Members of the Brewers for Clean Water campaign continue to fight for clean water -- and this morning saw two important developments in their efforts. The first is that a number of brewers sent a letter to President Obama, applauding his Administration for recent moves to protect our clean water resources. And the second is the announcement that some of Maine's most beloved craft brewers have expanded the campaign's reach in that state!
As my colleague Jon Devine summarizes, the Administration recently announced two important steps forward on protecting our nation's clean water resources. EPA released a draft scientific report, Connectivity of Streams and Wetlands to Downstream Waters, that summarizes the peer-reviewed literature showing how different bodies of water -- articularly headwater, intermittent and ephemeral streams, wetlands adjacent to such streams, and so-called "isolated" waters -- have physical, chemical, or biological linkages to other, generally larger, waters. That's the issue at the heart of the debate for more than a decade about which waterbodies are covered by the Clean Water Act. EPA's release of the report demonstrates the Administration's commitment to making policy decisions based on science.
Secondly, the Administration announced that it will move forward with a rule-making to clarify protections under the Clean Water Act. And that's good news, not only for craft brewers who depend on waters whose protection has been in limbo, but also for the more than 117 million Americans whose drinking water comes from these waterbodies.
And that's why it's so exciting that five of Maine's most beloved craft brewers have joined Allagash Brewing Company in the fight for clean water. Welcome to:
Baxter Brewing Company (Lewiston)
Boothbay Craft Brewery (Boothbay)
Rising Tide Brewing Company (Portland)
Shipyard Brewing Company (Portland)
What about you? Whether you care about clean water for drinking, fishing, swimming or as the main ingredient in your favorite craft beer, join members of the Brewers for Clean Water campaign and lend your voice.