A half century after the passage of the landmark federal Clean Water Act, and almost four decades after the law’s deadline for all waters across the U.S. to be “fishable and swimmable,” 50% of assessed river and stream miles — 703,417 miles nationally — are so polluted they are classified as “impaired,” according to a new report by the Environmental Integrity Project.
The report, “The Clean Water Act at 50: Promises Half Kept at the Half-Century Mark,” uses state data to also show that 55% of lake acres that have been studied in recent years and 25% of assessed bays and estuaries are impaired —
Clean Water Act’s Promises Half Kept at Half-Century Anniversary
Long after its goal to make all U.S. waters fishable and swimmable by 1983, 50% of assessed river and stream miles are impaired by pollution, according to a new report
Mar 31, 2022 |
