Coalition Opposes Trump Move to Weaken Clean Water Protections

ANN ARBOR, MICH. (December 11, 2018)—The Healing Our Waters-Great Lakes Coalition warned that a proposed rule issued today by the Trump Administration would weaken efforts to protect clean water in the Great Lakes region and threaten the health of more than 30 million people in the states of Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, New York, and Pennsylvania, whose drinking water depends on water resources affected by the rule. Todd Ambs, director of the Healing Our Waters-Great Lakes Coalition, said: “The failure of government agencies that has led to drinking water crises in Flint, Toledo, and communities across the country, makes it clear that the government needs to step up its efforts to protect our drinking water, not scale back the rules for polluters. “To protect our communities, public health, and the Great Lakes, we need a clean water rule that strengthens, not weakens, protections for clean water. “The Trump administration wants to roll back water pollution rules for wetlands and small streams. This would remove clean water protections from small waterways because the administration says these waterways do not matter. But residents of the Great Lakes region know there are no streams and rivers where it’s safe to pollute without it affecting the rest of the water we all depend on. We all know wetlands flow into streams, which flow into small rivers, into bigger rivers, and into lakes, including our Great Lakes, and ultimately the ocean. “We vigorously oppose any roll-backs to clean water protections and urge the Trump Administration, Environmental Protection Agency, and U.S. Congress to strengthen – not weaken – clean water protections that we all depend on for our drinking water, health, and way of life.” The Healing Our Waters-Great Lakes Coalition supports federal investments to restore the Great Lakes through projects that prevent the spread of invasive species like Asian carp; restore habitat and wetlands; clean up toxic hot-spots; reduce polluted farm runoff; and halt sewage contamination. Federal investments are producing results in communities across the region, but serious threats remain, which is why the Coalition supports continued federal investment, as well as policy solutions that help – not undermine – restoration progress.  The Coalition supports clean water protections that are essential to restore the Great Lakes and the communities that rely on them for their drinking water, jobs, health, and way of life. The Healing Our Waters-Great Lakes Coalition consists of more than 155 environmental, conservation, outdoor recreation organizations, community groups, zoos, and aquariums representing millions of people, whose common goal is to restore and protect the Great Lakes. Learn more at www.healthylakes.org or follow us on Twitter @healthylakes. ###