Water Quality

Objective

Promote the sensible regulation of water quality based on technically sound, practical, and economically achievable methods.

Summary of the Issue

Since Congress passed the Clean Water Act in 1972, America's water quality has continuously improved as U.S. businesses have spent more than $50 billion annually to monitor and control water pollution. The result is that America's water resources are their healthiest in generations.

Several initiatives, with significant economic impacts, have been proposed to attempt further purification of water quality. The Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) program would severely restrict local economic growth by limiting the ability of companies to construct new, or expand existing, facilities in certain locations with already impaired waters. A June 2001 National Academy of Sciences report questioned the design of the TMDL program and called for a more science-based approach. Similarly, a rule on non-point source pollution would lead to the marginal cleanup of some water bodies, but at a staggering cost, while efforts to target storm water runoff have so far been misguided. Many state regulators, farmers, and members of Congress agree that the new regulations are unworkable and too costly.

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce supports efforts to ensure the maintenance of water quality at levels that protect human health and well-being, as well as physical and biological aquatic environments. Strategies to achieve these water quality levels should be based on technically sound, practicable, and achievable methods, rather than politics.

The U.S. Chamber will fight to ensure that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) does not issue new water quality rules unless the costs and benefits are clearly identified. Additionally, those regulations should be flexible, efficient, and recognize the role of states to address their own water quality issues.

U.S. Chamber Strategy

• Fight to ensure that any new rules issued by EPA are based on sound science and that the data used are objective, useful, and of high quality.
• Fight to ensure that EPA does not implement new water quality rules until the costs and benefits are clearly identified.
• Fight to ensure that any water quality regulations are flexible, efficient, and recognize the role of states to address their own water quality issues.
• Fight water quality requirements that are based on politics instead of science.

Staff Contact Information

Environment, Technology & Regulatory Affairs Division
(202) 463-5533
environment@uschamber.com