Thanks to everyone who contacted their Member of Congress regarding the
"Dear Colleague" letter. It was a great success (as you will see in the
following Sierra Club press release.)

[Thanks to Congressmen Leach and Boswell for signing on to this letter.]

Have a happy Thanksgiving.

Ananda D. Hirsch
Sierra Club
Program Assistant
Environmental Quality Program
Phone: (202) 675-6693

BIPARTISAN CONGRESSIONAL COALITION URGES BUSH ADMINISTRATION NOT TO CRIPPLE
CLEAN WATER ACT

Washington, DC-A bipartisan group of 218 members of the U.S. House of
Representatives today asked the Bush administration to halt its attempt to
eliminate 30-year-old provisions of the Clean Water Act that protect small
streams and wetlands.  The House members sent a "Dear Colleague" letter to
the President prior to departing for Thanksgiving break.

The congressional letter challenges the Bush administration's initiative to
limit the scope of the Clean Water Act.  In January, the administration
issued an "Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking" that asked for public
comment on whether Clean Water Act protections should apply to waters that
are "isolated," non-navigable and contained wholly within a state.  At the
same time, the administration instructed the Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA) and Army Corps of Engineers not to enforce the Clean Water Act
for these waters without first seeking permission from headquarters.  The
EPA estimated that protections could be eliminated for up to 20 million
acres of wetlands outside Alaska. Without current protections, the wetlands
and small streams would be vulnerable to pollution from increased
development, industrial uses, mining and waste disposal.

"Our nation has made tremendous gains in cleaning up our lakes, rivers and
streams since the 1970s, but the Bush administration's actions threaten to
reverse the progress, taking us backwards," said Carl Pope, Sierra Club
Executive Director. "We are grateful that 218 members of Congress are
sending the Bush administration a wake-up call: 'don't weaken the Clean
Water Act.'"

Protecting headwater streams and wetlands is essential to safeguarding
drinking water supplies, mitigating floods, making water safe for fishing
and swimming, and protecting habitat for threatened and endangered species
and migratory birds.  Recognizing the potential harm the Bush
administration's rulemaking could cause, 39 of the 42 state environmental
agencies that commented on the Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking were
critical of reducing the scope of protected waters.

A draft rule change, recently leaked to Los Angeles Times, suggests the
scope of the Bush administration's changes to clean water rules.  The draft
rule eliminates protections for: streams that do not flow for more than six
months of the year and are not fed by groundwater; streams created by
snowmelt or rainfall; waters that generate interstate commerce through
birdwatching, hunting and fishing and other recreation; waters used for
industrial purposes; and waters that provide habitat to endangered species.

"The Bush administration's changes are completely inconsistent with the
original purpose of the Clean Water Act, misinterpret court rulings, and
certainly fail the most basic tests of scientific understanding of our
waters," said Pope.  "Continued congressional oversight is essential to
protecting America's waters.  We particularly thank the Members of Congress
who showed leadership in initiating this letter: Representatives Dingell,
Leach, Oberstar and Saxton."

Wendy Balazik
Media Coordinator
Sierra Club
Phone:  202-675-2383
Fax:  202-547-6009

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