Did you know that under the Clean Water Act citizens have the right to file lawsuits against polluters? That’s right. Our Waterkeepers represent the residents of their watersheds to bring lawsuits against polluters when government agencies fail to do their jobs. Waterkeepers also bring legal challenges against governmental agencies when they fail to enforce the law. This is one important reason why you should report polluters to your local Waterkeepers so they can take action on your behalf. Waterkeepers Chesapeake takes legal action on behalf of our members, especially on issues that have regional or national impacts such as the relicensing of Conowingo Dam, construction of fracked gas pipelines, and the Safe Drinking Water Act.
Waterkeepers Condemn EPA’s Decision to Halt Rulemaking to Reduce Water Pollution From Slaughterhouses
This Action Will Leave Tens of Millions of Americans at Risk from Unsafe Drinking Water and Other Contamination Over the Labor Day weekend, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Lee Zeldin announced the agency will abandon its effort to modernize outdated and grossly inadequate water pollution control standards for slaughterhouses and rendering facilities. EPA misleadingly portrays … Read more
How One Bill Reduced Millions of Pounds of Pollution in Maryland
Today, Advancing State Clean Water Laws is More Important than Ever At Waterkeepers Chesapeake, we believe that advancing local policy is key to driving broad-scale change. We are often asked if the bills we pass are making a meaningful difference. Answering that question can be challenging, especially translating it into something that is tangible and … Read more
Submit Comments to Support Endangered Species Protection for Hellbenders
The Eastern Hellbender, the largest salamander in North America, needs your help to get it across the finish line to endangered species protection. In December, the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service announced a proposal to list the Eastern Hellbender as an endangered species throughout its 15-state range under the Endangered Species Act. The Hellbender is … Read more
Press Release: Hellbender Proposed for Endangered Species Protection
(Maryland) Today, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced a proposal to list the eastern hellbender as an endangered species throughout its range under the Endangered Species Act. This action was taken after a lawsuit filed by Center for Biological Diversity on behalf of Waterkeepers Chesapeake, Middle Susquehanna Riverkeeper, Lower Susquehanna Riverkeeper, and Waterkeeper Alliance. … Read more
Take Action: Urge Fish & Wildlife Service to Protect the Hellbender from Extinction
The Eastern hellbender, our nation’s largest salamander, is facing an alarming crisis. Its habitat and population are plummeting across much of its original range—from the mid-Atlantic and Midwestern states to the southeastern corner of the country. Immediate action is crucial to prevent its further decline and possible extinction. Sign the petition to demand the Fish … Read more
Community, Environmental, and Animal Welfare Organizations Press EPA to Strengthen Water Pollution Control Standards for Slaughterhouses and Animal Rendering Facilities
Stronger standards would prevent hundreds of millions of pounds of pollution from reaching rivers and streams, helping to protect more than 22 million people. WASHINGTON, D.C. — Forty-five community, environmental, and animal welfare organizations — together representing tens of millions of people across the United States — filed public comments yesterday with the U.S. Environmental … Read more
EPA Proposes to Exempt Most Slaughterhouses from Updated Water Pollution Control Rules
Environmental Groups Urge EPA to Require Meat Processing Plants to Comply with Modern Technology Standards for Nitrogen and Phosphorus Pollution FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Monday, January 22, 2024 Washington, D.C. – The federal government tomorrow is scheduled to publish proposed EPA rules that would require pollution reductions from fewer than half of the 3,879 slaughterhouses and … Read more
Reflecting on Our Clean Water Victory — A National Precedent
A year ago, on December 20, 2022, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit issued an historic opinion vacating the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission’s (FERC) licensing of the Conowingo Dam and remanding it back to FERC. For almost 100 years, the Conowingo Dam has spanned the Susquehanna River, the largest river on the … Read more
EPA Proposes Rule to Reduce Pollution from Slaughterhouses and Rendering Facilities
In response to lawsuits, EPA begins process of mandating pollution reductions. WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) proposed new water pollution control standards for slaughterhouses and rendering facilities. EPA states in the proposal, which follows lawsuits from community and conservation organizations, that new rules could help to prevent at least 100 … Read more
Take Action: Protect Maryland Communities from Industrial Pollution
Increasing rainfall due to climate change is supercharging the pollution coming off of industrial sites, leading to serious health impacts on nearby communities. Too often, clusters of industrial facilities are located in low-income communities of color, unjustly over burdening them with pollution. Right now, Maryland has a new opportunity to create a permit that protects … Read more
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