WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today the Trump administration ordered a review of the Clean Water Rule, which could roll back critical protections for streams and wetlands and put the drinking water sources for millions of Americans at risk from pollution. Finalized in 2015, the Clean Water Rule clearly defined the waterways subject to protection under the Clean Water Act, in order to prevent their pollution and destruction and provide clean water for drinking, agriculture, and forestry. As Oklahoma’s Attorney General, Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Scott Pruitt sued the agency he now governs to stop implementation of the Clean Water Rule.
It will take more than an executive order, however, to undo the Clean Water Rule. The Obama administration held more than 400 stakeholder meetings and reviewed over 1,200 scientific studies to develop the 408-page technical report that accompanied the Rule, and the Trump administration will have to justify any changes with science and the law.
Friends of the Earth Oceans Campaigner Marissa Knodel issued the following response:
Water is life, and Trump’s dirty water order puts our environment and millions of American lives at risk so that polluters can profit from the destruction of our waterways. The Clean Water Rule is grounded in science and the law so that our streams and wetlands can keep us healthy and safe, provide habitat for fish and wildlife, and beautiful places to recreate. In contrast, Trump’s dirty water order is dangerous and illegal, based on corporate greed and unlawful environmental pollution.
Friends of the Earth fights to create a more healthy and just world. Our current campaigns focus on promoting clean energy and solutions to climate change, ensuring the food we eat and products we use are safe and sustainable, and protecting marine ecosystems and the people who live and work near them.