The Trump administration is threatening the drinking water of 117 million Americans with the biggest environmental rollback of the Clean Water Act in decades — a weak new Waters of the U.S. rule.
Trump’s actions went into effect earlier this week, leaving nearly a fifth of our rivers and streams, and more than half our wetlands unprotected from toxic runoff and contamination. This is an emergency for our rivers, lakes, streams and millions of acres of wetlands.
That’s why we’re joining forces with four other environmental organizations to sue the Trump administration and to put a stop to this attack against our water.
Trump’s rule will gut the Clean Water Act by arbitrarily ignoring the EPA’s own scientific findings and contradicting clear Supreme Court precedent that requires far stronger protections for wetlands, lakes and streams that impact downstream waterways. In short, the rule is illegal and the courts should strike it down.
This rollback of Clean Water Act protections does one thing: it puts profit over people. With this rule, corporate polluters have a green light to turn our waterways into toxic dumps — all to boost their bottom line.
Trump’s rollback allows the destruction of wetlands that protect our vital drinking water resources and smooths the way for more pipelines to be built through previously protected areas. This is all a gift to Big Ag, Big Oil and Gas, and Trump’s real estate developer friends. Now they can destroy and pollute without consequences.
We need a strong Waters of the U.S. rule that doesn’t allow corporate agribusiness to dump fertilizer, livestock manure and pesticides into streams that flow into our waterways. Food & Water Watch won’t sit idly by while Trump surrenders waters essential to drinking, recreation and wildlife over to corporate polluters. We have the right to clean and safe water, and we will do everything we can to put a stop to this assault on our rivers, lakes and wetlands.
Wenonah Hauter
Founder and Executive Director
Food & Water Watch and Food & Water Action
Food & Water Watch and its affiliated organization, Food & Water Action, are advocacy groups with a common mission to protect our food, water and climate. This email was sent to [email protected] - and we're glad you got it, because it's one of the most important ways you can reclaim political power, hold elected officials accountable and resist corporate control.
