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CHICAGO—Nearly half of industrial and municipal facilities across Illinois 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 Illinois.
“As the Clean Water Act turns 35, polluters continue to foul our rivers, lakes and streams,” said Max Muller, Environmental Advocate at Environment Illinois. “With so many facilities dumping excessive pollution, no one should be surprised that nearly half of America’s waterways are unsafe for swimming and fishing—but we should be outraged.”
“The Clean Water Act reflects the radical hope on the part of lawmakers 35 years ago that we really can turn our polluted lakes and rivers back into places where it's safe to fish and swim.” Said Ann Alexander, senior attorney with the Natural Resources Defense Council. “We haven't lost sight of that hope, but today's report underscores the need to be vigilant to keep the hope alive. ”
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 Illinois obtained data on facilities’ compliance with the Clean Water Act between January 1, 2005 and December 31, 2005. Environment Illinois researchers found that:
Nationally, 57% 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 Illinois, the average facility exceeded its pollution permit limit by 530%, more than 6 times the legal limit, ranking Illinois 7th in the country for average exceedance.
Polluters in Illinois reported 47 instances in which they exceeded their Clean Water Act permit by at least 500 percent over the legal limit.
15 different facilities in Will County exceeded their Clean Water Act permit at least once during this period, ranking Will County 8th in the country for the most facilities exceeding their permits. DuPage County and McHenry Counties also ranked among the top fifty counties nationally for their numbers of facilities exceeding their permits.
“Facilities in Illinois and across the country continue to dump more pollution into our waterways than is allowed by law,” said Muller, noting that the findings are likely just the tip of the polluted iceberg, since the data that Environment Illinois 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 Illinois 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.
Environment Illinois calls on Congressmen Daniel Lipinski and Timothy Johnson to support the Clean Water Authority Restoration Act in committee. We applaud Illinois Representatives Rush, Jackson, Gutierrez, Emanuel, Davis, Bean, Schakowsky and Kirk for who have marked the 35th year of the Clean Water Act by joining the 172 cosponsors of this important legislation.
“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 up to protect all of America’s waters,” said Muller.
The full report, Troubled Waters: An analysis of Clean Water Act Compliance is available at www.EnvironmentIllinois.org
Environment Illinois is a statewide, non-profit, non-partisan, environmental advocacy organization.
