Save Maumee goes to D.C.

Welcome to the first post of Save Maumee Grassroots Org. Blog.  I am finished with the fact sheets for NE Indiana.  Bruce Allen and myself have received a scholarship through Our Healing Waters to lobby in Washington D.C. for Clean Water Week, February 22-25.  CLICK HERE FOR FACTS ABOUT YOUR WATERWAYS!dc-fact-sheet.pdf

Water Quality Indiana Facts:

Highest amount of toxic discharges to bodies of water among all states – more than 11% of the nations total (EPA, 2007) Indiana toxic releases to water decreased for the second year in a row- by 6.7 million pounds-  last year.  Indiana still leads all states in discharging pollutants and toxic chemicals into waterways. (EPA & IDEM)

16th highest in the U.S. for the number of people exposed to tap water with contaminants above acceptable limits, out of 42 states studied (National Tap Water Quality Database, 2005)

The EPA limits certain pollutant discharges.  When a limit is not listed, it is up to the permit writer to decide whether the pollutant discharge will “cause, have a reasonable potential to cause or contribute” to exceeding state water quality standards.  A permit writer is not required to develop a case-by-case limit for a pollutant, (Enesta Jones EPA Spokesperson, Dec. ’09)

Major disagreement between the permit writers and environmentalists is whether certain pollutants should have specific discharge limits in wastewater permits (NPDES)…NOT having such limits violates the Clean Water Act, which as a federal law overrides state law.  (NRDC Midwest, Ann Alexander)

Anti-degradation policy in Indiana fails to comply with the Clean Water Act.  The [draft water quality] rule proposes setting an “insignificance” level under which plants would not need to prove the increased pollution is necessary – (Albert Ettinger, Environmental Law & Policy Center)

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