TO THE EDITOR:
Most people have heard about the Clean Water Act and would expect that it is doing its job to keep our drinking water clean.
A lesser-known fact is that the CWA leaves 56 percent of North Carolina streams at risk of unchecked pollution.
As I was reading a new report, “Waterways Restored” from Environment N.C., I became aware of the huge gaps in the CWA and of the implications that has for North Carolina’s public health and our clean water.
There may be bans on dumping in the North Fork First Broad River, but the jury’s still out on the streams that flow into it and numerous other rivers. The Environmental Protection Agency has proposed revising the CWA to encompass all waterways in the state, and the public comment period for the proposed rule ended Nov. 14.
I call on my fellow North Carolinians to stand alongside the people, businesses and organizations who support more clean water protections for our streams and wetlands. The CWA has been cause for clean water success stories across the nation, but once these revisions go through it will be time for quite the celebration.
Holly Roberts
Junior