If you haven’t yet read the New York Times article entitled “Toxic Waters: Clean Water Laws Neglected, at a Cost in Suffering“ that appeared Sunday, September 13, I encourage you to do so now.

The article paints a stark picture of health threats posed by pollution in our nation’s waters. Pollution found in our drinking water is making people sick and has been linked to cancer and damage to the kidneys and nervous system. The Environmental Protection Agency and state regulatory agencies are charged with carrying out the Clean Water Act and the Safe Water Drinking Act in order to ensure clean, safe drinking water. However, between a “culture of transgression and apathy” and a doubling in the number of regulated facilities in the last ten years, the agencies responsible for making sure the laws are enforced are not getting the job done.

Here in Illinois, 63% of regulated facilities are in violation of the Clean Water Act; this is one of the highest violation rates in the country. Yet, Illinois has taken formal enforcement action against just 7% of these facilities.

I think we all agree that clean, safe drinking water is a basic human right and one that must be a priority in all of our communities. Our agencies, and ultimately our elected officials, are failing us. They must do better.

This is where Prairie Rivers Network fits in. As Illinois’ watchdog for clean water, we keep an eye on pollution laws and permits; we monitor permit violations and press for enforcement; we work to help regulators do the best jobs they can and advocate for more resources so that they can do their jobs better (Click here for a recent post on what PRN is doing about coal power plant waste.)

We all have a role to play in protecting our water. You can fill your role by supporting Prairie Rivers Network in our work to hold polluters and agencies accountable so that our water can be clean and safe again.

To see state-specific data and the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency’s response to New York Times inquires go to: http://projects.nytimes.com/toxic-waters/polluters/state-data

Working toward cleaner, safer water,

Glynnis Collins
Executive Director