Commemorating the 50th anniversary of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act Amendments of 1972, commonly known as the "Clean Water Act".

[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Con. Res. 113 Introduced in House (IH)]

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117th CONGRESS
  2d Session
H. CON. RES. 113

   Commemorating the 50th anniversary of the Federal Water Pollution 
  Control Act Amendments of 1972, commonly known as the ``Clean Water 
                                 Act''.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            October 14, 2022

Mr. DeFazio (for himself, Mrs. Napolitano, Mrs. Dingell, and Mr. Beyer) 
 submitted the following concurrent resolution; which was referred to 
           the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure

_______________________________________________________________________

                         CONCURRENT RESOLUTION


 
   Commemorating the 50th anniversary of the Federal Water Pollution 
  Control Act Amendments of 1972, commonly known as the ``Clean Water 
                                 Act''.

Whereas the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (commonly known, and referred to 
        in this resolution, as the ``Clean Water Act'') is one of the most 
        important environmental laws in the United States and the Nation's 
        principal safeguard against pollution, degradation, and destruction of 
        surface waters, including streams, rivers, wetlands, and lakes;
Whereas implementation of the Clean Water Act has resulted in progress towards 
        the objective of the legislation to ``restore and maintain the chemical, 
        physical, and biological integrity of the Nation's waters'' by--

    (1) significantly reducing water pollution;

    (2) substantially improving the quality of tens of thousands of 
waterbodies; and

    (3) dramatically reducing the rate of wetlands loss;

Whereas, despite the improvements brought about by implementation of the Clean 
        Water Act, failure to fully achieve the intended goals of the Clean 
        Water Act are due to--

    (1) changes to interpretation of the Clean Water Act, which have 
weakened protections for the Nation's waters;

    (2) lack of adequate and equitable investments in clean water 
infrastructure and funding to implement and enforce the Clean Water Act; 
and

    (3) weak and inequitable enforcement and implementation of critical 
provisions of the Clean Water Act;

Whereas, as the United States embarks on the next 50 years of the Clean Water 
        Act, Congress envisions--

    (1) expanded access to clean water for every community by--

    G    (A) protecting waters with cultural, historical, spiritual, and 
religious significance;

    G    (B) ensuring that rivers, streams, and other waterbodies are 
fishable and swimmable and serve as safe and reliable sources of 
recreation, drinking water, and subsistence;

    G    (C) restoring and safeguarding waterways and wetlands that provide 
vital fish and wildlife habitat and protect communities from floods and 
droughts; and

    G    (D) making healthy shorelines, waterfronts, and water-related 
recreation available and welcoming to all;

    (2) prioritizing affordable clean water investments for underserved and 
economically disadvantaged communities that have, historically, been most 
harmed by pollution;

    (3) providing incentives for natural infrastructure and nature-based 
solutions;

    (4) building climate resiliency and mitigation of climate impacts into 
the Nation's water infrastructure;

    (5) supporting robust, transparent, and meaningful community engagement 
and community-led solutions and decisionmaking, including meaningfully 
incorporating the perspectives and solutions of Tribal communities;

    (6) ensuring affordable clean water services for all;

    (7) protecting and restoring ecosystems by--

    G    (A) eliminating harmful algal blooms, algal toxins in drinking 
water supplies, and ``dead zones'' by reducing inputs of nitrogen and 
phosphorus from the most significant sources;

    G    (B) preventing destruction and degradation of remaining wetlands 
and restoring and protecting wetlands across the country;

    G    (C) restoring all waters, especially the most polluted waterways 
and waterways in the communities most impacted by pollution;

    G    (D) incorporating climate change science and modeling and 
indigenous knowledge into planning and restoration efforts;

    G    (E) improving water quality, healthy river flows, and groundwater 
recharge;

    G    (F) removing outdated infrastructure that is adversely impacting 
the health of waters; and

    G    (G) supporting significant protected areas and free-flowing 
riverine systems, including components of the National Wild and Scenic 
Rivers System, units of the National Park System, national forests, units 
of the National Wildlife Refuge System, and components of the National 
Wilderness Preservation System;

    (8) promoting an inclusive, transparent, and equitable approach to 
policy development, based on the best available science, by--

    G    (A) proactively protecting human health and the environment from 
discharges of harmful pollutants, including new, emerging, and toxic 
contaminants;

    G    (B) basing decisions on the most credible climate projections;

    G    (C) accepting community-sourced and peer-reviewed science as a 
source of data for decisionmaking related to the Clean Water Act;

    G    (D) ensuring that all decisions comply with the full suite of 
applicable laws;

    G    (E) ensuring that States are consistent and timely in 
implementation of the Clean Water Act; and

    G    (F) increasing the reach and accuracy of water quality monitoring 
and assessment by providing funding to States, agencies, and other 
organizations conducting such activities; and

    (9) holding polluters accountable through effective and consistent 
enforcement measures, including--

    G    (A) prioritizing prosecutions of violations of the Clean Water Act 
that have affected underserved and economically disadvantaged communities 
that have, historically, been most harmed by pollution;

    G    (B) ensuring that Federal and State agencies carefully, clearly, 
and equitably apply the requirements of the Clean Water Act;

    G    (C) providing the resources needed to ensure that Federal and 
State agencies have the capacity to effectively implement and enforce the 
Clean Water Act; and

    G    (D) safeguarding the Nation's cleanest and most pristine waters, 
including wild and scenic rivers and waters in national and State parks, 
through designation as Outstanding National Resource Waters: Now, 
therefore, be it

    Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate concurring), 
That Congress--
            (1) commemorates the 50th anniversary of the enactment of 
        the Federal Water Pollution Control Act Amendments of 1972 
        (Public Law 92-500; 86 Stat. 816);
            (2) recognizes the historic achievements in improving water 
        quality that have been made during the 50 years of 
        implementation of the Clean Water Act; and
            (3) recognizes the need to address the shortcomings of the 
        Clean Water Act in restoring and maintaining the chemical, 
        physical, and biological integrity of the Nation's waters, 
        including by--
                    (A) expanding access to clean water for every 
                community;
                    (B) recognizing that a robust Clean Water Act is 
                critical for the protection of human and environmental 
                health, for the promotion of healthy and robust 
                economies, and for maintaining a healthy quality of 
                life;
                    (C) increasing clean water infrastructure 
                investments in communities throughout the Nation and 
                targeting increased and affordable investments in 
                communities most at risk of continued pollution;
                    (D) addressing climate resiliency and mitigation of 
                climate impacts on clean water infrastructure;
                    (E) promoting an inclusive, transparent, and 
                equitable approach to Clean Water Act policy 
                development, based on the best available science;
                    (F) holding polluters accountable; and
                    (G) ensuring the protection and restoration of 
                rivers, streams, lakes, wetlands, and natural 
                ecosystems.
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