Heinrich Slams Supreme Court’s Ruling Undermining EPA’s Authority to Enforce Clean Water Act
Decision threatens New Mexicans’ access to clean drinking water
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), a member of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, released the following statement in response to the U.S. Supreme Court's ruling in Sackett v. Environmental Protection Agency, which undercuts the EPA’s authority to address pollution in New Mexico’s waterways:
“The Supreme Court’s radical conservative majority has once again rolled back precedent, disregarded science, and put the health and well-being of New Mexicans at risk. This time, they’ve done it by taking aim at your right to clean water.
"Today’s decision will cause real damage to New Mexico’s waterways and the clean water our communities rely on. Our state’s surface waters and watersheds are already scarce and threatened. We cannot afford to lose protections of those waters. That’s especially true as our climate crisis worsens and our waterways become more susceptible to prolonged drought and aridification.
“The Supreme Court’s radical majority is bent on making it harder for the EPA to protect our waterways. But I’m hellbent on making sure these protections remain in full force under the law.
“Americans want climate action, not polluted waters.”
