User:Superpositionn/sandbox
Founded | 1972 |
---|---|
Type | 501(c)(4) |
Headquarters | Washington, D.C. |
Area served | United States |
President & CEO | Robert Wendelgass |
Budget | $8,240,346 (2015)[1] |
Website | www |
Clean Water Action is an American environmental advocacy and lobby group.[2] Created in 1972, Clean Water Action focuses on canvassing to gain support for political issues, candidates, and funding. It is a 501(c)(4) organization.
History
[edit]During the late 1960s water pollution was spreading in many parts of the country, with a burning Cuyahoga River in northeast Ohio and biologically dead Lake Erie among the visible examples of wider problems.[3] David Zwick was a young law school student when Ralph Nader recruited him to a task force researching water pollution problems. After a two-year tour of America's most polluted waters, Zwick authored Water Wasteland and then founded Clean Water Action to address the issues outlined in his book.[4]
Zwick founded Clean Water Action in 1972 as a grassroots and lobbying organization. The fledgling organization's goal was to enact many of Water Wasteland's platforms of recommended changes into law. To reach this goal, Zwick outlined a grassroots strategy of door-to-door canvassing and public education.[5] Zwick contributed to the Clean Water Act.[5]
In 1986, Clean Water Action, the United States Public Interest Research Group and the National Campaign Against Toxic Hazards published a report claiming the Environmental Protection Agency was failing to properly enforce the federal Superfund toxic waste cleanup program.[6]
Political Advocacy
[edit]Endorsements
[edit]Clean Water Action endorsed Democratic President Barack Obama for re-election in 2012.[7]
Agriculture
[edit]Clean Water Action has supported stricter rules on discharging pesticides into waterways.[8]
Clean Water Action supported California's Senate Bill 623 to create the Safe and Affordable Drinking Water Fund. The fund is generated through a one-dollar-per-month water-bill tax on Californian households. Low income households are exempt from this tax.[9]
The Clean Water Act
[edit]Clean Water Action is one of several plaintiffs suing Scott Pruitt and the Environmental Protection Agency over alleged violations of procedural law regarding the Clean Water Act Effluent Limitations Guidelines.[10]
The Clean Water Rule
[edit]Clean Water Action supports the Clean Water Rule.[11]
Hydraulic Fracturing
[edit]Clean Water Action opposed hydraulic fracturing, also known as fracking, on public lands in Texas citing concerns over water contamination and the potential for damage to dam infrastructure.[12][13]
In 2008, Clean Water Action and Earth Justice brought a lawsuit against the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection for not complying with state and federal water protection laws in a plan to allow partially treated fracking wastewater to be discharged into the Monongahela River. The court ruled in favor of the plaintiff.[14][15]
In 2012, Clean Water Action joined a number of other environmental groups to urge Pennsylvania and EPA officials to enforce water protection laws against EQT Production Company over a 50+ million gallon fracking wastewater pit that was leaking into groundwater and surface water.[16]
Flame Retardants
[edit]Clean Water Action has advocated for laws to restrict the use of flame retardants in upholstered furniture, clothing, and other products in Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Minnesota, and California.[17][18][19][20] Clean Water Action has also worked with public health interest groups to release reports and consumer guides about flame retardant chemicals in consumer products.[21][22]
Plastics
[edit]Clean Water Action has been involved in campaigns to reduce plastic pollution including California's Assembly Bill 888 to ban the use of plastic microbeads in rinse-off personal care products;[23][24] Minneapolis's ordinance to restrict the use of single-use plastic bags;[25][26] and a 'trash trawl' of Narragansett Bay to raise awareness about plastic pollution.[27]
Water Conservation
[edit]Clean Water Action has supported laws to require stricter water efficiency standards, has opposed the sale of aquifers to business, and has supported waterway and wetland restoration.[28]
Affiliates, Subsidiaries, and Coalitions
[edit]Clean Water Fund is a 501(c)(3) subsidiary of Clean Water Action.[29]
Coalitions
[edit]Healthy Legacy[30] Safer Chemicals, Healthy Families[31]
See also
[edit]Bibliography
[edit]- David Zwick, Water Wasteland: Ralph Nader's study group report on water pollution, (Bantam Books, 1972).
References
[edit]- ^ "Internal Revenue Service Form 990" (PDF). Clean Water Action. Internal Revenue Service. Retrieved 1 September 2016.
- ^ Phillips, Ari (August 13, 2014). "This Leading Candidate For Texas Governor Really Doesn't Like Clean Water". Think Progress. Retrieved 12 March 2015.
- ^ Dykstra, Peter (December 15, 2008). "History of environmental movement full of twists, turns". CNN. Retrieved 12 March 2015.
- ^ "David Zwick". Harvard University Institute of Politics. Retrieved 12 March 2015.
- ^ a b "About Us". Clean Water Action. Retrieved 12 March 2015.
- ^ "Superfund Cleanups Termed Lax". New York Times. Associated Press. November 24, 1987. Retrieved 12 March 2015.
- ^ Samuelsohn, Darren; Goode, Darren (April 17, 2012). "Big green groups to back Obama". Politico. Retrieved 18 September 2015.
- ^ https://www.defenders.org/publications/letter_opposing_s._718_and_h.r._872.pdf
- ^ Johnson, Tim (18 August 2017). "Ag industry is stepping up for safe drinking water" – via Sacramento Bee.
- ^ https://earthjustice.org/sites/default/files/files/1%20%202017-05-03%20ELG%20Complaint.pdf
- ^ "EPA issues new rule to protect small waterways".
- ^ https://www.biologicaldiversity.org/programs/public_lands/energy/dirty_energy_development/oil_and_gas/pdfs/Letter_to_BLM_Army_Corps_Bureau_of_Rec_2-9-16.pdf
- ^ "Feds Pull 31,000 Texas Acres From April Fossil Fuel Auction Due to Concerns Over Fracking Impacts to Land, Water, Climate". www.biologicaldiversity.org.
- ^ "Victory in Fracking Wastewater Fight in PA". 7 August 2013.
- ^ https://earthjustice.org/sites/default/files/files/Fracking_Wastewater_Settlement.pdf
- ^ http://www.environmentalintegrity.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/EQT-Letter-AG-PA-DEP-EPA-Final-PDF.pdf
- ^ http://www.imusenvironmentalhealth.org/assets/38/7/SB_763_(Leno)_Childrens_Products_Fact_Sheet_4_6_15_(2).pdf
- ^ "Bill Would Ban Furniture with Toxic Flame-Retardants".
- ^ "Senate Passes Bill to Ban Toxic Flame Retardants". 27 May 2016.
- ^ https://www.iatp.org/sites/default/files/421_2_97322.pdf
- ^ https://www.conservationminnesota.org/redesign/wp-content/uploads/SafeMattressReport-final.pdf
- ^ http://www.ceh.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/Kids-Furniture-Report-Press.pdf
- ^ "EcoWatch". EcoWatch.
- ^ "Bill Text - AB-888 Waste management: plastic microbeads". leginfo.legislature.ca.gov.
- ^ "In praise of Minneapolis' proposed plastic-bag ban".
- ^ "Municode Library". library.municode.com.
- ^ "Rising Tide of Plastic Changing Southern N.E.'s Landscape".
- ^ "Hustle and flow: Here's who really controls California's water".
- ^ "Who We Are". 4 February 2016.
- ^ "Our coalition". Healthy Legacy.
- ^ "Our coalition - Safer Chemicals, Healthy Families". saferchemicals.org.