Help Protect the Clean Water Act
Congress is considering a dangerous piece of legislation that could have devastating consequences for clean water protections across the country, including right here in the Chicago-Calumet River system. H.R. 3898, the so-called “PERMIT Act,” is a direct threat to the Clean Water Act. If passed, it would make it easier for corporate polluters to dump toxic contaminants into rivers and streams by gutting core safeguards that protect our water, ecosystems, and communities.
For the Chicago-Calumet River system, this would mean:
- Weakened protections for communities already overburdened by legacy pollution. From neighborhoods near the Calumet Industrial Corridor to the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal, this bill would make it harder to hold polluters accountable for new or ongoing discharges.
- Delays in action on contaminants like PFAS, which have already been detected in regional waterways and pose growing risks to public health and wildlife.
- Removal of state and tribal authority to regulate federal projects, potentially sidelining Illinois and tribal governments in efforts to stop projects that harm our waters.
- Longer pollution permits (up to 10 years) for industrial facilities, limiting the ability to adjust standards as science evolves or environmental conditions worsen.
The Chicago-Calumet River system is experiencing ecological recovery. Now is the time to strengthen protections for our waters, not roll them back. Written comments are due August 6. Please urge your U.S. Representative to vote NO on H.R. 3898 and protect clean water for our region and the Great Lakes.
