KENNEBEC JOURNAL • June 5, 2023
The miracle of the Chesapeake Bay lies not in its natural construction, the interaction of fresh and saline waters moved by wind, tide and current; the mix of land and water where spots are sometimes dry, sometimes wet. The shallows provide homes for hundreds of species while storing floodwaters, filtering pollutants from water, and protecting nearby communities from potentially destructive storm surges. All this was put at great risk late last month, when the U.S. Supreme Court issued a ruling in an Idaho case that provides the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency far less authority to regulate wetlands and waterways. We call on President Biden and Congress to restore this much-needed EPA authority under the Clean Water Act and protect the nation’s wetlands — and with them the safety of our water supply, aquatic species and recreational spaces as well as flood protections. ~ Baltimore Sun