Obama Administration Affirms Comprehensive Commitment to Clean Water (HQ)
WASHINGTON – Recognizing the importance of clean water and healthy
watersheds to our economy, environment and communities, the Obama
administration released a national clean water framework today that
showcases its comprehensive commitment to protecting the health of
America’s waters. The framework emphasizes the importance of
partnerships and coordination with states, local communities,
stakeholders and the public to protect public health and water
quality, and promote the nation’s energy and economic
security.
For nearly 40 years, the Clean Water Act, along
with other important federal measures, has been a cornerstone of
our effort to ensure that Americans have clean and healthy waters.
The administration’s framework outlines a series of actions
underway and planned across federal agencies to ensure the
integrity of the waters Americans rely on every day for drinking,
swimming, and fishing, and that support farming, recreation,
tourism and economic growth. It includes draft federal guidance to
clarify which waters are protected by the Clean Water Act
nationwide; innovative partnerships and programs to improve water
quality and water efficiency; and initiatives to revitalize
communities and economies by restoring rivers and critical
watersheds.
“Clean water and healthy waterways are
vital to the health and vibrancy of our communities and the
strength of our economy,” said Nancy Sutley, chair of the
White House Council on Environmental Quality. “Working with
our partners across communities, governments and sectors, we are
taking comprehensive action to ensure Americans have the clean and
healthy waters they need and deserve.”
”The steps we're outlining today will be
instrumental to protecting the waters of the United States, and
ensuring that the vital natural resources our communities depend on
for their health and their economy are safeguarded for generations
to come,” said EPA Administrator Lisa P. Jackson.
“After four decades of progress on clean water, there is
still work to be done to address unfinished business and tackle new
threats to our waters. American families and businesses are
counting on us to maintain and improve the rivers, lakes, streams
and other waters that support thousands of communities and millions
of jobs across the country.”
"Healthy rivers and clean waters are fundamental
to our economy, our health, and our way of life," said Secretary of
the Interior Ken Salazar. "With growing pressures on our natural
systems, we must work to secure cleaner, safer, and more reliable
water supplies for our communities."
“As our nation’s foremost
conservationists, farmers, ranchers and forest owners have a values
system rooted in rural America that recognizes we cannot continue
to take from the land without giving something back,” said
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. “At USDA, we are working
with farmers, ranchers and forest owners to conserve land, plant
stream buffers for cleaner water, and install other conservation
practices. We also will continue to invest in rural water and
community facility projects that help small towns ensure their
citizens have access to safe and reliable drinking water. The draft
Clean Water Act guidance released today reflects USDA's work with
our federal partners by maintaining existing exemptions for ongoing
agricultural and forestry activities, thereby providing farmers,
ranchers and forest landowners with certainty that current
agricultural and forestry activities can
continue.”
"The Army is very proud of our ecosystem
restoration efforts across the nation,” said Assistant
Secretary of the Army for Civil Works Jo-Ellen Darcy. “The
proposed joint EPA and Army guidance will clarify Clean Water Act
jurisdiction and help the Corps and its partner agencies protect
important aquatic resources and watersheds that communities rely on
for their quality of life and essential services."
Clean water provides critical health, economic
and livability benefits to American communities. Since 1972, the
Clean Water Act has kept billions of pounds of pollution out of
American waters, doubling the number of waters that meet safety
standards for swimming and fishing. Despite the dramatic progress
in restoring the health of the nation’s waters, an estimated
one-third of American waters still do not meet the swimmable and
fishable standards of the Clean Water Act. Additionally, new
pollution and development challenges threaten to erode our gains,
and demand innovative and strong action in partnership with federal
agencies, states, and the public to ensure clean and healthy water
for American families, businesses, and communities.
The Obama administration is safeguarding clean
water by:
Promoting Innovative
Partnerships
Federal agencies are partnering with states,
tribes, local governments and diverse stakeholders on innovative
approaches to restore urban waters, promote sustainable water
supplies, and develop new incentives for farmers to protect clean
water.
Enhancing Communities and Economies by
Restoring Important Water Bodies
The Obama administration is dedicating
unprecedented attention to restoring iconic places like the
Chesapeake Bay, California Bay-Delta, Great Lakes, Gulf of Mexico
and Everglades, investing in action and helping states, local
governments and stakeholders find pollution control solutions that
are tailored to their specific needs.
Innovating for More Water Efficient
Communities
The administration is working with policymakers,
consumers, farmers and businesses to save water – and save
money – through 21st century water
management policies and technology.
Ensuring Clean Water to Protect Public
Health
The Obama administration is aggressively
pursuing new ways to protect public health by reducing contaminants
in Americans’ drinking water. We are updating drinking water
standards, protecting drinking water sources, modernizing the tools
available to communities to meet their clean water requirements,
and providing affordable clean water services in rural
communities.
Enhancing Use and Enjoyment of our
Waters
The administration is promoting stewardship of
America’s waters through innovative programs and
partnerships. These efforts include expanding access to waterways
for recreation, protecting rural landscapes, and promoting public
access to private lands for hunting, fishing and other recreational
activities.
Updating the Nation’s Water
Policies
The administration is strengthening protection
of America’s waters and American communities. We are
modernizing water resources guidelines, and updating federal
guidance on where the Clean Water Act applies nationwide. The draft
guidance will protect waters that many communities depend upon for
drinking, swimming, and fishing, and provide clearer, more
predictable guidelines for determining which water bodies are
protected from pollution under the Clean Water Act. The guidance is
open for 60 days of public comment to all allow all stakeholders to
provide input and feedback before it is finalized.
Supporting Science to Solve Water
Problems
The administration is using the latest science
and research to improve water policies and programs and identify
and address emerging pollution challenges.
More information and to read the Obama
administration’s clean water framework:
http://www.whitehouse.gov/administration/eop/ceq/initiatives/clean-water