER ACT and GULF OIL SPILL pages for more related news on this topic.
Marc Yaggi
This summer, grab your family and make the time to get out and enjoy your local waterway! Whether it's swimming, surfing, paddling, snorkeling or just laying on the beach and enjoying the sound of surf breaking, take the time to enjoy YOUR right to clean, swimmable waters. Today, we are celebrating Swimmable Action Day—a day to advocate for our right to clean, swimmable waters for all.
Why? Because the more we use our waterways, the more we will understand, and value, the importance of clean water to our communities. Access to clean swimmable waters gives us a day of recreation without fear of harmful pollutants, provides a sense of place and inspires us to act as stewards of our waterways. And that is exactly what we need today—an army of informed citizen advocates who understand that everyone has a right to clean water for swimming, drinking and fishing. An informed, active public is the best defense to preventing industrial polluters and corrupt politicians from privatizing our waters. Usually, all it takes to instill this is a meaningful connection—a positive experience—with one's local waterway.
Take a minute and listen to participants in the recently held Buzzards Bay Swim (a Waterkeeper Alliance Splash Series event presented by Toyota and KEEN) talk about their connection to their local waterway.
Organized by Buzzards Baykeeper, the swim drew more than 300 people, who swam 1.2 miles across the bay to join hundreds of supporters in raising money and awareness for a clean bay. We interviewed dozens of swimmers and attendees. The most common reply to the question "what does clean water mean to you?" was "life." Most of the participants couldn't imagine a world where it wasn't safe for them to jump in a local waterway and go for a swim.
And swimming is good for you. According to the Centers for Disease Control, swimming is the second most popular sport in the United States and an excellent way to get regular aerobic activity. As an exercise, swimming can lead to improved health for those with diabetes, heart disease, or other chronic illnesses. Those who swim regularly have stronger hearts and good muscle stamina. Swimming also is easier on joints and muscles than most exercise and can improve mental health.
But of course, we need clean water for other water-based recreation, such as kayaking, canoeing, surfing, sailing, waterskiing, fishing, and paddle boarding. A 2006 Study by the Outdoor Industry Association estimates that outdoor recreation contributes $730 billion annually to the U.S. economy. Apart from the significant economic impacts, the benefits of water-based recreation include increased physical fitness, meeting people, growing self-confidence, learning new skills and more. Added benefits include community pride, environmental awareness and cultural appreciation.
Further, the America's Great Outdoors report notes that "play and relaxation in nature can reduce stress and anxiety, promote learning and personal growth..." It is also a powerful antidote to the skyrocketing obesity rates across the nation, which have tripled among our children over the past 30 years. The report goes on to observe that "Americans' increasing disconnection from the outdoors...also weakens the commitment to stewardship of our shared natural legacy."
If you have a memorable experience recreating on a waterway, aren't you more likely to step up and fight for that waterway if someone abuses it? Of course. That is why, with the generous support of Toyota and KEEN, we are continuing to expand our National Splash Event Series. At Splash events, local supporters across the country swim, boat, paddle or fish in celebration of everyone's right to clean water. To date in 2012, we've hosted Splash events in Biscayne Bay, FL; Potomac River in DC; Russian River in Healdsburg, CA; Mobile Bay in AL, and Buzzards Bay in MA. Looking ahead, we plan to get people splashing in Lake Erie, OH; New York Harbor; Hackensack River, NJ; Charleston, SC, and on the Kentucky River.
Additionally, we are working to expand the new Waterkeeper Swim Guide (download it at the App Store or www.theswimguide.org) across the country. The Waterkeeper Swim Guide is a revolutionary smartphone app and website that tells you where your closest beaches are, which ones are open for swimming and which have unreliable monitoring data. The Waterkeeper Swim Guide goes further by describing the laws and policies and sampling procedures that apply to your beaches and also gives citizens a pollution reporting tool. This summer, we have launched the Swim Guide in Florida; California; New York, Connecticut; Mobile, Ala.; the Chesapeake region; the Great Lakes; Ontario, Alberta, British Columbia, and parts of Quebec.
Let's all celebrate Swimmable Action Day today. Please lend your support and go 'jump in a lake', or pond, river, bay, or stream! And post a photo of yourself, your kids or your dog enjoying your right to clean, swimmable water to our Facebook page.
Marc Yaggi
I remember the first fish that I caught with my dad on a small creek in rural Pennsylvania. Once he took care of cleaning the fish, we ate it for dinner. Unfortunately, the window of opportunity for me to enjoy that rite of passage with my children is closing quickly, unless we act fast to save our fisheries and waterways. Even if you're not someone who fishes, the quality of our waterways affects the fish you and your family eat and virtually all other aspects of your diet; just listen to renowned chefs, Beau MacMillan (Elements) and Dave Pasternack (Esca).
A healthy fishery is more than a pastime, childhood memory, or the makings of a meal, it is a major indicator of the health of our waterways, watersheds and the economy. Recreational angling is one of the most popular outdoor activities and one of the most solid industries in the U.S. Each year, "nearly 40 million anglers generate more than $45 billion in retail sales, with a $125 billion impact on the nation's economy, creating employment for over one million people."
Unfortunately, our state and federal governments have given industrial polluters a free bar tab for polluting; only, the public suffers the hangover. Coal-fired power plants across the U.S. have poisoned our fish with mercury, industries have willfully dumped PCBs and chromium in our waters, and industrial aquaculture and other kinds of unsustainable fishing have depleted already stressed fish stocks.
For example, in August 2011, based on a citizen complaint, Lower Mississippi Riverkeeper discovered that a paper mill on the Pearl River in Louisiana had discharged untreated and partially treated black liquor into the river, causing a massive kill of fish and other aquatic life. Water and mussel samples collected after the discharge revealed the presence of toxic chemicals in the mussels and water. These toxic substances are associated with the pulping process and flow freely in the wastewater from the offending paper mill. The concerned citizen's life revolves around the swamp. He makes his living there. In fact, he catfishes to raise extra money to help offset expenses incurred mentoring troubled youth in his community. The outlook for catfish in the Pearl River over the next couple of years is bleak. In response to this destruction, Lower Mississippi Riverkeeper and the Louisiana Environmental Action Network have filed a notice of intent to sue against the mill for failing to comply with the Clean Water Act, Louisiana state law and the Endangered Species Act.
These egregious acts aren't limited to the U.S. Across the globe, polluters and malfeasant governments are destroying our fisheries and threatening our health. Twenty-five years ago, Hann Bay in Senegal was one of the most pristine bays in the world. The bay also was one of Senegal's most important fisheries. Today, the bay suffers from numerous industrial discharges, urban wastewater pollution, illegal dumps, and more. Fishing is now prohibited in the bay and the government has failed to enforce clean water laws. Now, traditional fishermen are forced to practice their trade in the dangerous open ocean waters, raising the cost of fishing and endangering their lives. Hann Baykeeper is working to enforce the law and restore the bay.
In typical fashion, the utility and coal industries are engaging in a desperate scramble to thwart the new regulations. They have dispensed their long-time crony, Oklahoma Sen. James Inhofe, to spearhead what they perceive as their right to pollute our waterways. Continuing the fallacious jobs vs. clean air/water argument, the senator has introduced a resolution under the Congressional Review Act to prevent the mercury rule from moving forward.
According to U.S. EPA, if this attack succeeds it will, by 2016, result in as many as 11,000 premature deaths, 4,700 heart attacks, 130,000 asthma attacks and 540,000 days of missed work every year. U.S. EPA also estimates a cost of about $9.6 million to implement the new standards, while the rule is projected to save the public between $37 billion and $90 billion a year in human health costs alone. Additionally, U.S. EPA projects the rule will create 10,000 temporary construction jobs and 8,000 permanent utility jobs.
As the Clean Water Act heads toward its 40th anniversary, facing—along with other key environmental laws—attacks from industrial polluters and their cronies in Congress, we need to stand up for our right to clean air and water. Call your senators TODAY and ask them to oppose Sen. Inhofe's Congressional Review Act filing (S.J. Res. 37).
Waterkeeper Alliance is holding a Fishable Waters Action Day this Thursday. Let's make it a celebration by stopping Senator Inhofe's plan and ensuring that the mercury rule succeeds. If we don't act fast to protect our right to clean water, the age-old rite of spending a summer day fishing with your daughter or son will end with this generation. We cannot allow that to happen.
Visit EcoWatch’s CLEAN WATER ACT page for more related news on this topic.