For Immediate Release	Contact:	Nicole Capretz
October 16, 2003		619-236-6616 Cell

Bush Administration Rule Change Will Undercut Clean Up of San Diego Beaches and Bays

On the eve of the Anniversary of the Clean Water Act and the close of the Bush Administration's Year of Clean Water, the Administration is considering a change in federal environmental regulations that would delay and could permanently derail the cleanup and protection of San Diego's beaches, bays, and rivers. The change - dubbed by the Bush Administration officials as the "watershed rule" - would rewrite longstanding water clean-up regulations under the part of the law known as the "Total Maximum Daily Load" program.

"The residents of San Diego depend on this Clean Water Act program to clean up and protect our water resources used for swimming, surfing, fishing, and as drinking water," said Councilmember Donna Frye. "This should be called the "dirty watershed rule," because these changes will weaken one of the most important tools we have for making our waters cleaner and keeping them that way."

EPA officials have said that they are moving ahead soon with the rewrite. Environmental groups received copies of a draft of the new rule in May.

"The Bush administration is bowing to pressure from industry and corporate agriculture interests in moving forward with this plan to weaken Clean Water Act rules and let polluters keep polluting," said Bruce Reznik of San Diego BayKeeper. "EPA has even admitted that they are moving ahead with the new rulemaking without investigating the water quality impacts of the proposal. The Bush Administration is not interested in protecting water quality - they are interested in protecting their corporate friends and contributors."

Councilmember Frye's office, San Diego BayKeeper, and Environmental Health Coalition identified five San Diego waters whose cleanup or protection will be severely affected by the proposal:

1. Waterbody: San Diego Bay's 15 impaired bodies of water plus tributaries that enter it.
Value of Water to State: Recreation, Wildlife
Pollutant/Stressors: Toxic levels of Copper, Mercury, PAH's, PCBs, and Zinc; and high Sediment Toxicity, and Benthic Community Effects

2. Waterbody: Mission Bay
Value of Water to State: Recreation and wildlife.
Pollutant/Stressors: Bacteria

3. Waterbody: San Diego River
Value of Water to State: Wildlife and recreation.
Pollutant/Stressors: Fecal Coliform, Total Dissolved Solids, and Low Dissolved Oxygen.

4. Waterbody: Pacific Ocean Shoreline (16 impaired bodies)
Value of Water to State: Recreation (swimming, surfing, diving, fishing), Wildlife
Pollutant/Stressors: Bacteria

5. Waterbody: Tijuana River and River Estuary
Value of Water to State: Wildlife and recreation.
Pollutant/Stressors: Bacteria, Trash, Pesticides, Low Dissolved Oxygen, Eutrophic, and Nickel.

"These five waters are part of the fabric of San Diego and contribute to the quality of life here. We need more, not fewer resources to protect water quality and water supplies in San Diego," said Laura Hunter of Environmental Health Coalition.

"Under this proposal, clean waters will become polluted and polluted waters will become even more toxic. It is especially insulting given that it coincides with the anniversary of the Clean Water Act on October 18," Hunter concluded.

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