EPA Approves New Clean Water Protections

Drinking unclean water seems like a problem you’d hear about it in the developing world, not the United States. Believe it or not, though, one-third of Americans receive water that is unregulated by the Clean Water Act. That’s a lot of people who are potentially drinking tainted water.
Fortunately, all that is about to change with the EPA’s new Waters of the United States rule, which was announced on Wednesday. Altogether, the EPA now has the authority to safeguard 20 million acres of wetlands and two million miles of streams (that accounts for 60 percent of America’s streams) that were previously discounted by the Clean Water Act.

Until now, one of the biggest problems has been that while the main sources of drinking water are protected, their tributaries were not included in these protections. In other words, water flowing into the rivers and lakes was not held to the safety standards.
“[For] drinking water to be clean, the streams and wetlands that feed them need to be clean, too,” said EPA official Gina McCarthy. Although that’s a rather obvious sentiment, that’s precisely why finally taking this step is so important.
The change in policy will not only expand how much water is covered, it will also more specifically define which waterways are protected under the rules. By more clearly spelling out the terms, the EPA should be able to cut down on costly and lengthy lawsuits that were frequently popping up due to previous ambiguities.
The EPA’s decision is not without its critics, mainly from industries that frequently are found responsible for polluting – intentionally or otherwise – bodies of water. By implementing these new protections, farmers, land developers and the oil and natural gas industries will have to be that much more responsible for ensuring their businesses don’t leak hazardous materials into water.
Friends of these industries, namely Republican congressmen, have also criticized the EPA’s move. Per usual, these federal legislators are unhappy with federal regulation. “The administration’s decree to unilaterally expand federal authority is a raw and tyrannical power grab,” said Speaker of the House John Boehner. As everyone knows, providing clean, safe water equals tyranny.