Doug Jackson, 202.495.3045 or doug.jackson@sierraclub.org
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- The Sierra Club submitted more than 23,900 comments from members and supporters opposing former coal lobbyist Andrew Wheeler’s illegal attempt to scrap Section 401 of the Clean Water Act. A coalition of clean water and conservation advocates, including the Sierra Club and Earthjustice,
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The rule change would severely limit the time and tools states and tribes have to properly evaluate the effect federally permitted projects, like pipelines and other fossil fuel facilities, would have on waterways. This could force states to approve water permit applications with insufficient data or prematurely give their authority to issue permits to the federal government. Under the proposed rules, if a state denies a water permit application for not protecting water quality sufficiently, EPA could decide the state is actually “waiving” their rights and approve the permit without a state’s approval.
In response, Sierra Club Executive Director Michael Brune released the following statement:
"Regardless of what they may say, Andrew Wheeler and Donald Trump cannot break the law to allow corporate polluters the right to threaten America’s clean water. States and tribes can and must be able to protect the health of their water, people, and communities, and it’s a shame they can’t count on their president to stand with them. The Sierra Club and American people will never stand by while Trump and Wheeler run roughshod over bedrock safeguards for our nation’s water.”
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About the Sierra Club
The Sierra Club is America’s largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization, with more than 3.5 million members and supporters. In addition to protecting every person's right to get outdoors and access the healing power of nature, the Sierra Club works to promote clean energy, safeguard the health of our communities, protect wildlife, and preserve our remaining wild places through grassroots activism, public education, lobbying, and legal action. For more information, visit www.sierraclub.org.