The James River is my home away from home. This historic water body is a popular place for reeling, rafting, wildlife watching, swimming and hiking. I've led canoe and rafting trips along the James River for many years, and its beauty never fails to draw you in. However, the health and splendor of the river is being compromised by contamination and legislation.
This summer, starting a canoeing trip along the James River at Glasgow, a health advisory warning reminded me and other people not to eat the fish. Fish kills have been a problem along the river over the years, and toxic runoff from farms and developed areas are the likely culprits. The pollution causes the fish to develop lesions and become intersex, which means they have both male and female body parts. This is certainly bad news for anglers and for anyone else who wants to enjoy this historic river.
You don't have to be an environmentalist to care about fresh, healthy water for drinking, boating, fishing and swimming in. No one wants to eat fish with a few extra bits and pieces that shouldn't be there. But congressional overreach is making it harder to protect Virginia's waters from pollution, as well as water bodies and wetlands all over the country.
Sens. John Barrasso, R-Wyo., and Dean Heller, R-Nev., introduced a rider to a bill in Congress that seeks to crush the ability of the Army Corps of Engineers and the Environmental Protection Agency to keep pollution out of our waters. This misguided legislation will sabotage decades of bipartisan efforts and stop the agencies from bringing clarity and stronger safeguards to the Clean Water Act. This nearly 40-year-old law shields our rivers, lakes, streams and wetlands from pollution and ruin.
But, after a series of confusing Supreme Court rulings, this law's interpretation needs to be clarified through a rulemaking and guidance process that will provide greater clarity and restored scope as to which waters fall under its protection. The Barrasso-Heller rider will continue the confusion and contamination of our waters.
Having clean water is not only common sense; it's something healthy people can't live without. Americans across the political spectrum realize this. We want more safeguards for our rivers, beaches and drinking water. Unfortunately, the irresponsible polluters representing virtually every industrial source of toxic waste leaching into our waters — including the oil and gas industry, the mining industry, corporate agribusiness and mega-developers — are vigorously opposing efforts to restore Clean Water Act jurisdiction to these waters.
I urge Sens. Mark Warner and Jim Webb to oppose the Barrasso-Heller rider and support protecting and restoring long-standing Clean Water Act protections to protect America's waters. I urge them to stand up for all Virginians and the clean water they deserve, not with big polluters. If the corps and EPA are allowed to do their jobs, all Americans will have cleaner water and stronger protections. And the fish in the mighty James will grow healthy again.
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