Vote Goes Against Science and Common Sense
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 4, 2015
Gaithersburg, Maryland – In response to today’s U.S. Senate vote to repeal the “clean water rule,” IWLA Executive Director Scott Kovarovics made the following statement:
As American duck hunters go afield across the country, the U.S. Senate voted to repeal common-sense protections for wetlands, streams, and other waters vital to outdoor recreation and America’s economy. The Senate’s action is especially damaging because the bill it approved (SJ Res 22) not only repeals the clean water rule, it also prohibits the Army Corps of Engineers and Environmental Protection Agency from issuing any new rule that is in “substantially the same form” as the existing rule.
The Izaak Walton League of America commends Senators who opposed this legislation for standing with Americans who hunt, fish, and enjoy outdoor recreation. They voted to restore protections for streams that provide drinking water for 1 in 3 Americans. They voted to follow an overwhelming body of science supporting the clean water rule and to honor strong public support for the rule.
Passing this legislation does nothing to conserve wetlands vital to waterfowl or protect water quality in small streams flowing through every community in America. Instead, it locks in confusion and uncertainty and paralyzes efforts to protect critically important waters in the future. It’s entirely appropriate that the Obama Administration has threatened to veto it.
###
Founded in 1922, the Izaak Walton League of America and our more than 44,000 members protect America’s outdoors through education, community-based conservation, and promoting outdoor recreation.
Contact:
Dawn Merritt
dmerritt@iwla.org
301-548-0150 x220