Clean Water Act Only ‘Half Kept at Half Century,’ Group Charges

Goals to clean up waters and a legal mandate to modernize pollutant discharge limits have “fallen far short” since the Clean Water Act’s inception 50 years ago, an environmental group said in a report released Thursday.

The landmark legislation on U.S. water governance promised to make “impaired” waters fishable, swimmable, and drinkable sources by 1983, then eliminate pollutant discharges by 1985. But a report from the Environmental Integrity Project finds that tight budgets and “toothless” cleanup plans have left that work incomplete, with 55% of lake acres, 25% of bays and estuaries, and 50% of rivers and streams assessed still ...