Clean Water Anniversary Finds More Work Needed

Clean Water Anniversary Finds More Work Needed



October 2007

 The U.S. Senate on Thursday 
enjoyed a rare moment of unanimity. By unanimous consent the senators 
adopted a resolution commemorating the 35th anniversary of the Clean Water 
Act. 
The resolution was sponsored by Senators Frank Lautenberg, a New Jersey 
Democrat, and David Vitter, a Louisiana Republican, chairman and ranking 
member of the Subcommittee on Transportation Safety, Infrastructure 
Security and Water Quality, as well as Senator Barbara Boxer, a California 
Democrat, chairman of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee 
and ranking member James Inhofe, an Okalhoma Republican. 
Senator Lautenberg said, "For 35 years, Americans have relied on the Clean 
Water Act to keep our lakes, rivers, streams and coastal waters safe for 
us to fish and swim. It is the law that preserves our wetlands and 
protects our drinking water. " 
Senator Vitter said, "The Clean Water Act is responsible for many 
important impacts since it became law more than 35 years ago. The act has 
leveraged billions of dollars for state and local governments to improve 
water quality and address water infrastructure needs. The entire Lake 
Pontchartrain Basin ecosystem will continue to benefit from the assistance 
provided under the act." 
Senator Boxer said, "The Clean Water Act has been one of our most 
successful environmental statutes to date. Since 1972, we have made 
tremendous progress, and today, our rivers, lakes and streams are far 
cleaner than they were three decades ago. But there is still more work to 
be done. Forty percent of the nation's tested waters currently fail to 
meet quality standards." 
Senator Inhofe said, "Thanks to the Clean Water Act and the commitment by 
the American people, our nation's waterways are far cleaner and our 
drinking water dramatically improved. As we look to build upon this 
success, I am mindful of the challenges ahead. Oklahomans face a projected 
$586 million in clean water related needs over the next 20 years." 
The Clean Water Act, a bipartisan measure which was enacted on October 18, 
1972, is the primary federal law addressing water pollution, aiming to 
keep waterways safe and clean. The CWA places restrictions on pollution 
levels and creates water quality standards for the nation's lakes, rivers, 
streams and other waters. 

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