Clean Water Successes

2023
WKC-Logo1 Mar
2022
WKC-Logo20 Dec

Waterkeepers Chesapeake, Lower Susquehanna Riverkeeper, Sassafras Riverkeeper

The U.S. Court of Appeals issued an opinion vacating licensing of the Conowingo Dam and remanded it back to FERC. The court agreed with Waterkeepers Chesapeake, Lower Susquehanna Riverkeeper and ShoreRivers' argument that FERC exceeded its authority when it approved a 50-year license without including the Water Quality Certification that Maryland issued in 2018.
shorerivers logo13 Sep
shenandoah-riverkeeper11 Aug
lower susquehanna riverkeeper logo21 Jul
cropped-WKC-Logo.png10 Apr

Waterkeepers Chesapeake

Waterkeepers Chesapeake with a broad coalition of Waterkeepers and community groups, passed "The Environment – Discharge Permits – Inspections and Administrative Continuations" Bill that requires the MDE to clear the backlog of more than 200 outdated or expired water pollution control permits, nicknamed "zombie permits", and update them by 2026, and to inspect facilities in significant noncompliance with their permits once per month.

shorerivers logo21 Mar
lower susquehanna riverkeeper logo18 Feb
2021
lower susquehanna riverkeeper logo3 May

Lower Susquehanna Riverkeeper

Hanover Foods forced to address violations including excessive levels of contaminants, floating solids and scum in a tributary of the Susquehanna River after Lower Susquehanna Riverkeeper filed lawsuit in 2021.
upper-potomac24 Mar
Assateague Coastkeeper1 Mar
2019
Anacostia12 Aug
lower susquehanna riverkeeper logo31 Jul
shorerivers logo8 Apr
patuxent-riverkeeper-5 Apr
upper-potomac28 Feb
WKC-Logo20 Jan
upper-potomac2 Jan
Blue Water Baltimore1 Jan
2018
Assateague Coastkeeper20 Jul
2017
potomac riverkeeper1 Jun

Potomac Riverkeeper

In 2017, Potomac Riverkeeper convinced Alexandria, VA to go beyond minimum federal requirements and approve a plan to eliminate 70 million gallons of sewage and stormwater discharges to the Potomac River each year.
shenandoah-riverkeeper3 May
2016
potomac riverkeeper17 Aug

Potomac Riverkeeper

Potomac Riverkeeper filed suit in 2016 challenging the EPA’s inadequate bacteria standards for protecting people swimming and paddling in the Potomac from sewage pollution and obtained a favorable ruling in 2019, vacating the standards and requiring new ones be issued.
patuxent-riverkeeper-16 May

Patuxent Riverkeeper

Patuxent Riverkeeper won a civil rights agreement in 2016 requiring Maryland agencies to widen the scope of their environmental fairness analysis when reviewing applications to build new fossil fuels plants and broadens the role that overburdened communities have in the process.
gunpowder-riverkeeper-16 Mar
2015
potomac riverkeeper21 Oct
2011
Anacostia25 Jul
2009
WKC-Logo21 May
2007
potomac riverkeeper7 Nov
2004
potomac riverkeeper6 May

Potomac Riverkeeper

Potomac Riverkeeper filed its first enforcement action in 2004 that led to reduced sewage pollution from Charles Town, WV and Hagerstown, MD

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