FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 24, 2020
Contact:
Cara Cook, Climate & Health Program Manager, ANHE
585.469.2383
cara@envirn.org
The Trump Administration’s Latest Assault on Clean Water Protections Puts American’s Health at Risk
Washington, D.C. (January 24, 2020)— The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Administrator Andrew Wheeler has announced a revised rule that would drastically reduce protections for US waterways under the Clean Water Act, putting public health at risk. In response to this announcement the Alliance of Nurses for Healthy Environments’ Executive Director, Katie Huffling, MS, RN, CNM issued the following statement:
“The decision by the Trump Administration to dramatically rollback clean water protections not only erases critical protections under the 2015 Clean Water Rule, but reverses protections for streams and wetlands that have been in place since the 1980s. These latest rollbacks pose significant risks to human health and the environment and will have negative impacts for communities across the country.
“Access to clean and safe drinking water is essential for human health. Yet, communities across the country continue to struggle with accessing clean drinking water. Stripping safeguards for millions of miles of streams and nearly half of the country’s wetlands threatens the drinking water sources for millions of Americans. Low-income families and communities of color are disproportionately impacted by exposure to unsafe drinking water.
“The Clean Water Act is a bedrock law that helps ensure clean and safe drinking water protections for all Americans. Americans need EPA to support strong clean water regulations, so children and families are not unknowingly being exposed to unsafe drinking water.”
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The Alliance of Nurses for Healthy Environments is the only national nursing organization focused solely on the intersection of health and the environment. The mission of the Alliance is to promote healthy people and healthy environments by educating and leading the nursing profession, advancing research, incorporating evidence-based practice, and influencing policy.
