Protecting & Preserving Puget Sound
“Our rivers are in distress,” said Trish Rolfe, director of the Center for Environmental Law & Policy. “We are disappointed and troubled that two Senators from the Midwest would try to stop efforts to educate Washington state residents about water pollution from industrial agriculture and the simple steps that agriculture could take that would dramatically improve water quality in our rivers.”
“In a lot of places the stream is just invisible,” said Carin Anderson, the Backyard …
“Without this ruling, wastewater from these facilities would have polluted critically important habitat for years,” said Chris Wilke, Executive Director of Puget Soundkeeper. “But Puget Sound is in trouble today, and no facility has the right to violate the Clean Water Act and ignore the necessity of protecting our shared resources. ”
The Clean Water Act empowers organizations like Soundkeeper to take action in situations where excessive pollution by corporate entities isn’t being handled by the agency in charge.
In the course of 1.3 miles Springbrook Creek transforms from a vibrant creek fed by springs to a stormwater conveyance system, dirty, polluted and swollen with runoff.
Today, a coalition of clean water advocates and commercial fishing industry groups quickly moved for summary judgment on a suit against the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), arguing that the agency has failed yet again to protect public health by neglecting to finalize new anti-pollution rules.
Puget Sound is fed by thousands of tributaries that travel through fields, cities and backyards. These creeks and streams are essential pieces of the larger ecosystem. They are also the place where many pollution problems begin.
Pollution reports from members, supporters, and volunteers are critical to protecting waterways.
This settlement is a critical step towards reducing toxic industrial stormwater and preventing a major oil spill to Puget Sound, addressing chief concerns for the recovery of endangered salmon and orca whales.
How the state is failing to protect Washington communities from toxics in our waterways.