Boston, MA— More than 75% percent of industrial and municipal
facilities across Massachusetts discharged more pollution into our
waterways than their Clean Water Act permits allow in 2005, according
to Troubled Waters: An analysis of Clean Water Act compliance, a new
report released today by Environment Massachusetts.
“As the
Clean Water Act turns 35, polluters continue to foul our rivers, lakes
and streams,” said Piper Crowell, field associate with Environment
Massachusetts. “With so many facilities dumping so much pollution, no
one should be surprised that nearly half of America’s waterways are
unsafe for swimming and fishing. But we should be outraged.”
The
goals of the 1972 Clean Water Act are to eliminate the discharge of
pollutants into waterways and make all U.S. waterways swimmable and
fishable. Over the last three and a half decades, this landmark
environmental law has made significant improvements in water quality,
but the original goals have yet to be met.
Using the Freedom
of Information Act, Environment Massachusetts obtained data on
facilities’ compliance with the Clean Water Act between January 1, 2005
and December 31, 2005. Environment Massachusetts researchers found that:
Fifty
seven percent of all major U.S. industrial and municipal facilities
discharged more pollution into U.S. waterways than allowed by law at
least once during 2005. The average facility exceeded its pollution
permit limit by 263 percent, discharging close to four times the legal
limit.
• 78.5 percent of Massachusetts’ industrial and municipal
facilities exceeded their Clean Water Act permits at least once in
2005.
• 102 facilities in Massachusetts reported more than 1200 exceedances of their Clean Water Act permits in 2005.
•
Polluters in Massachusetts reported 85 instances in which they exceeded
their Clean Water Act permit by at least 500 percent over the legal
limit.
“Facilities in Massachusetts and across the country
continue to dump more pollution into our waterways than is allowed by
law,” said Crowell.
Crowell noted that the findings are likely
just the tip of the polluted iceberg, since the data that Environment
Massachusetts analyzed includes only “major” facilities and does not
include pollution discharged into waters by the thousands of minor
facilities across the country.
Over the last six years, the
Bush administration has proposed or enacted numerous policies that
weaken the Clean Water Act. These include: two separate policies that
eliminate Clean Water Act protections for streams and wetlands that are
feed and clean treasured lakes, rivers and bays; funding cuts to EPA’s
budget, including significant cuts to the Clean Water State Revolving
Fund; and policies that allow more sewage pollution into waterways.
Environment
Massachusetts called on the Bush administration to end its efforts to
weaken federal clean water safeguards and for Congress to pass the
Clean Water Restoration Act, legislation to ensure all U.S. waterways
are protected by the Clean Water Act.
Environment
Massachusetts urged Senator Kennedy to mark the anniversary of the
Clean Water Act by joining the 172 cosponsors of the Clean Water
Restoration Act including Senator Kerry and all ten members of the
state’s congressional delegation: Representatives Olver, Neal,
McGovern, Frank, Meehan, Tierney, Markey, Capuano, Lynch and Delahunt.
“Instead
of holding polluters accountable, the Bush administration is allowing
more—not less-- pollution to enter our waterways. Now more than ever,
Congress should step in to protect all of America’s waters,” concluded
Crowell.
