Join Us June 6

On Thursday, June 6, Clean Water Action will be hosting the Minnesota premiere of the new film Unacceptable Levels.

Unacceptable Levels examines the results of the chemical revolution of the 1940s through the eyes of affable filmmaker Ed Brown, a father seeking to understand the world in which he and his wife are raising their children. To create this debut documentary, a man, his family, and one camera traveled extensively to find and interview top experts in the fields of science, advocacy, and law. Weaving their testimonies into a compelling narrative, Brown presents us with the story of how the chemical revolution brought us to where we are, and of where, if we’re not vigilant, it may take us.

Be sure to save the date and watch for more details!

Event: Unacceptable Levels film event
Date: Thursday, June 6, 2013
Time: 7:00 PM – 9:00 PM
Location: St. Anthony Main Theater, 115 SE Main St , Minneapolis
View Trailer
Tickets: Tickets for this world premiere are only $7.00. Buy yours now!

Tickets include coupons from our movie sponsors:

• Rusty Taco – Buy one taco, get one free
• Red Stag Supper Club – free dessert with purchase of dinner
• Chipotle- Buy one burrito, get one free
• Ginger Hop- Free appetizer with purchase of an entree

More than two months ago President Obama nominated Gina McCarthy, a dedicated public servant with nearly three decades of experience, to be EPA Administrator. We’re still waiting for the Senate to confirm her. You can make sure she gets a vote, and that your Senators vote YES, by telling your Senators “I stand with Gina!” Click here to tell your Senators!

Washington, DC:  Clean Water Action joined dozens of groups to urge President Obama to protect our water from pollution from power plants. The groups are urging the release of the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) proposed “Steam Electric Power Generating Category Effluent Limitation Guidelines” for public comment by the court-ordered deadline of April 19th.

“Coal fired power plants are the largest water polluters in the U.S. They account for nearly three quarters of toxic water pollution,” said Robert Wendelgass, Clean Water Action President and CEO. “The amount of toxic pollution, which includes arsenic, mercury, cadmium and selenium, which are all harmful to humans and aquatic life – are incredible and must be drastically reduced.”

Did your State Senator vote to protect our water? Did your Assembly Member work to ensure all Californians have access to safe and affordable water? Are your legislators and the Governor standing up for you or are they standing with polluters? Find out all of that and more!

Our California Clean Water Legislative Scorecard grades your legislators on their work to protect our water, our environment and our communities during the 2011-2012 legislative session, which ended in August!  In it, we track Clean Water Action’s 2011 – 2012 legislative priorities including:

• ensuring Californians have access to  safe and affordable drinking water, and
• making sure the water quality of our state’s precious waterways is improved, and that state policies ensure environmental justice, reduce exposure to toxic chemicals, and prevent plastic pollution and waste.
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Clean Water Action has worked with local groups around the state to raise awareness of water dangers and other risks posed by oil and gas drilling and fracking. Together with local “fractivists” and municipalities, Clean Water Action helped win new fracking regulations and local moratorium measures, including those in Fort Collins and Boulder County. The Fort Collins moratorium is in effect through July 2013. The Boulder County moratorium expires this February, but will likely be extended to give the county time to update and strengthen its recently adopted fracking regulations. Helping additional communities exercise their rights for local control of drilling and fracking operations is a priority for the coming year.

“Setback” rules determining the distance allowed between drill sites and structures such as homes and schools were also hotly debated. Current state law allows drilling and fracking as close 350 feet in densely populated areas and 150 feet in rural areas. A state “setbacks stakeholder” group is recommending new drill site setback standards.

Communities along the Front Range are concerned about current standards and are looking to scientific studies to guide setbacks rulemaking. Clean Water Action supports a 2,000-foot minimum drill site setback in Colorado. Read more

Aquatic Invasive Species (AIS) come in a variety of forms from Asian carp to zebra mussels to viral hemorrhagic septicemia (VHS). AIS describes non-native species that have the potential to invade, become established, and harm the ecology of Minnesota’s waters. The effects of AIS are widely varying; they may pose a nuisance (like curly-leaf pondweed) or they could completely take over (like zebra mussels). They might also kill large numbers of fish (like VHS) or pose a physical threat to boaters (like flying Asian carp).

Following one of the most disappointing sessions for the environment in 2011, this year environmental advocates and legislators in Annapolis pulled out all the stops and were successful passing bills that will significantly improve and protect Maryland’s water quality and resources. We made a lot of progress in 2012, but there is much to be done.  Make sure you stay involved. 

clean water action reaches a settlement with pennsylvania sewage plant that was dumping fracking wastewater

• Read more about the agreement
• Download the settlement
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victory towards getting maryland's rivers, lakes, and streams out of serious trouble.

These water bodies, including the Chesapeake Bay, face a fast-growing threat from pollution from our streets, roofs and parking lots called stormwater runoff.  It carries pollutants, bacteria, and toxic chemicals right into our water and, if left unchecked, will do serious long term damage to the health of our water.

Between November, 2011 and February, 2012, the Pennsylvania state legislature held a series of votes on HB 1950 (Act 13), a bill that proposed to overturn hundreds of local ordinances on gas drilling, while establishing the nation’s lowest impact fee and making minimal improvements to oil and gas regulations. Passage of Act 13 is the first significant legislation enacted in Pennsylvania since the Marcellus Shale gas drilling boom began over four years ago, and represents a giant step backward in environmental protection, especially through eliminating any local control over gas drilling. The Scorecard covers final passage votes as well as votes on floor amendments to the bill.

See how your state legislators scored by downloading the entire Marcellus Scorecard. Take action and hold your legislators accountable for their votes!