We applaud the House of Representatives for passing legislation today to protect our communities from sewage spills.
Just after the official start of summer, the House voted to ensure families heading to the lake or ocean will no longer be left in the dark about sewage pollution. The Sewage Overflow Community Right to Know Act, sponsored by Representatives Bishop (NY) and LoBiondo (NJ), requires public notification when sewage is spilled into our waterways.
More than thirty-five years after Congress passed the Clean Water Act, over 850 billion gallons of raw or partially treated sewage are dumped into U.S. rivers, lakes and bays each year. This sewage pollution closes beaches, harms fish and other wildlife, and endangers public health.
Unfortunately, when bacteria, viruses, and toxics in sewage are dumped into local waterways, the public is not always informed about it. To truly protect the health of Americans and clean up our waters, we need public notification whenever sewage is spilled. The bill passed by the House today will do just that.
We applaud House leadership for taking this action to protect the environment and call on the Senate to do the same. To safeguard public health and our waterways, the Senate should pass this important sewage right to know bill.
