The Puget Sound National Estuary Program was made possible by the Clean Water Act. | The city of Mukilateo
Administrators with the Environmental Protection Agency, along with local leaders, gathered Aug. 5 in Seattle to launch a celebration tour of the 50th anniversary of the Clean Water Act.
The EPA tour celebrating the Clean Water Act, will "highlight waters that are essential to healthy people, vibrant ecosystems, agricultural productivity and economic growth," according to an EPA news release. Stops along the tour include the Florida Everglades, Chesapeake Bay, Great Lakes, Cuyahoga River, the San Francisco Bay and more.
“When Congress passed the Clean Water Act in 1972 — with an overwhelming bipartisan majority — it charted a new path for America’s waters. As a result, we have seen transformational progress over the last 50 years — waters that were once polluted are now fishable and swimmable,” Radhika Fox, EPA assistant administrator for water, said in the release. "President Biden and Congress have laid the foundation for the next 50 years of progress by investing $50 billion in EPA’s water programs through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law."
The law led to the Puget Sound National Estuary Program, a joint effort involving state, Tribal, local governments and non-governmental organizations, said EPA Regional Administrator Casey Sixkiller, according to the release.
“Here in the Pacific Northwest, our iconic waterbodies are the lifeblood of our communities,” Sixkiller said in the release. “We depend on them for so many things – drinking water, transportation and goods movement, recreation, our culture and our way of life. In many ways, water defines us. Together we have made great progress to protect and restore the Sound and together we’ll continue this critically important work."
“Over the past 50 years, the Clean Water Act has been a powerful tool to protect and restore water quality in Washington,” said Laura Watson, Washington Department of Ecology director, according to the release. “A strong partnership with EPA helps us to preserve our state’s waters and provide a healthy environment for our families, farms and communities.”
