ACTION
Stop the EPA from gutting the Clean Water Act!
The Clean Water Act was passed more than 50 years ago in response to widespread outrage over the use of our nation’s waterways as dumping grounds for pollution. Thanks to this law, our waterways have become significantly cleaner. Rolling back clean water protections would have devastating consequences for both people and the environment.
Following the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s proposed rollbacks to the Clean Water Act last year, the agency has updated its proposal to go even further and remove protections from waterways that do not contain surface water for at least 11 consecutive months throughout the year.
Among the waterways that would lose protections are many intermittent streams and isolated wetlands in Appalachia. Without protections, these waterways could be polluted or destroyed. The Natural Resources Defense Council has estimated that the new rule would eliminate Clean Water Act protections for 79% of streams and 94% of wetlands throughout the U.S.
How communities in Appalachia could be impacted:
1. Drinking Water: If headwater streams in Appalachia become polluted, downstream waterways that provide drinking water to communities would also be polluted. More water treatment would be needed, resulting in higher household water bills.
2. Flooding: Streams and wetlands help to capture excess water during heavy rain events. If these waterways are allowed to be filled in, communities will be at a greater risk for flooding and increased disaster deaths and recovery costs.
3. Environment & Wildlife: Putting healthy intermittent streams and wetlands at risk could harm important species habitat and ecosystems. This, in turn, would hurt fishing, recreation and other opportunities that support local economies.
Tell the EPA that we can’t afford to weaken the Clean Water Act!
PETITION
TO: Stacey Jensen
Acting Director, Office of Wetlands, Oceans and Watersheds
Dear Acting Director Jensen,
Appalachian Voices and the undersigned individuals write to express strong opposition to the Environmental Protection Agency’s proposed rule entitled “Updated Definition of ‘Waters of the United States’” (Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OW-2025-0322).
For more than 50 years the Clean Water Act has helped to improve the health and safety of our nation’s waterways and the people who depend on them. This proposed rule would drastically limit the number of waterways that are protected, and would have devastating consequences for people and the environment. The Appalachian region contains many intermittent streams and isolated wetlands. Under the proposed rule, these waterways would no longer be protected, leading to more polluted drinking water, increased flooding risks, and harm to local economies.
Polluted drinking water
The proposed rule could have devastating impacts on drinking water in both Appalachia and downstream communities. Intermittent streams often form the headwaters of larger stream systems that provide drinking water to communities. If these intermittent streams are no longer protected and allowed to be polluted, downstream waterways and interconnected groundwater sources will also become polluted.
Polluted source waters will result in increased water costs for households. Many people in Appalachia rely on well water, which is particularly difficult and expensive to treat once it has become contaminated. And individuals who are connected to public water systems will have to pay more for water, as water utilities pass increased water treatment costs onto ratepayers. At a time when so many Americans are already struggling to pay their bills, families cannot afford to pay more for water.
Increased flooding risks
The Appalachian region is particularly susceptible to heavy rains and damaging flooding. The region has experienced a number of devastating floods in recent years, and these events are only expected to become more frequent and severe in the future. Intermittent streams and wetlands help to capture excess water during heavy rain events, mitigating the risk of flooding in nearby and downstream communities.
Under the proposed rule, these intermittent streams and wetlands could be filled in or destroyed, removing their ability to absorb excess water. The result would be more water flowing downstream into communities, where it could cause dangerous and damaging flooding. Increased disaster recovery costs associated with greater flooding will be borne by all Americans.
Ecological and economic harms
Intermittent streams and wetlands in Appalachia provide important habitat for fish and other aquatic species. Fishing is both an important part of Appalachian culture and a source of food for many families. Healthy waterways and fish populations are also an important draw for visitors seeking opportunities for outdoor recreation.
The proposed rule would make it possible to pollute or destroy these ecologically important waterways. This would harm not only species living in the affected waterways, but also species living in other waterways to which they are connected through ephemeral surface flows or underground waters. The result would be fewer opportunities for fishing and recreation in Appalachia, hurting both the individuals who depend on these waterways and the local economies that rely on outdoor recreation.
Despite the many successes of the Clean Water Act, there are still communities in Appalachia that lack access to safe, clean drinking water. Removing protections for more waterways will only make the situation worse for these communities, while also putting other communities at risk.
The EPA’s stated mission is to protect human health and the environment. But this proposed rule would do the exact opposite — exposing the American people to more pollution and flooding, while harming the environments that support communities and local economies. We strongly urge you to rescind this dangerous proposal.