{"id":7091,"date":"2009-06-18T12:24:00","date_gmt":"2009-06-18T16:24:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.merkley.senate.gov\/merkley-clean-water-bill-to-restore-common-sense-approach-to-waterway-protection\/"},"modified":"2023-07-24T11:11:45","modified_gmt":"2023-07-24T15:11:45","slug":"merkley-clean-water-bill-to-restore-common-sense-approach-to-waterway-protection","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.merkley.senate.gov\/es\/merkley-clean-water-bill-to-restore-common-sense-approach-to-waterway-protection\/","title":{"rendered":"Merkley: proyecto de ley de agua limpia para restaurar el enfoque de sentido com\u00fan para la protecci\u00f3n de v\u00edas fluviales"},"content":{"rendered":"

Washington, DC –<\/strong> Oregon’s Senator Jeff Merkley joined
\nhis colleagues on the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee in
\napproving legislation to protect American waterways and restore the principles
\nof the original Clean Water Act of 1972.  Senator Merkley was an original
\ncosponsor of the Clean Water Restoration Act and worked with the committee to
\nmake sure the bill would adequately protect rivers and streams across the
\ncountry and avoid inadvertently burdening small landowners or farmers who
\nhistorically were not subject to Clean Water Act regulations.<\/p>\n

\n

 “For years, the Clean Water Act provided common-sense
\nprotections for water resources,” Merkley said.  “Recently, this important
\nenvironmental law has been undermined, putting many of the very places where
\nmillions of Americans get their drinking water at risk.  The Clean Water
\nRestoration Act will restore the purpose of the original legislation and keep
\nour rivers and streams clean and safe.”<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

For most of the Clean Water Act’s 36-year history, it has
\napplied broadly to rivers, streams, lakes, ponds, and wetlands.  In
\ndecisions in 2001 and 2006, the Supreme Court significantly restricted which
\nwaters could be protected, distorting the intent of legislation that had worked
\nwell for so long.  Besides placing many bodies of water at risk of
\ncontamination, the decisions inserted unnecessary government bureaucracy and
\nrequired that the EPA make an individual assessment of each body of water,
\nwasting staff time and taxpayer dollars and holding up the processing of
\npermits.<\/p>\n

This legislation does not expand the scope of the Clean
\nWater Act, but simply restores the original intent of the Clean Water Act as it
\nwas passed 36 years ago.<\/p>\n

The Clean Water Restoration Act is supported by the
\nfollowing organizations:<\/p>\n

Agriculture and Farming<\/span><\/p>\n