Washington, DC – Clean Water Action, speaking on behalf of its one million members, today praised the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) announcement of a new proposal to close gaps in water and health protection under the Clean Water Act.

"This will go a long way toward fixing the Clean Water Act, a law that has been broken for far too long," said Clean Water Action President, Robert Wendelgass. "Polluter-friendly court decisions and actions by the previous administration have left drinking water sources for 117 million Americans at risk," Wendelgass said. "We need these fundamental protections restored, and until that happens people’s drinking water and their health are on the line."

For Americans whose water sources are no longer protected under the Clean Water Act, the status quo means they face increased contamination risks. Communities also face the prospect of higher water costs as expensive filtration and disinfection technologies are deployed.

"Ask anyone and they understand that if your goal is fishable, swimmable, drinkable water, you can’t get there by protecting some of the water. You have to protect it all," said Lynn Thorp, Clean Water Action National Campaigns Coordinator. "Ceding control of upstream water quality to polluters and developers, which is essentially what has happened, is a formula for dirty water that threatens people’s drinking water and health."

EPA has published a draft "Guidance" to state and regional permitting officials to begin addressing the gap in Clean Water Act protections for many water bodies. EPA also announced a 60 day public comment period on the proposal. The Guidance was released as part of an Administration framework outlining a comprehensive approach to water issues and a commitment to protecting water resources in order to promote healthy communities and strong economies.

Since 2003 more than 500,000 Clean Water Action members have written to Members of Congress, the White House and EPA asking that clean water protections be restored for all the nation’s water bodies. Clean Water Action plans to mobilize policy experts and tens of thousands of its members across more than a dozen states to support strong water protections under the final Guidance.

"Will the public support EPA taking action to fix this problem? You bet," says Wendelgass. "Our members are a cross section of America, from cities and suburbs to rural areas, Democrats, Republicans and independents. We all want clean water."

Clean Water Action is the nation's largest grassroots group focused on water, energy and environmental health. Clean Water Action's 1 million members participate in Clean Water Action's programs for clean, safe and affordable water, prevention of health-threatening pollution, and creation of environmentally-safe jobs and businesses. Clean Water Action's nonpartisan campaigns empower people to make democracy work. www.cleanwateraction.org