Clean Water News

Atlanta, GA— More than 66% percent of industrial and municipal facilities across Georgia discharged more pollution into our waterways than their Clean Water Act permits allow in 2005, according to Troubled Waters: An analysis of Clean Water Act compliance, a new report released today by Environment Georgia.

“As the Clean Water Act turns 35, polluters continue to foul our rivers, lakes and streams,” said Jennette Gayer, Policy Advocate with Environment Georgia.  “With so many facilities dumping so much pollution, no one should be surprised that 58 percent of Georgia’s rivers and streams and 100 percent of Georgia’s lakes, ponds, reservoirs, bays and estuaries are unsafe for swimming, drinking or fishing.  But we should be outraged.”   

The goals of the 1972 Clean Water Act are to eliminate the discharge of pollutants into waterways and make all U.S. waterways swimmable and fishable.  Over the last three and a half decades, this landmark environmental law has made significant improvements in water quality, but the original goals have yet to be met. 

Using the Freedom of Information Act, Environment Georgia obtained data on facilities’ compliance with the Clean Water Act between January 1, 2005 and December 31, 2005.  Environment Georgia researchers found that:

­Fifty seven percent of all major U.S. industrial and municipal facilities discharged more pollution into U.S. waterways than allowed by law at least once during 2005. The average facility exceeded its pollution permit limit by 263 percent, discharging close to four times the legal limit.

• In Georgia, 66 percent of the industrial and municipal facilities exceeded their Clean Water Act permits at least once in 2005. 

• 112 facilities in Georgia reported more than 650 exceedances of their Clean Water Act permits in 2005.

• On average, Georgia facilities exceeding their Clean Water Act permits did so by 130 percent.

“Facilities in Georgia and across the country continue to dump more pollution into our waterways than is allowed by law,” said Gayer.

Gayer noted that the findings are likely just the tip of the polluted iceberg, since the data that Environment Georgia analyzed includes only “major” facilities and does not include pollution discharged into waters by the thousands of minor facilities across the country. 

Over the last six years, the Bush administration has proposed or enacted numerous policies that weaken the Clean Water Act.  These include: two separate policies that eliminate Clean Water Act protections for streams and wetlands that feed and clean treasured lakes, rivers and bays; funding cuts to EPA’s budget, including significant cuts to the Clean Water State Revolving Fund; and policies that allow more sewage pollution into waterways.

Environment Georgia called on the Bush administration to end its efforts to weaken federal clean water safeguards and for Congress to pass the Clean Water Restoration Act, legislation to ensure all U.S. waterways are protected by the Clean Water Act.

“Instead of holding polluters accountable, the Bush administration is allowing more—not less-- pollution to enter our waterways.  Now more than ever, Congress should step in to protect all of America’s waters,” concluded Gayer.