지난 27일 미국 환경보호청(EPA)과 미 육군(U.S. Army)이 ‘미 수도법(Waters of the U.S.)’이라고도 불리는 ‘청정수법(Clean Water Rule)’을 공식적으로 완결함에 따라 역사적인 이정표를 세웠다. 이 법은 미국 내 수자원 토대를 이루고 있는 하천과 습지를 지속되는 공해 및 오염의 위협으로부터 보호하기 위해 고안됐다.

 

EPA 관리자 Gina McCarthy는 "우리 마을에 깨끗한 식수를 공급하는 강과 호수의 물을 위해서는 그곳에 물을 대는 원천인 하천과 습지의 수질 역시 깨끗하게 유지해야 한다"고 말했다.

 

 

 

Today, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Army reached a historic milestone by officially finalizing the Clean Water Rule (CWR), or "Waters of the U.S." rule, designed to protect streams and wetlands that form the foundation of the nation's water resources from ongoing threats of pollution and degradation.

 

The CWR ensures that waters protected under the Clean Water Act are more precisely defined and predictably determined, making permitting less costly, easier and faster for businesses and industry. The rule is grounded in law and the latest science and is shaped by public input. Further, it does not create any new permitting requirements for agriculture and maintains all previous exemptions and exclusions.

 

"For the water in the rivers and lakes in our communities that flow to our drinking water to be clean, the streams and wetlands that feed them need to be clean too," said EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy. "Protecting our water sources is a critical component of adapting to climate change impacts like drought, sea level rise, stronger storms, and warmer temperatures -- which is why EPA and the Army have finalized the Clean Water Rule to protect these important waters, so we can strengthen our economy and provide certainty to American businesses."

 

"Today's rule marks the beginning of a new era in the history of the Clean Water Act," said Assistant Secretary for the Army (Civil Works) Jo-Ellen Darcy. "This rule responds to the public's demand for greater clarity, consistency and predictability when making jurisdictional determinations. The result will be better public service nationwide."

 

Protection for many of the nation's streams and wetlands has been confusing, complex and time-consuming as the result of Supreme Court decisions in 2001 and 2006. EPA and the Army are taking this action today to provide clarity on protections under the Clean Water Act after receiving requests for over a decade from members of Congress, state and local officials, industry, agriculture, environmental groups, scientists, and the public for a rulemaking.

 

In developing the rule, the agencies held more than 400 meetings with stakeholders across the country, reviewed over one million public comments, and listened carefully to perspectives from all sides. EPA and the Army also utilized the latest science, including a report summarizing more than 1,200 peer-reviewed, published scientific studies, which showed that small streams and wetlands play an integral role in the health of larger downstream waterbodies.

 

[출처 = Water World / 2015년 5월 27일]