U.S. water and environment laws spring a leak

Alex Zaharov-Reutt
Wednesday, 06 June 2007 22:05

Science - Climate

The Federal U.S. ‘Clean Water Act’ looks like it will remove protection for streams and small bodies of water, protecting only lakes and rivers large enough for boats, in a reversal for environmental protection.

A Reuters report has thrown light on a new U.S. Government decision to water down existing water protection laws, removing protection for a number of ‘small bodies of water’, too small for a boat to travel on, but still vital parts of the environment’s water system.

Already under attack from climate change and pollution, U.S. rivers are generally much cleaner than those found in countries like India or China, so you’d think the Government would want to do everything to ensure the preservation of the system, especially after damage wrought by decades of industrial revolution, much of which has now moved to China.

The US Democratic party is introducing legislation to protect the smaller bodies of water at risk, but for now the new laws, developed by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Army Corps of Engineers, have introduced a new distinction for the protection of waterways brought on by a Supreme Court case.

Of course it all seems like madness, protecting some waterways and not others. With water one of our most precious resources, increasingly being over used, polluted and otherwise abused, and with all the action on climate change, you’d think environmental protection for water would be at the top of the list.

But as is often the case these days, politics and legal wrangling have proven to the part of the problem, and not part of the solution.

All we can say is God Bless America, the American environment and that of the entire world – for we’re all going to need it, along with serious local and individual action to truly help reverse climate change one person at a time. We certainly can’t wait for politicians to get their act together first!