EPA announces Clean Water Rule rollback
Montana Trout Unlimited urges anglers to stand up and protect clean water
CONTACT:
David Brooks / Executive Director, Montana Trout Unlimited
david@montanatu.org / (406) 543-0054 (o); (406) 493-5384 (c)
Shauna Stephenson / Trout Unlimited
ssherard@tu.org / (307) 757-7861
(June 27, 2017) WASHINGTON D.C. – The Environmental Protection Agency announced it would begin the process of rescinding and replacing the Clean Water Rule in accordance with an executive order signed by President Trump in February of this year.
The Clean Water Rule of 2015 provided protections for 60 percent of seasonal stream miles in the U.S. These streams provide drinking water for one in three Americans and clean water for healthy fish and wildlife populations.
David Brooks, executive director of Montana Trout Unlimited, issued the following statement:
“Today’s move to begin the process of unraveling the Clean Water Rule puts Montanan’s water supplies at risk. If we want clean drinking water, healthy rivers, vibrant populations of fish and wildlife and, yes, good fishing, we have to start at the top. That means protecting our headwaters. With 117 million Americans relying on these small streams for drinking water, it is incumbent on us all to stand up and tell the EPA to protect our water and our families. That doesn’t mean massive regulation – it means smart, science-based regulation which balances the needs of many, including ag. Because so much of Montana Trout Unlimited’s work to improve water quality and quantity involves working closely with agricultural and ranching landowners, we understand and support their water needs. We continue to support exemptions for farming and ranching in current law and reaffirmed in the Clean Water Rule which allow farmers and ranchers in Montana to meet those needs without undue burden.
As Montanans we rely on these small streams extensively – whether it be for drinking water, as spawning grounds for the fish in our great rivers, or as the genesis of the irrigation water which covers our fields. It is in all of our best interest to protect this great resource.”
More information?
For more information on the Clean Water Rule, go to standup.tu.org and click on “clean water.”
Need photos?
Go to Trout Unlimited’s Clean Water Photo Library.
Password: Clean Water
About Trout Unlimited –
Trout Unlimited is the nation’s oldest and largest coldwater fisheries conservation organization dedicated to conserving, protecting and restoring North America’s trout and salmon and their watersheds. Follow TU on Facebook and Twitter, and follow our blog for all the latest information on trout and salmon conservation.