The State of Water.

The NYT's published an article in yesterday's paper detailing how America's water is becoming more polluted as regulators continually fail to prosecute offenders. Its been 37 years since the Clean Water Act became law. The bill's goal was to eliminate toxic substances from America's water sources by 1983, in 2009 the Times estimates that nearly one in 10 Americans is consuming water that does not meet federal safety standards.

In Woburn, Massasuchesutts between 1969 and 1973 cancer deaths increased by 17 percent. The cause was found six years later when high levels of chemical contamination were found in Woburn's city wells. W.R. Grace a chemical company was to blame, they had been burying chemicals near the wells since the 1960's. The company settled with the families for a mere 8 million, eight years later the EPA was able to prove Grace's negligence in an official report. Cases like these are found all over the country, from coal slurry's in West Virginia to liquefied feces that seep into wells near dairy farms in California and Wisconsin. Woburn and Love Canal might be historical references, but the fact is even with the publicity of those events America's water sources are still in great peril.

Kevin Drum recently did an interview where he was asked whats the next step for progressive bloggers. He said "the liberal blogosphere needs to use our platform to mobilize real-world action more effectively." In the case of water contamination I imagine the people in power pick up the Times and read the same article everyone else does. If that knowledge is not enough to invoke a solution, you and I have to let them know we care about it. So here's my activism. If you read this and maybe the Times article and your fed up with the system go to this link. Call your congressman and senator and tell them its time to step up to the plate. The fact is every morning I shower, brush my teeth, and brew my coffee with clean water. If you ask me access to safe water is a fundamental right and as of right now you, me, the EPA and congress are all failing to fulfil that right to thousands of Americans.

The status quo is a sinking ship.

TLH