Fifty years ago this week, Congress passed the Clean Water Act, allowing policymakers in the 50 states to limit pollution, prosecute polluters and fund clean-water restoration efforts. Now, it s in jeopardy. Backers of the Clean Water Act fear the health of about half the nation s streams and wetlands are at risk as the Supreme Court weighs a case that could curtail the longstanding protections. .
The 1969 Cuyahoga River fire spurred passage of the Clean Water Act in Congress, and this week the landmark legislation marks 50 years of transforming the waterways across the country. A new National Wildlife Federation report found the number of places that meet water-quality standards has nearly doubled in the past 50 years, thanks to Clean Water Act provisions that help limit pollution, prosecute polluters and fund restoration efforts. Chanté Coleman, senior vice president for equity and justice at the National Wildlife Federation, said the Cuyahoga River is a "poster child" for the importance of the law. .
The Clean Water Act turns 50 years old this week, but parts of it are currently under attack in a case before the U.S. Supreme Court. The case could remove protections from some streams and wetlands, which would then make it easier and cheaper to pollute or even eliminate these waterways. .
The Chesapeake Bay Clean Water Blueprint has deadlines for Pennsylvania, and other states in the watershed, to implement practices to reduce water-pollution levels by 2025. The latest checkup on the Blueprint shows the Keystone State is lagging behind. At the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, Agricultural Program Manager and Interim Director Bill Chain said they re disappointed the Keystone State hasn t made more progress, particularly in reducing farm runoff. .