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High Court Rules Against Clean Water Protections, but Hope is Not Lost
Action: Letter Campaign Issue: Clean Water Deadline: July 10, 2009 
More Information:
But Hope is Not Lost
On June 22, the Supreme Court ruled that the Clean Water Act allows a mining company to pump hundreds of thousands of gallons per day of toxic waste slurry into a pristine lake in Alaska. Over the next decade, 4.5 million tons of solid waste will be dumped into Lower Slate Lake, killing nearly all the aquatic life and essentially burying the entire lake.
This misguided ruling has implications for clean water all over the country, potentially opening the floodgates to allow more pollution into other lakes, rivers and streams nationwide.
But hope is not lost. Despite the Supreme Court's decision, there is much that can still be done by officials of President Obama's administration to protect our waters. We're going to continue to fight in the courts and in Congress for stronger clean water protections, but you can tell these officials right now that they can act immediately to protect clean water and assert his commitment to a cleaner, healthier environment.
Ask Obama administration officials Lisa Jackson, EPA Administrator, and Nancy Sutley, Chair of the Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ), to immediately rescind the memo written by the Bush administration in 2004 that allowed waste to be dumped directly into lakes, streams and rivers without meeting strict EPA pollution standards. Also, ask them to initiate a process to undo a 2002 rule that redefined industrial waste as "fill," and paved the way for this "fill" to be dumped into our waters.
With swift action, President Obama's administration can guarantee clean water protections and ensure a cleaner, safer and healthier environment. Let these officials know that clean water is important to you and your community!
| Sample Letter for Campaign |
Subject: EPA and CEQ: Please Protect America's Waters
Dear [ Decision Maker ] ,
A recent ruling by the Supreme Court in an Alaska mining case puts all our nation's lakes, rivers and streams at risk for pollution and destruction. But with your leadership, we can swiftly ensure that our waters remain clean, safe and protected.
Please initiate a process to undo the changes made by the Bush administration in 2002 that redefined solid materials, including waste and contaminated materials, as "fill" and then allowed this pollution to be dumped into America's waterways. You can also rescind a controversial memo by the Environmental Protection Agency in 2004 -- which was never subject to public notice or comment -- that allowed corporate polluters to dump toxic, industrial wastewater slurries directly into lakes and other waters.
This Supreme Court decision does not achieve the goal of the Clean Water Act: to halt the practice of using our lakes, rivers and streams as waste dumps. But with your leadership and commitment, we can ensure that the waters we use for drinking, swimming, fishing, boating and recreation remain safe and clean.
Sincerely,
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Campaign Launched:
July 01, 2009
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