Sportsmen Condemn House Attempt to Weaken Clean Water Act 6-21-2011
gengberg June 21st, 2011
Sportsmen Condemn House Attempt to Weaken Clean Water Act
H.R. 2018 would undermine EPA authority to enforce Clean Water Act,
diminishing water quality and harming valuable fish and wildlife habitat
WASHINGTON - American sportsmen today strongly criticized the House Transportation Committee for hastily passing 
legislation that would dramatically weaken the Clean Water Act and undercut four decades of progress in restoring the nation’s waters and wetlands and conserving valuable fish and wildlife habitat.
The Clean Water Cooperative Federalism Act of 2011, H.R. 2018, has received minimal review and no hearings since its introduction three weeks ago. The bill attacks two critical components of the CWA: enforcement of water quality standards and protection of waters from discharges of dredged and fill material. 
H.R. 2018 would increase state control over Environmental Protection Agency implementation of the CWA, including veto authority over EPA enforcement of water quality standards and over EPA authority to block projects that compromise or diminish fish and wildlife habitat.
“In the name of responsible management of our irreplaceable waters, wetlands, and fish and wildlife habitat, we urge House lawmakers to abandon their hasty approach to advancing this legislation,” said Scott Kovarovics, conservation director for the Izaak Walton League of America. “The committee should step back and hold a hearing to assess the sweeping consequences this legislation could have on water quality, streams and critical fish and wildlife habitat.”
“Sportsmen strongly oppose this misguided and damaging legislation,” said Jan Goldman-Carter, wetlands and water resources counsel for the National Wildlife Federation. “H.R. 2018 will lead to a hodgepodge of water quality standards and contribute to an overall reduction in U.S. water quality, our natural resources and outdoor opportunities such as hunting and angling.” Continue Reading »
