The Free Press, Mankato, MN

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August 7, 2008

Your View: Clean water act needs support

By Chelsea Skluzacek, Mankato

Just as parents give children fruits and vegetables, and people work out daily to take care of their health; we need to watch what we give our waters and how we take care of them.

Seems like common sense. However, the Supreme Court and the Bush Administration don’t agree. Since 2006, they have limited the lakes, rivers and streams covered by the Clean Water Act. No coverage means no protection. We need to take action on this issue now. The Clean Water Restoration Act now pending in Congress aims to restore protection to the waters that have been left vulnerable to pollution — including our drinking water. Almost one hundred million people receive drinking water from bodies that could be polluted by the reduced protection, according to David Holtz of the Clean Water Action News. Along with that, bodies of water thousands of people use for recreational purposes could be affected.

This is a huge step backwards, with the watchdogs of our waters shirking their duty to protect our lakes, rivers and streams.

I thank Rep. James Oberstar of Minnesota for authoring this bill and The Free Press for supporting it in an editorial last November. (“They’re still wetlands and still need protection,” 11/6/07).

Now it is time for Rep. Tim Walz, DFL-1st District, to sign on to the Clean Water Restoration Act, and The Free Press should help keep the pressure on him. It is the right thing to do, the time is now and we need him to fulfill his obligation for protecting the people.

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