This is a critical week in the U.S. Congress. The House will vote on a bill that could have negative impacts on the quality of waterways in our nation for years to come. With the most anti-environmental Congress to date currently in charge, today is a big day for clean air and water. By a narrow margin, the Senate voted against a bill that would take away power from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

Steve Johnson and his daughter on his coal-ash-covered driveway

On the House side, there will be a vote on the floor of the House about “a motion to instruct conferees” to include a rider that would freeze the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s public rule-making on coal ash storage and disposal. EPA’s rule-making does not cover the use of coal ash in construction and is therefore not relevant to the final Transportation bill, but coal industry allies have been making false claims that coal ash regulation will influence highway construction. Rep. David McKinley of West Virginia has been the leading the charge on this front.

Email your congressional representative today to ask them to keep coal ash out of the Transportation Bill.