Why We Need a Strong EPA
1-17-2017 - Audubon Society
Clean water, wetlands
“Outcry about water pollution led to the passage of the Clean Water Act in 1972, and the EPA was charged with enforcing it. The act made it unlawful to dump pollution into navigable waters without a permit and sought to make all U.S. waters “fishable and swimmable” by 1985. The EPA set standards for how clean water should be, and worked with local authorities and companies to design programs to clean wastewater, redesign sewer systems, and restore degraded rivers and lakes.
The act didn’t achieve its goal by 1985. Indeed, there is still work to be done, but it did improve water quality in one-third of the country’s waterways, which speaks to the challenges of addressing water pollution. Part of the problem is that there aren’t clear laws for pollution that comes from many sources, such as oil spilled in the streets or pesticides washed from lawns.
Another challenge is that, for decades, courts and politicians have argued over the definition of “navigable waters” and whether wetlands and streams near rivers and lakes should be protected under the Clean Water Act. Last year, the EPA and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers issued a rule that wetlands and streams are integral parts of waterways, and so also fall under the purview of the Clean Water Act. This is one of the EPA policies that Scott Pruitt and the new administration has vowed to overturn, a promise that threatens wetland habitat that birds and wildlife rely upon as feeding grounds during lengthy migrations and throughout the year.”
Carbon Pollution & Climate Change
“While black smoke is a rarer sight today than it was in 1970, not all pollution is visible to the human eye. Fossil fuel-powered industries continue to emit colorless greenhouse gases—such as carbon dioxide and methane—into the atmosphere. These pollutants prevent heat in our atmosphere from escaping to space, and as a result the planet is warming and its climate is changing, with dire consequences. Rising temperatures threaten the habitats birds need by redistributing their food and shelter, while rising seas encroach inland and put wetlands and beaches at risk. In North America, climate change threatens the survival of over 300 bird species, according to Audubon scientists.
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The EPA’s progress on cleaning the country’s air and waterways in the past 40 years has been remarkable. But carbon pollution is a different beast; the impacts of climate change cannot be undone once they’re set into motion. If we want to see similar progress with carbon pollution and avoid the worst impacts—including forced migration, habitat loss, and rising seas—we need to keep our focus on the long-term gains for everyone instead of short-term profit for the few. And to do that, we need a strong EPA. “
http://www.audubon.org/news/why-we-need-strong-epa