Celebrate Clean Water: The Clean Water Act Turns 35

Posted on October 15, 2007 | Filed Under Clean Water, Healthy Waters 

baerKatherine Baer, Director
Healthy Waters Campaign

Later this week, the Clean Water Act will turn 35 years old! As part of the celebration, we decided to collect some clean water stories and to ask people to reflect on past accomplishments and future challenges facing clean water and the Clean Water Act.

We’ve got some good ones, including how a pillow saved this landmark law and how a little known part of the law achieved great things for communities around the country.

For me, I knew pretty early on that I loved rivers and wanted to protect them. I can’t remember exactly when I learned about the Clean Water Act, but it couldn’t have been long after, because protecting rivers and clean water will always come back to the Clean Water Act one way or another. But I do remember the day the judge’s order was faxed to the Upper Chattahoochee Riverkeeper in 1995 where I was working saying that we had won our citizens suit under the Clean Water Act, and the City of Atlanta would have to clean up it old sewer system that spilled millions of gallons of sewage into the river each year. Current Atlanta Mayor Shirley Franklin is the self proclaimed “sewer mayor” as she’s tackled the City’s sewage problems, all initially prompted by enforcing the Clean Water Act!

Sadly, enforcement of this great law isn’t what it should be. U.S. PIRG’s new report Troubled Waters, shows that thousands of permitted facilities continue to exceed their Clean Water Act permits and a recent Washington Post article revealed that environmental enforcement has declined under the current administration. Moreover, the very heart of the law and which waters get protected is being debated and reaffirming the Clean Water Act’s original scope is critical for the future of clean water.

Growing old is never easy, but let’s wish the Clean Water Act many happy returns - clean water and healthy communities depend on it.

* Photo: Last year, American Rivers delivered a happy 34th birthday cake to the Environmental Protection Agency as a reminder to strengthen the Clean Water Act. Stay tuned for the 35th celebrations!

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Clean Water Act’s 35th Birthday Celebration Blog Series -

Part I - Celebrate Clean Water: The Clean Water Act Turns 35

Part II - Celebrate Clean Water: How a Pillow Saved the Clean Water Act

Part III - Celebrate Clean Water: Finding Your Voice

Part IV - Celebrate Clean Water: The Clean Water Act’s Sleeper Provision - Section 401

Part V - Celebrate Clean Water: A Look Into the Crystal Ball

Part VI - Celebrate Clean Water: A Kayaker’s Perspective

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Comments

8 Responses to “Celebrate Clean Water: The Clean Water Act Turns 35”

  1. All is born of water… — Goethe : American Rivers Blog on October 16th, 2007 10:19 am

    [...] week, American Rivers celebrates the 35th anniversary of the federal Clean Water Act. More River Quotes are posted weekday mornings. Want to see your favorite river quote here? Email it to [...]

  2. Celebrate Clean Water: Finding Your Voice : American Rivers Blog on October 16th, 2007 11:17 am

    [...] from Thornton, Colorado at our recent River Action Day. You can see from her story, the 3rd in our Clean Water series, that she has a passion for rivers that runs deep. The invitation to join advocates from around [...]

  3. Celebrate Clean Water: The Clean Water Act’s Sleeper Provision - Section 401 : American Rivers Blog on October 17th, 2007 10:04 am

    [...] section of the Clean Water Act has had big results. As a continuation of our series celebrating the Clean Water Act, John tells the tale of the surprisingly strong Section 401: A year and a half ago, I prepared for [...]

  4. Celebrate Clean Water: A Look Into the Crystal Ball : American Rivers Blog on October 18th, 2007 10:02 am

    [...] the third in our series of celebrating the Clean Water Act, I sat down with American Rivers’ Vice President for Conservation, Andrew Fahlund to talk [...]

  5. Celebrate Clean Water: A Kayaker’s Perspective : American Rivers Blog on October 23rd, 2007 11:51 am

    [...] Clean Water Act’s 35th Birthday Celebration Blog Series - Part I - Celebrate Clean Water: The Clean Water Act Turns 35 [...]

  6. Celebrate Clean Water: How a Pillow Saved the Clean Water Act : American Rivers Blog on October 23rd, 2007 11:51 am

    [...] Clean Water Act’s 35th Birthday Celebration Blog Series - Part I - Celebrate Clean Water: The Clean Water Act Turns 35 [...]

  7. Celebrate Clean Water: Clean Water for Healthy Communities : American Rivers Blog on October 23rd, 2007 12:44 pm

    [...] part of our series marking the Clean Water Act’s 35th birthday, it has been great to hear how this law has [...]

  8. Iowa in the News - for rivers, not candidates : American Rivers Blog on January 15th, 2008 10:36 am

    [...] Council. The threat to the river was a failure to properly implement and enforce the landmark Clean Water Act. Iowa’s state environmental agency was considering adopting a much needed and stronger [...]

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