Clean Water for All Members and Partners Respond to Sackett v. EPA Supreme Court Decision

Clean Water for All is a coalition of organizations advocating for national clean water protections. The following is an excerpt from their post about the Sackett vs. EPA court decision, where they shared statements from coalition members.

On May 25, the U.S. Supreme Court issued its decision in the landmark environmental case Sackett v. EPA, which concerns the extent to which big polluters can bulldoze wetlands and dump waste into our streams. The opinion – delivered by Justice Alito and joined by Justices Roberts, Thomas, Gorsuch, and Barrett – narrows the scope of the Clean Water Act by eliminating protections for wetlands, except in very limited circumstances.

The Court has embraced the extreme demands of big polluters, undoing protections that have safeguarded our waters for over 50 years. This places our communities, public health, and local ecosystems in danger – especially those most vulnerable to pollution and intensifying climate disasters. Congress and state officials across the country need to act fast to protect water bodies that our nation relies on for drinking, fishing, and fueling local economies.

Statement by Scott Strand, Senior Attorney, Environmental Law and Policy Center: “We are very disappointed with the Court’s decision. Everyone involved has understood for fifty years, since the Clean Water Act was passed, that protecting our nation’s lakes, rivers, and streams requires protecting upstream tributaries and adjacent wetlands as well. Wetlands hold and filter out pollutants, they retain stormwater and reduce flooding, they provide critical habitat for wildlife, and they soak up carbon. But now, contrary to the science and contrary to everyone’s reasonable expectations, most of those wetlands are going to lose federal protection. The Court clearly got this one wrong, at great cost to the environment and to taxpayers. Here in the Midwest, we have lost most of the wetlands the region once had, through indiscriminate drainage and development.  The burden of protecting the wetlands we still have will now fall back on state and local governments, who have, at best, a checkered record.  Unfortunately, the Court’s decision means dirtier water, more uncontrolled flooding, more net carbon emissions, and a significant loss of wildlife habitat.”

Tom Kiernan, President and CEO of American Rivers, made the following statement: “The court’s ruling is a serious blow to wetlands, which are essential to clean, affordable drinking water, public health, and flood protection. Today’s ruling puts rivers and people at greater risk from pollution and harm. We urge state officials, the Biden Administration, and Congress to act quickly to safeguard rivers, wetlands, and streams that are so vital to our health and safety, environment, and economy. Rivers should unite us, not divide us. Without strong, science-based protections, the rivers and wetlands that are the lifeblood of our nation will suffer irreparable harm. We risk going backwards to a time of beach closures and rivers choked with pollution. This ruling will exacerbate environmental injustices as the worst impacts harm communities of color. American Rivers will continue to stand with local partners and frontline communities to secure equitable protections for rivers and clean water nationwide.”

What's new in Iowa's water news:

• DNR: Company took no action to stop manure runoff (Iowa Capital Dispatch) 
• Nearly half of the tap water in the US is contaminated with ‘forever chemicals,’ government study finds (CNN)
• Iowa Environmental Council Honors Susan Judkins for Lifetime Achievement in Advancing Water Quality (RDG USA)
• Doom & Bloom - on page 28 (Little Village)

Upcoming water events:

• Night Creek Stomp – Des Moines Co. - July 7 
• Paddle the Pumping Station – Des Moines Co. - July 8 
• Singer Family Concert at the River – Sioux Co – July 8 
• Intro to White Water Kayaking – Linn Co. - July 9-15 
• BHCC Lake Restoration Meeting – Black Hawk Co. - July 10  
• Pond Study – Woodbury Co. - July 11 
• Summertime Fishing & Fun – Buena Vista Co – July 11 
• Pond Life - Clinton Co. - July 12 
• Sunset Eco Cruise – Clinton Co – July 13 
• IEC Beach Bash – Black Hawk Co – July 15