The Clean Water Act (CWA) has been a foundational piece of environmental legislation since its creation in 1948. Its main goal is to protect U.S. waters from harmful pollutants - work that is vital to the health of American citizens and ecosystems alike. In light of recent global and domestic water crises (such as the tragic corruption of Flint, Michigan's drinking water), it has become all the more clear how critical it is that the United States make safeguarding its water a priority. 

Despite the clear importance of such regulation, the EPA recently stated its intent to alter the definition of "Waters of the United States" as was written into the CWA in 2015. This revision would exclude currently protected bodies of water, such as wetlands, groundwater, and certain streams, from any sort of pollution regulation. This lack of oversight would have disastrous consequences. Should this rule change occur, the drinking water of 1 in 3 Americans would be put at risk of contamination - as was the case prior to the 2015 amendment. 

The catastrophic and irreversible consequences that would result from the alteration of this definition are too grave to bear. As young members of our national community, we care deeply about the American public and the repercussions it would be forced to face as a result of such careless legislating. We are especially concerned for the most vulnerable members of our nation who would likely be hit hardest by the defilement of their drinking water and land. 

The EPA has designated a 60 day comment period to provide the American public with the opportunity to voice their opinions on this proposed revision. We intend to do just that, and we implore you to join us in the fight to keep our nation's water clean. 

Thank you,

Katie, Lauren, Sarah, and Mateo (New Trier High School Students)