Upholding Pollution Laws for a Cleaner Sound

Puget Soundkeeper Alliance enforces the Clean Water Act through citizen lawsuits against serious violators.  Our goal is to achieve negotiated settlements that bring polluters either into compliance with the law or into the permitting system. More than $1 million in mitigation fees have been recovered from PSA legal victories.  Those funds have been given to local environmental groups to help them repair damage done to the Sound. Puget Soundkeeper Alliance receives no money from these settlements; however, the lawyers on the cases receive repayment of attorneys' fees.

The Foundation: Federal Law

The Clean Water Act
The Clean Water Act of 1972 is the legal framework used by our programs. The objective of the Act  “is to restore and maintain the chemical, physical, and biological integrity of the Nation's waters.”  (Learn more...) 

The Strategy: Citizen Lawsuits and Permit Reviews

1. Citizen Lawsuits
The Citizen Lawsuit Provision of the Clean Water Act empowers Puget Soundkeeper Alliance and any citizen with "standing" to enforce the law to make polluters protect water quality. (Learn more...)

2. Permit Reviews and Appeals (NPDES)
The Clean Water Act included the creation of the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) which requires pollution discharges to be authorized by a permit. (Learn more...)

Current stormwater permits under review:

    * Industrial Stormwater General Permit
    * Construction Stormwater General Permit
    * Municipal Phase 1 Stormwater General Permit
    * Municipal Phase 2 Stormwater General Permit