Clean Water Protection Act reintroduced

The Clean Water Protection Act has just been reintroduced in the U.S. House of Representatives by Representatives Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ), Dave Reichert (R-WA) and John Yarmuth of Louisville with 116 cosponsors, including Rep. Ben Chandler of Central Kentucky.

The bill will protect communities and water quality by outlawing the dumping of mining waste into streams.

"The damage being caused by mountain top removal is irreparable, and each day that we fail to act our water is poisoned, our land is destroyed, and our communities are harmed," Rep. Yarmuth said.  "We must enact the Clean Water Protection Act and put an end to the destruction that is devastating the natural resources for families and communities in Kentucky and throughout the region."

The CWPA was introduced to address a 2002 Bush administration executive rule change that altered the long-standing definition of "fill material" in the Clean Water Act. The new definition permits mining waste to be used to fill streams, allowing coal companies to dump millions of tons of rubble, or "excess spoil" into nearby valleys after they blast apart Kentucky's mountaintops.

The resultant "valley fills" have buried thousands of acres of forests and hundreds of miles of streams, including the headwaters of the Kentucky, Upper Cumberland, Big Sandy and Licking rivers.

"This bipartisan legislation is a simple way to protect water quality and the quality of life for those affected by mountaintop mining," Rep. Pallone said.  "It is unacceptable to allow the excess spoil from this type of mining to be dumped in mountain streams where it can pollute waterways, and in some cases potentially endanger the lives of area residents. 

"The federal government should not continue to give massive mining companies a free pass to dump their waste into nearby streams, and should instead protect residents who have been negatively impacted by this activity for too long."

The Clean Water Protection Act has taken on an increased urgency following a widely critiqued 4th Circuit Court decision February 13 that allows companies to conduct mountaintop removal without acting to minimize stream destruction or conducting adequate environmental reviews.

KFTC members were in Washington last month with the Alliance for Appalachia to help secure many of the 111 cosponsors. They will be back in Washington starting March 14 with the Alliance and allies from across the country to win more support for the legislation.

ACTION: It would be great if constituents of Reps. Yarmuth and Chandler would call to thank them for cosponsoring the Clean Water Protection Act.

Rep. John Yarmuth
502-582-5129 (Louisville office)
202-225-5401 (Washington office)

Rep. Ben Chandler
859-219-1366 (Lexington office)
202-225-4706 (Washington office)

And what is eastern Kentucky Rep. Hal Rogers doing to help protect the waters of his district?  He needs to hear from his constituents as well.

Rep. Hal Rogers
606-439-0794 (Hazard office)
606-886-0844 (Prestonsburg office)
202-225-4601 (Washington office)