Take action for clean water

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John,

Today, May 10, marks the second anniversary of the Puget Sound No Discharge Zone, which is a common sense solution that requires all vessels to store sewage onboard and use pump out stations [[link removed]] around the Sound where sewage can be properly treated. Thousands of you sent in letters of support in multiple rounds of public comment at the Department of Ecology and at the Environmental Protection Agency. While we are celebrating your work to recover the Salish Sea, unfortunately there is a sneaky effort underway to repeal the No Discharge Zone designation for Puget Sound.

For more than seven years, the American Waterways Operators (AWO), on behalf of American Cruise Lines, Foss Maritime, Crowley Maritime Corporation, and others, fought tooth and nail to oppose common-sense measures to keep the Salish Sea clean and free of partially treated wastewater. AWO lobbies nationally for the U.S. tugboat, towboat, and barge industry that bills itself as the "most environmentally friendly...mode of freight transportation."

However, for the past several years, AWO has spent considerable effort in Washington, D.C., to undermine the No Discharge Zone, repeatedly meeting behind closed doors with Trump’s EPA. AWO filed a lawsuit against EPA in December 2018 to repeal the designation, and we expected Trump’s EPA to simply agree and let it lapse. Washington Environmental Council and partners, represented by Earthjustice, intervened to stop AWO and EPA, and were joined by the Attorney General’s office on behalf of the Department of Ecology [[link removed]].

Recently, Trump’s EPA filed a motion in federal court asking a judge to allow them to rethink the Puget Sound No Discharge Zone – a breach in public trust even worse than AWO’s attempt to undermine environmental protections. This action continues a long list of Trump’s environmental rollbacks at the request of industry that undermine basic public health protections.

Take action: EPA needs to hear from Washingtonians to stop AWO’s attempt to repeal this clean water rule that you and thousands of others support. [[link removed]]

Puget Sound residents have strongly expressed their support for a No Discharge Zone. We know that it is important that all vessels do their part to keep our waters clean. We know the maritime community values Puget Sound, with many already doing the right thing, and we’re confident that the remaining vessels that don’t have proper holding tanks onboard will do so to protect their neighbors.

This simple and common-sense approach will protect public health, keep our waters clean, protect sensitive marine waters, and support important shellfish harvesting areas.

Puget Sound, a national treasure, needs this type of protection and should not be treated like one industry’s sewer. EPA needs to uphold its mission to protect the environment and human health. [[link removed]]

Thanks for all you do,

Rein Attemann

Puget Sound Campaign Manager

Washington Conservation Voters

1402 Third Avenue, Suite 1400 | Seattle, WA 98101

(206) 631-2600 | [email protected] You are subscribed to receive emails from Washington Conservation Voters. Forward [link removed] Unsubscribe [link removed]