The Clinton-Gore Administration today took action to finish the job of cleaning up rivers, lakes and bays throughout the United States in order to ensure safer, healthier water for all Americans. This action comes after a recent legislative effort to delay EPA from finishing this important public health and environmental initiative.
Despite Administration objections, Congress added a legislative "rider" to block the clean water rule, which was undergoing review and revision after a period of public comment. The Administration made substantive changes in response to the public comments it received in finalizing the rule.
EPA Administrator Carol M. Browner said, "Today the Clinton-Gore Administration is taking action geared to finish the job of cleaning up America's rivers, lakes and streams. Americans want and deserve clean beaches and safe waters in which
to swim and fish. Yet, 40 percent of America's waters are still too polluted. Some 20,000 river segments, lakes and estuaries across America do not meet water quality goals for protecting health. More than 90 percent of all Americans live within 10 miles of a polluted body of water. This program is designed to control the greatest remaining threat to America's waters - polluted runoff. The time has come to move forward and live up to
the promise of the Clean Water Act by making our waters fishable and swimmable once again."
EPA agreed to a number of changes in the program in response to the comments received after its initial proposal, including those from members of Congress. In general, the changes provide the states with significant new flexibility in implementing the program. These changes include: dropping provisions that could have required new permits for forestry, livestock, and aquaculture operations; significantly enhancing state flexibility; giving states four years instead of two years to update inventories of polluted waters; and allowing states to establish their own schedules for when polluted waters will achieve health standards, not to exceed 15 years.
The Administration has called on the Congressional leadership to eliminate the delay, which was added into the emergency supplemental spending bill just before the July 4th recess. The Administration today is going forward with the signing of the final clean water rule, before the legislative prohibition becomes effective. The Agency, however, is making the effective date for the program coincide with the end of the delay. That date presently is October 1, 2001. EPA has upgraded today's final action to "major rule" status under the Congressional Review Act, allowing Congress ample time to review it if they choose. >
President Clinton announced the proposed program to bring cleaner water to all Americans last August. The final program announced and signed today comes after four years of extensive consultation with states, local communities, and agricultural, environmental and industrial groups.
Under the final program signed today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency would work in partnership with state and local governments to develop common sense, flexible solutions for cleaning up the 40 percent of U.S. waterways that presently do not meet the goals for public-health protection.
The Clinton-Gore Administration's action is aimed at protecting the health and livelihood of the more than 90 percent of the American population that lives within 10 miles of a polluted body of water. Today's action is geared to address the greatest remaining source of water pollution in the United States -- uncontrolled runoff. EPA and the states working together already have identified over 20,000 river segments, lakes and estuaries across America that do not meet water quality standards to protect public health.
When the rule takes effect, water pollution problems will be addressed comprehensively on a state-by-state, river-by-river basis, for the first time ever. EPA, the states and local communities will work together to develop cleanup plans tailored specifically to the protection of local water bodies. States and local communities will have maximum flexibility to determine how best to meet cleanup goals by setting their own TMDL's, or total maximum daily loads. TMDL's establish allowable limits to reduce the pollution that flows directly into a waterbody.
The plan builds on the successful cleanup models of the Great Lakes and the Chesapeake Bay, using measurable targets to achieve real reductions in water pollution.
It supports a credit trading system like that used in the acid rain program to ensure cost-effectiveness. And it allows maximum flexibility for state and local governments to develop cleanup plans.
epa.gov
