FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 12th, 2019
Contact:
Cara Cook, Climate Change Program Coordinator, ANHE
585.469.2383
cara@envirn.org
The Trump Administration’s Dismantling of Clean Water Protections Puts Millions of American’s Health at Risk
Washington, D.C. (September 12, 2019)— Today the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Andrew Wheeler is announcing a proposal to radically redefine Clean Water Act protections for drinking water sources in the United States. In response to this announcement the Alliance of Nurses for Healthy Environments’ Executive Director, Katie Huffling, MS, RN, CNM issued the following statement:
“The Alliance of Nurses for Healthy Environments strongly opposes the Trump Administration effects to drastically weaken clean water protections. The repeal announced today will strip safeguards for wetlands and streams across the country, threatening drinking water sources for millions of Americans.
“As nurses we recognize clean water as an essential component of human health. Many of those impacted by unsafe drinking water are low-income families or communities of color. These communities need the EPA to support strong clean water regulations so children and families are not unknowingly being exposed to unsafe drinking water. By cutting these clean water safeguards, Administrator Wheeler is putting the health of millions of Americans at risk.
“EPA must act accordingly to put the health of the American people first and rescind its decision to dismantle these vital clean water protections.”
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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.
