The following is the state specific portion of the
comment template:

5. Comment on State Protections: A Patchwork of State
Permitting
Programs
are Not Adequate Substitutes for Federal Clean Water
Act Protections.

§ Are there gaps or loopholes in your state's
authority? Describe how
your
state's laws are weaker than the federal Clean Water
Act.  Examples may
include:
· No provisions for public involvement, citizen suits,
etc.
· Waivers for certain types, sizes or geographical
locations of waters.
· Waivers for certain activities or industries that
are not exempted in
the
Clean Water Act.
· No, or limited, meaningful mitigation provisions for
dredge or fill
activities in wetlands, streams or other waters.
· State "No More Stringent" laws that prevent or
impede state
environmental
or clean water regulations that are more stringent
than federal law.
§ Lack of financial resources to take a bigger role in
protecting state
waters.
§ Neighboring states have weaker or no programs
protecting small
streams,
wetlands or other waters and their waters eventually
flow into your
state's
streams, rivers, lakes or coastal waters.
§ Some of your state's fish and wildlife resources are
shared with
states
with weaker programs or no programs to protect
wetlands, streams, ponds
and
other waters that could lose federal protections. Loss
of habitat in a
neighboring state could affect wildlife in your state.

--- erin jordahl IA <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
> Dear Activist,
>
> The comment period for administration's Advanced
> Notice of Proposed
> Rulemaking (ANPRM)
> and guidance that would limit the jurisdictional
> scope of the Clean Water
> Act is April 16th.  If you have not yet sent a
> written comment and wish to,
> now is the time.  The Sierra Club will be submitting
> an official comment on
> behalf of the entire organization.  However,
> activists and local chapters
> and groups who wish to voice their opposition to
> this unprecedented threat
> to the Clean Water Act, may do so, as well.
>
> If you and your group or chapter are interested in
> sending in detailed
> comments to the EPA (focusing on how this threat
> will impact your state),
> we now have a new tool which will assist you in the
> process- a template
> designed to provide you with substantive comment
> points and provide a
> framework for your comments, is now available. The
> template was designed by
> our friends at the Clean Water Network. Please email
> or call me to receive
> a copy of the template.  Also, even if you do not
> wish to use the template,
> please let me know if you plan to submit detailed
> comments specific to your
> state so that I can connect activists from the same
> state in order to make
> your task easier.
>
> Your comments are the strongest tool we have to
> raise the awareness of this
> threat to Congress members and media.
>
> ALL WATERS WILL BE AFFECTED!  The waters that could
> be left unprotected by
> this rulemaking include creeks, streams, natural
> ponds, and those waterways
> that are dry for part of the year or that are too
> small or rocky to use for
> boating.  It may also apply to many types of
> wetlands, such as bogs,
> marshes, prairie potholes, sloughs, and mudflats.
> Another category of
> vulnerable waters is man-made conveyances that
> connect to
> waterways - canals, culverts, and maybe even pipes.
> If the administration
> succeeds, an estimated 60% of stream miles and more
> than 20% of wetlands in
> the United States could be polluted, filled, or
> destroyed without a federal
> permit.
>
> Thank you!
>
> Ananda D. Hirsch
> Sierra Club
> Program Assistant
> Environmental Quality Program
> Phone: (202) 675-6693
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
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