Clean Water News

News Room

As the new home of NHPIRG's environmental work, Environment New Hampshire may be contacted regarding this release.  

CONCORD—More than 77.59% percent of industrial and municipal facilities across New Hampshire discharged more pollution into our waterways than their Clean Water Act permits allow between July 2003 and December 2004, according to "Troubled Waters: An Analysis Of Clean Water Act Compliance," a new report released today by NHPIRG.

“Polluters are using America’s waters as their dumping ground by consistently violating the law. At the same time the EPA’s budget is being slashed and critical clean water programs are being weakened,” said Virginia Robnett, NHPIRG Field Associate. “The Bush Administration should be working to clean up our dirty waters and hold polluters accountable, not working against that end.”

Drafters of the 1972 Clean Water Act was drafted with the goals of eliminating the discharge of pollutants into waterways by 1985 and making all U.S. waters safe for fishing, swimming and other uses by 1983. Today, these goals have still not been reached. More than 40 percent of U.S. waterways are unsafe for swimming and fishing. In New Hampshire, more than 51% of Lakes, Ponds and Reservoirs are Impaired.

Using the Freedom of Information Act, NHPIRG obtained data on facilities’ compliance with the Clean Water Act between July 1, 2003 and December 31, 2004. NHPIRG researchers found that polluters repeatedly exceeded their permit limits, often by egregious amounts.

findings include:
Nationally, 62 percent of all major industrial and municipal facilities discharged more pollution into U.S. waterways than their permits allow at least once during the 18-month period studied. The average facility exceeded its pollution permit limit by more than 275 percent, or almost four times the legal limit.

• New Hampshire ranks 7 in the country for percentage of facilities exceeding their pollution permits with 77.59% of industrial and municipal facilities having exceeded their Clean Water Act permits at least once between July 1, 2003 and December 31, 2004,

• Polluters in New Hampshire reported 65 instances in which they exceeded their Clean Water Act permit by at least 5 times the legal limit.

• Of 58 total major facilities in New Hampshire, 8 reported dumping over their permit requirements 9 out of the 18 months specified.

• 391 violations were reported in New Hampshire for the specified period

“The Clean Water Act has been a marvelous tool for cleaning up our lakes, rivers, and streams, and this important legislation should be fully enforced.” stated Art Cunningham, local fisherman and activist, “With 77% of facilities continuing to over pollute, its clear that the Bush Administration and current enforcement actions are not doing enough.”

Ms. Robnett noted that the findings are likely conservative, since the data that NHPIRG analyzed includes only “major” facilities and does not include pollution discharged into waters by the hundreds of thousands of minor facilities across the country.

“To protect public health and the environment, the Bush administration and our New Hampshire elected officials must hold polluters accountable for their contamination of America’s waterways,”

She called on Representatives Jeb Bradley and Charlie Bass to support the Clean Water Authority Restoration Act, a bill to clarify and uphold the Clean Water Act, ensuring that all U.S. waters are protected. She also recommended that federal and state officials do the following:

• Protect all U.S. waters by withdrawing the Bush administration’s 2003 “No Protection” policy that eliminates Clean Water Act protections for many small streams and wetlands that feed and clean great waters, and supporting passage of the Clean Water Authority Restoration Act.
• Increase EPA Funding to put more environmental cops on the beat to identify and punish polluters violating their Clean Water Act permits, and to fully fund the Clean Water State Revolving Fund to help communities upgrade their sewer systems.
• Strengthen the Clean Water Act by preventing polluters from profiting from pollution, tightening permitted pollution limits, revoking the permits of repeat violators, and ensuring citizens full access to the courts.