Kristy Meyer, August 17, 2018
Yesterday, a federal court in South Carolina issued a nationwide injunction that reinstates the Clean Water Rule, meaning small streams and wetlands in 26 states (including Ohio) are protected by the federal Clean Water Act.
This is a win for clean water in Ohio, as roughly 70 percent of Ohio’s streams and acres upon acres of wetlands are once again federally protected. These streams and wetlands provide essential fish and wildlife habitat, supporting a nearly $2.9 billion fishing industry in Ohio. They also filter out sediments, nutrients, and other pollutants before entering our aquifers, larger streams, rivers, and lakes.
The fight for the protection of these streams are not over, as the decision will be appealed and Congress currently has a number of pieces of legislation proposing the repeal of this rule. While the OEC celebrates this victory with our fellow Ohioans, we must remain vigilant about upcoming attacks on these small streams and wetlands, as approximately 46 percent of Ohioans rely on these streams for their drinking water.
The OEC works every day to ensure waterways around Ohio are safe, and the resulting water coming from your tap is healthy for your family. The work continues!