SBN is disheartened by the US Supreme Court’s ruling in Sackett v. EPA. In late May, the Supreme Court decided in favor of extreme demands of big polluters by excluding tens of millions of acres of wetlands from the Clean Water Act’s oversight. This ruling significantly restricts the EPA’s ability to issue effective water standards, harming our environment, our communities, and our businesses.
“Our businesses depend on clean water to operate and serve our communities. They should not have to choose between the health of our communities and environment or the health of our economy. This ruling allows polluters to cut corners and evade common-sense protections, exporting their waste onto downstream businesses and communities,” said Devi Ramkissoon, Executive Director of SBN.
Our businesses understand the negative ripple effect of this decision. 80% of small business owners in the US support strong federal protections for our waters. In a recent amicus brief filed by ASBN and partners, Tess Hart, CEO of Triple Bottom Brewing, an SBN member business and Board member, shared in her testimony “Our business depends on clean, safe waterways to survive. As a brewery, Philadelphia’s tap water is our main ingredient…we know that, in truth, our waterways — the rivers and wetlands that shape our ecosystem — require active protection…”
With the future of our waterways lying in the hands of Congress and State Legislators, SBN is committed to advocating for our businesses and communities to protect the clean water they deserve. Help us to advance our work by becoming a member of SBN, learning more about our advocacy efforts, and donating to support our work. In addition, you can join SBN, our member businesses, and our partners to tell Congress it’s time to defend our right to clean water.
