Since the Clean Water Act became law in 1972, it has been accepted that states and the federal government must work together to clean up and protect our precious water resources. In fact, the Clean Water Act passed in 1972 because state and local laws alone simply were not working....and as a result, many of our lakes, rivers and streams were so polluted that they were declared dead (like Lake Erie), or even caught on fire (like the Cuyahoga River).

Some Members of Congress are determined to undermine this agreement and eliminate the federal role in protecting our waterways. The result will be a return to the bad old days before the Clean Water Act, with more pollution and destruction of our waterways. Members of Congress need to hear from you that this is not acceptable.

There's nothing "cooperative" about this bill. H.R. 2018 would amend the Clean Water Act to restrict the federal government from making sure water quality standards are enforced and prevent it from challenging permits for filling in water bodies with dredged or other material even when that activity would have a severe impact on drinking water, fisheries and other important resources.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) says the bill could undermine nearly 40 years of progress in cleaning up and protecting our water.