Presidential Document2022-22935
50th Anniversary of the Clean Water Act
Primary source
Metadata and text below are from the Federal Register, a public-domain U.S. government work. Always verify the official published version before relying on it for any legal matter.
Published
October 20, 2022
Signed
October 17, 2022
Issuing agencies
Executive Office of the President
Full Text
<html>
<head>
<title>Federal Register, Volume 87 Issue 202 (Thursday, October 20, 2022)</title>
</head>
<body><pre>
[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 202 (Thursday, October 20, 2022)]
[Presidential Documents]
[Pages 63661-63662]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2022-22935]
Presidential Documents
Federal Register / Vol. 87, No. 202 / Thursday, October 20, 2022 /
Presidential Documents
___________________________________________________________________
Title 3--
The President
[[Page 63661]]
Proclamation 10480 of October 17, 2022
50th Anniversary of the Clean Water Act
By the President of the United States of America
A Proclamation
Fifty years ago, the Congress passed the Clean Water
Act of 1972, revolutionizing America's responsibility
to protect and restore the vital waterways that sustain
our communities, our economy, and our ecosystems.
Before this landmark legislation, America's waters were
in crisis, often flooded and even on fire with toxic
pollution and cancer-causing contaminants. Industrial
waste and sewage threatened our drinking water, and
wetlands disappeared at an alarming rate. The Clean
Water Act met these challenges head-on, setting and
enforcing national water quality standards, restricting
pollution, and investing in wastewater treatment and
better wetlands management.
Five decades later, our Nation's waters are
dramatically cleaner. Once dead rivers and lakes are
now flourishing with wildlife. People have returned to
boat, fish, and swim. Sacred waters that Tribal Nations
have relied on for generations are clean again. This is
a testament to the tireless partnerships that the
Environmental Protection Agency has forged with State,
local, and Tribal governments. It is a powerful tribute
not only to the activists who first sounded the alarm,
built a movement, and fought to pass this powerful law
but also to the Americans everywhere who have since
done so much to help enforce it, safeguarding our
waterways and taking on polluters in court.
Today, we still face serious threats to clean water--
from climate change-driven droughts and rising sea
levels to long-standing environmental injustices that
have left too many communities without safe drinking
water. That is why my Administration restored Federal
protections to hundreds of thousands of streams,
wetlands, and waterways and is working across the
Federal Government to combat pollution from deadly per-
and polyfluoroalkyl substances. Our historic Bipartisan
Infrastructure Law makes our Nation's biggest-ever
investment in water, clearing legacy pollution, helping
replace lead pipes across the country, and building
more resilient infrastructure so that every child in
America can turn on the faucet at home or school for
safe drinking water. The Inflation Reduction Act takes
America's most aggressive climate action ever, helping
to protect the world's waterways long into the future.
As we celebrate the anniversary of this law, my
Administration is more committed than ever to
continuing its legacy, providing access to safe water,
and restoring a healthier planet. The Clean Water Act
is a powerful reminder of Americans' ability to make
change for the better when we work together.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR., President of
the United States of America, by virtue of the
authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws
of the United States, do hereby proclaim October 18,
2022, as the 50th Anniversary of the Clean Water Act. I
call upon all Americans to observe this milestone,
recognize the significant contribution the Clean Water
Act has made to restoring our Nation's waters, consider
the crucial role clean water plays in each of our
lives, and recommit to protecting our shared water
resources.
[[Page 63662]]
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this
seventeenth day of October, in the year of our Lord two
thousand twenty-two, and of the Independence of the
United States of America the two hundred and forty-
seventh.
<GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT>
(Presidential Sig.)
[FR Doc. 2022-22935
Filed 10-19-22; 8:45 am]
Billing code 3395-F3-P
</pre></body>
</html>Indexed from Federal Register on October 20, 2022.
This is legal information, not legal advice. Laws vary by jurisdiction and change frequently. Always verify current law with official sources and consult a licensed attorney in your jurisdiction for advice on your specific situation.