Corzine Cracks Down On Illegal Polluters: To Introduce Clean Water Enforcement Act

Washington, DC - Senator Jon S. Corzine (D-NJ) announced today that he will introduce the "Clean Water Enforcement and Compliance Improvement Act" in the United States Senate.

The announcement came on the same day that U.S. PIRG released a report showing that many companies continue dump toxins into lakes and rivers in violation of federal law.

"Thirty years after the passage of the Clean Water Act, forty percent of U.S. water bodies are still not safe for fishing and swimming," said Senator Corzine. "Today's report shows that illegal pollution continues and illustrates the desperate need to strengthen the law and increase our enforcement efforts."

Senator Corzine's Clean Water Enforcement and Compliance Improvement Act would set mandatory fines for facilities that repeatedly violate the law, and ensure that any economic benefits resulting from a violation of the Clean Water Act are recovered. Additionally, it would open records about facilities' environmental performance to public scrutiny, and provide for posting of notices of polluted waters. It would also mandate inspections for repeat offenders of the Act and require applicants for discharge permits to submit pollution prevention plans that detail how they will reduce their discharge of pollutants.

Senator Corzine added, "Thirty years after the passage of the Clean Water Act, it is time to fulfill the promise of the Act."

Legislation similar to the Corzine bill was introduced in the House in July by Representative Frank Pallone (D-NJ).