The Senate’s Vote to Overturn the Clean Water Restoration Rule is Bad for Business

Media Release

The American Sustainable Business Network (ASBN) strongly disapproves of the Senate’s vote to overturn the EPA’s 2022 Clean Water Restoration Rule. This decision comes on the heels of the House voting to overturn the rule earlier in March. On March 8th, before the vote in the House, 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 to share how a repeal of the rule would negatively impact his, and other small businesses across the United States. 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 many local economies that depend on tourism to nearby lakes, rivers, and beaches and for certain industries like beverage manufacturing, shellfish, outdoor recreation, farming, and others,” said Colton Fagundes, 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 industrial interests ahead of science-based standards under the Clean Water Act and the health of local economies and communities.”

The Clean Water Restoration Rule finalized in December replaced the Trump Administration’s Navigable Waters Protection Rule and returned to a framework for applying the Clean Water Act that EPA and the US Army Corps of Engineers have used since President George W. Bush’s administration, which enables them to protect our wetlands, streams, and other waters when they have important impacts on downstream water quality. Overturning the rule and allowing pollution of these waters will threaten downstream drinking water and the many local economies and businesses dependent on clean water. Read ASBN’s recent letter endorsed by over 400 businesses calling on Congress to not vote to overturn the Clean Water Restoration Rule here.

About 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 is a multi-issue, business organization advocating on behalf of all sectors, sizes, and geographies of industry. ASBN and its association members collectively represent over 250,000 businesses across our networks. ASBN is coalition-focused in our approach to solving the pervasive and systemic issues of climate and energy, infrastructure, circular economy, and creating an inclusive just stakeholder economy. ASBN is changing the rules by which business is done so it is better for all people and the environment. www.asbnetwork.org