The pollution EPA refuses to regulate
Opinion by Andrew Cohen, opinion contributor - Yesterday 3:30 PM
The Clean Water Act turned 50 last month. There was much to celebrate, but it’s also a good time to reflect on a critical task that remains undone.
The pollution EPA refuses to regulate
Recently, 160 organizations — environmental and public health organizations, Native American tribes, water agencies and others — asked President Biden to direct the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to finally establish discharge standards for ships’ ballast water that comply with the Clean Water Act. Back in June, 34 members of Congress wrote EPA Administrator Michael Regan with the same request.
Ships adjust their buoyancy and trim by taking up, transporting and discharging ballast water, to compensate for changes in cargo loads. This water can carry harmful invasive organisms as well as human and animal pathogens, which have damaged ecosystems, destroyed fisheries, resulted in massive economic costs and sickened and killed people. The health risks from these discharges are greatest in communities with substandard water or wastewater treatment services; these tend to be poor communities, whose residents are often predominantly people of color.
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