Report shows half of U.S. waterways don't meet Clean Water Act standards, 50 years later

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Produced by: 
KBOO
Air date: 
Thu, 03/17/2022 - 5:30pm to 5:45pm

 

It's been 50 years since the landmark environmental law, the Clean Water Act, was passed in 1972. It was an ambitious piece of legislation, and it made a real difference in some of the most polluted waterways in the U.S. But a new report from the Environmental Integrity Project shows that half a century later, the promises of the Clean Water Act have only been half kept.

Their research ranked Oregon as #2 in the U.S. for the most miles of rivers and waterways that aren't safe for swimming or recreation. 

Eric Shaeffer is the Executive Director of the Environmental Integrity Project and co-author of the report, "The Clean Water Act at 50: Promises Half Kept at the Half Century Mark." KBOO's Althea Billings reports.

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