Epa Administrator Mccarthy Gives an Overview of Epa's Clean Water Act Rule Proposal

TODAY, EPA IS TAKING ACTION TO KEEP AMERICA'S WATERS CLEAN AND HEALTHY. FOR MORE THAN FOUR DECADES, THE CLEAN WATER ACT HAS SAFEGUARDED OUR RIVERS, LAKES, WETLANDS, AND COASTAL WATERS. BUT OVER THE PAST FIFTEEN YEARS, TWO COMPLICATED COURT DECISIONS HAVE TANGLED UP IMPLEMENTATION OF THE LAW. IT'S BEEN INCREDIBLY DIFFICULT TO DETERMINE WHAT IS AND WHAT ISN'T PROTECTED—AND THAT'S PUT WETLANDS, STREAMS, AND OTHER WATER BODIES AT RISK. THESE PRISTINE PLACES ARE CRITICAL FOR SAFE DRINKING WATER. BUT YOU KNOW IT'S MORE THAN THAT. IT'S ABOUT PROTECTING OUR NATURAL RESOURCES. IT'S ABOUT UNSPOILED PLACES TO FISH, HUNT AND SWIM -- FOR THIS GENERATION AND BEYOND. EVERY SECTOR IN OUR ECONOMY DEPENDS ON WATER...FROM FARMS THAT PRODUCE OUR FOOD, FUEL AND FIBER ... TO MANUFACTURERS WHO MAKE EVERYTHING FROM OUR CARS TO OUR COMPUTERS ... AS WELL AS THE ENERGY INDUSTRY THAT GENERATES AFFORDABLE POWER FOR OUR HOMES AND OUR BUSINESSES. THE RULE WE'RE RELEASING TODAY WAS DEVELOPED WITH THE ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS, WITH INPUT FROM INDUSTRIES ALL ACROSS THE COUNTRY. USING THE BEST AVAILABLE SCIENCE, WE CAN IDENTIFY AND PROTECT INTERCONNECTED WETLANDS AND STREAMS THAT ARE VITAL TO HEALTHY WATERS AND VITAL TO HEALTHY COMMUNITIES DOWNSTREAM. TO BE CLEAR: OUR PROPOSAL DOES NOT ADD TO OR EXPAND THE SCOPE OF WATERS HISTORICALLY PROTECTED UNDER THE CLEAN WATER ACT. IT CLARIFIES WHICH WATERS ARE PROTECTED AND WHICH WATERS ARE NOT. IT CUTS RED TAPE, IT GIVES CERTAINTY TO BUSINESS, AND IT CLEARS THE WAY FOR THE CLEAN WATER ACT TO DO ITS JOB, SO FUTURE GENERATIONS CAN CONTINUE TO ENJOY THESE PRECIOUS PLACES. THANK YOU VERY MUCH.