By Jack Braun


Everyone is familiar with Benjamin Franklin’s timeless adage, “Don’t put off until tomorrow what you can do today.”

While most would agree with the merits of such a philosophy, when it comes to saving our environment, it seems many American policymakers are often too preoccupied with mitigating short-term costs to address the real core of the problem.

The reality is that it is much easier to damage the environment than it is to fix it, and there are tangible, long-term costs for all members of society if this damage is allowed to occur.
That is why Virginians must support the Waters of the United States Rule. The Rule was proposed by the EPA to close loopholes in the Clean Water Act, after Supreme Court decisions in 2001 and 2006 left in limbo the status of many streams and wetlands previously protected under the Act — 57 percent of waterways in Virginia alone.

The rule is a crucial step in working to prevent the degradation of waterways like our beloved Chesapeake Bay and to protect our nation’s precious natural resources for future generations.

Unfortunately, Virginia’s House of Delegates has already passed a dangerous resolution that proclaims Virginia’s opposition to the Waters of the United States Rule.

The first problem with the HJ666 Resolution is that it disregards science. The resolution relies on the false claim that “the proposed rule rests on scientific analysis that is still under review.”

In fact, last month the EPA released a final report, which consulted 1,200 peer-reviewed publications and concluded that upstream inputs in river systems significantly affect the health and quality of downstream waterways.

The evidence is clear: Virginia’s river systems will suffer if the 28,000 miles of streams and wetlands that lack protections across the state are left at risk of unchecked pollution.

In addition to denying these facts, opponents of the rule also cling to economic justifications for their position. However, Ben Franklin’s words are perhaps nowhere more applicable than when considering waterway protections from an economic standpoint.

The long-term costs of not passing the rule could, in fact, far outweigh the increased costs or regulatory requirements that the resolution cites as reason for its opposition.

Virginia’s economy is inextricably dependent on the health and viability of its natural resources. From the billion-dollar outdoor recreation industry to breweries and vineyards, nearly all local businesses rely on clean water either directly or indirectly for their survival.

One study in the Ecological Economics Journal estimates that Virginia alone has enjoyed nearly $16 billion in economic benefits from the introduction of the Clean Water Act in 1972.

Additionally, the rule would protect the streams and wetlands that flow into the drinking water of more than two million Virginians.

We need only look to Dan River Coal Ash Spill or the Elk River catastrophe last year to see the far-reaching damage that pollution can have on the health and economies of our communities.

The House of Delegates’ resolution is misguided and shortsighted. We must look beyond potential short-term costs to consider the true cost-benefit analysis associated with protecting our waterways. We must act boldly against the specter of environmental degradation and start by supporting the Waters of the United States Rule.

Jack Braun is a junior at Dartmouth College and a clean water intern for Environment Virginia, who enjoys just about any outdoor activity. Email him at jbraun@environmentamerica.org.