Clean Water Act Marks 50 Years as Lawyers Say Improvement Needed
October 18, 2022 – Media MentionEnvironmental Partner Noah Perch-Ahern spoke with Bloomberg Law about the 50-year anniversary of the Clean Water Act.
Excerpts:
“Congress overrode a presidential veto to enact the Clean Water Act, ushering in a sea change in the way we address water resources in this country,” said Noah Perch-Ahern, a partner at Greenberg Glusker LLP in Los Angeles.
“There are more fishable waters today than there were 50 years ago, and water quality has improved significantly throughout the country,” Perch-Ahern said.
The effect of the law over the next 50 years in uncertain because continued water quality improvements and maintenance of existing water quality require effective enforcement, sufficient funding, and proactive federal and state officials dedicated to keeping waterways clean, Perch-Ahern said.
“The cost to limit water pollution and provide clean water has been and will remain enormous,” Perch-Ahern said. “In an era of inflation and competing demands on our infrastructure, continued investment in clean water will be subject to substantial cost-allocation pressure.”
The Clean Water Act’s future is uncertain because its reach isn’t yet settled law, Perch-Ahern said.
Read the article on Bloomberg Law >>