The American Sustainable Business Network (ASBN) strongly opposes the Senate’s vote to overturn the EPA’s 2022 Clean Water Restoration Rule, following a similar vote in the House earlier in March. Before the House vote, ASBN member Rick Baumann, founder and owner of Murrells Inlet Seafood, testified at the Small Business Perspectives on the Impacts of the Biden Administration’s Waters of the United States (WOTUS) Rule hearing, highlighting how repealing the rule would harm small businesses across the country. Read his testimony here.
“While a few polluters will benefit from gutting our nation’s clean water rules, most businesses depend on clean water. Clean water protections are especially important for industries like beverage manufacturing, shellfish, outdoor recreation, and farming, as well as for local economies that rely on tourism to lakes, rivers, and beaches,” said Colton Fagundes, ASBN’s Director of Clean Water and Agriculture Policy. “ASBN and our business members are disappointed by the Senate’s decision to put the profits of large polluting industries ahead of science-based standards under the Clean Water Act, jeopardizing the health of communities and local economies.”
The Clean Water Restoration Rule, finalized in December, replaced the Trump Administration’s Navigable Waters Protection Rule and reinstated a regulatory framework that had been in place since the George W. Bush administration. This rule enables the EPA and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to safeguard wetlands, streams, and other bodies of water that impact downstream water quality. Overturning these protections will increase pollution risks, threaten drinking water, and endanger businesses reliant on clean water access.
ASBN recently led a letter, endorsed by over 400 businesses, urging Congress not to overturn the Clean Water Restoration Rule. Read the full letter here.
About the American Sustainable Business Network
The American Sustainable Business Network partners with business organizations and companies to advocate for solutions and policies that support an equitable, sustainable stakeholder economy. ASBN represents over 250,000 businesses across industries and works to address systemic challenges related to climate, energy, infrastructure, and economic justice. Visit ASBN at www.asbnetwork.org.
