Number: 1998-14
WHEREAS, non-point (or diffuse) sources of pollution, such as runoff, airborne sources, contaminated groundwater, and contaminated sediments, have become the nation’s largest water quality problem, causing many of our rivers, lakes, and beaches to be unsafe for swimming, fishing, and wildlife; and
WHEREAS, more than half the nation’s 2,000 major watersheds are moderately to severely impaired due to non-point sources of pollution; and
WHEREAS, one example of serious water quality problems stemming from non-point source pollution is the recent outbreaks of the microbe, Pfiesteria piscicida, in the mid Atlantic coastal region, which sickened about 30 people in Maryland and caused fish kills of up to 1 billion fish in North Carolina; and
WHEREAS, other water quality problems are due to cumulative impacts from a number of pollution sources and the alterations of the physical habitat, such as channel modification and streamflow alteration; and
WHEREAS, federal programs in place to address diffuse sources of pollution, such as the Clean Water Act’s Section 319 non-point source program and the 1996 Farm Bill’s conservation programs, are voluntary and not enough to curb the nation’s massive stormwater pollution and runoff problems; and
WHEREAS, the Total Maximum Daily Load (or TMDL) provision of the Clean Water Act, found in Section 303(d), is an important tool to restore polluted waters, regardless of the pollution source; and
WHEREAS, TMDLs are enforceable, requiring states to take action to deal with their chronic water pollution problems, and are particularly important for non-point source controls because of the absence of other mandatory control mechanisms under federal law; and
WHEREAS, the Clean Water Act’s TMDL provision represents an opportunity for grassroots citizens, civic organizations, watershed groups, and the general public to get involved to restore their watersheds; and
WHEREAS, opportunities for public involvement include the biennial development of state TMDL “Impaired Waters” lists, review of TMDLs being proposed in local watersheds, renewal of discharge permits, review of other federal permits for activities that may involve discharges, review of state and federal agreements concerning the implementation of the Clean Water Act;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the National Wildlife Federation in its Annual Meeting assembled March 19-22, 1998, in Alexandria, Virginia, hereby recognizes the important role of TMDLs to restore impaired waters and urges the state governments and federal agencies to assume a leading role in the identification of impaired waters and the development and implementation of TMDLs through enforceable mechanisms to restore those waters; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the National Wildlife Federation encourages the issuance of standards to control pollution from Concentrated Animal Feedlot Operations; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the National Wildlife Federation calls on Congress to provide adequate agency funding to address these important sources of pollution; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the National Wildlife Federation encourages its supporters, affiliates, like-minded organizations, and the general public to get involved in the effort to restore their waters through the TMDL process.