Riverkeeper Statement on EPA Rule Perpetuates Unacceptable Status Quo
By: Waterkeeper Alliance
May 20, 2014
Statement by Riverkeeper, Inc. on Important New EPA Ruling Governing Power Plant Cooling Water
Nation’s Largest Users of Freshwater Can Continue Destructive Practices
CONTACT:
Peter Cleary, Waterkeeper Alliance, (347) 322-9695; [email protected]
Tina Posterli, Riverkeeper, Inc., (516) 526-9371, [email protected]
New York, NY – Riverkeeper, on behalf of a coalition of environmental organizations including Waterkeeper Alliance, NRDC and Sierra Club, issued the following statement in response to a U.S. EPA rulemaking, known as 316(b), made today governing power plant cooling water.
“The EPA had ample opportunity over the past 40 years to set reasonable rules that would protect the environment with readily-available and affordable technology, but has instead abdicated the responsibility to state agencies that are simply not equipped to make these decisions alone,” said Mr. Reed Super, attorney representing Waterkeeper Alliance and others, who has worked on the cooling water rule since 2000.
“Unfortunately, EPA’s rule will perpetuate the unacceptable status quo that has allowed antiquated plants to withdraw nearly 100 trillion gallons of fresh and sea water each year, and indiscriminately kill fish and wildlife instead of recycling their cooling water or use dry cooling technology, as modern plants have done for the past three decades. We are beyond disappointed with this new rule.”
A coalition of environmental groups will conduct a tele-press conference Tuesday, May 20th. Time and details to be announced.
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About WATERKEEPER® Alliance
Waterkeeper Alliance is a global movement uniting more than 200 Waterkeeper organizations and focusing citizen advocacy on the issues that affect our waterways, from pollution to climate change. Waterkeepers patrol and protect more than 1.5 million square miles of rivers, streams and coastlines in the Americas, Europe, Australia, Asia and Africa. Waterkeeper Alliance was founded in 1999 by veteran Waterkeepers and Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. to insure our global waterways are swimmable, drinkable and fishable. Learn more at: www.waterkeeper.org or follow @Waterkeeper on Twitter and Facebook.