Upset over recent Supreme Court decisions they say have weakened the government’s ability to enforce the Clean Water Act, local officials from across the country are traveling to Washington to encourage restoration of water-quality protections. They have also released a report, “Clean Water for All”, that details problems in nine areas of the country.
The problems include oil spills, flooding, release of pollutants such as animal manure and restaurant grease, and more than one case of toxic blue-green algae formation that have caused human illness and one death. The nine areas are Martin County, Florida; Clackamas County and Lane County, Oregon; Calumet County and Dane County, Wisconsin; Santa Barbara County, California; St. Louis County, Minnesota; St. Clair County, Alabama; and Mathews County, Virginia.
A New York Times article last month covered the court cases and cited EPA officials as saying up to 45% of companies that are considered major polluters are not prosecuted because officials have no jurisdiction, or because proving jurisdiction would be too costly.