Protect Water and Communities from Oil and Gas

Clean Water Action is celebrating our 50th birthday this year and the anniversary of the Clean Water Act which our founder, the late David Zwick, helped to craft and pass in 1972. For 50 years, the Clean Water Act – our nation’s bedrock environmental law – has helped prevent water pollution and protect the health and safety of waterways across the country. 

This week marks the 49th anniversary of the passage of the Clean Water Act, our landmark Federal water protection law. In 1972, the Act set a goal of eliminating pollution in our rivers, lakes, streams and bays by 1985. While we’ve made a lot of progress toward this goal, we are certainly not there.

The oil and gas industry wields enormous political power. Massive spending on elections and lobbying, a relentless spin machine and agency capture at all levels of government have given fossil fuel companies outsized influence on our political, legislative and regulatory processes.