New Rules Issued For Clean Water Act

BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- A decade after a Supreme Court decision muddied the waters of the Clean Water Act, new rules have been hammered out.

Alex DeMetrick reports on what that means for Maryland and the Chesapeake Bay.

Cleaning the Chesapeake Bay is very much a work in progress and much of that work is being focused on the streams that feed the rivers and the bay. Forty years ago, the Clean Water Act was designed to do that but Supreme Court decisions sent the law back to the EPA to fine-tune it.

It took 10 years. Now...

"The rule clears up confusion, providing greater certainty for the first time in more than a decade which waters are protected," said Shawn Garvin, EPA regional administrator.

And the watershed of the Chesapeake Bay is included, which is what brought environmentalists to hear Garvin at the National Aquarium, a heavy user of local water.

"Clean water is what helps our 15,000 animals there inside our building but it also helps the animals outside our building in our harbor and streams and rivers of Maryland," said Aquarium Conservation Director Laura Bankey.

The impact of clean water goes well beyond wetlands and wildlife.

"You cannot do business without clean water," said Jim High, Baltimore Boating Center.

High's business is a family-owned marina in Middle River.

"If families don't come to our family marina and find clean water, they won't come back," he said.

And it's beer, not boats, that keeps the Jailbreak Brewing Company in business in Laurel.

"Water is about 95% of our beer, not to mention all of the ingredients need clean water to grow properly," said Kasey Turner, Jailbreak Brewing Company.

Meaning a lot of demand downstream, with the bay the last stop.

Besides waterways, the new rule means millions of acres of wetlands will again be shielded under federal law.