[DATE]

The Honorable XXX
California State Assembly/Senate
P.O. Box YYYYYY
Sacramento CA [zip]

Re: Support for SB 1477, The Water Quality Protection Act of 2005

Dear Senator/Assemblymember XXX:

I am writing this letter to urge you to support SB 1477 (Byron Sher). Passage of SB 1477 is vital to protect California's drinking water, wildlife and public health.

During the past few years, the Federal Government has scaled back important public health protections under the federal Clean Air Act and Clean Water Act. In 2001, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency instructed its regional offices to drop any protection or regulation of non-navigable, intrastate waters. Those waters include many of California's streams and rivers [give a few examples in your area - such as the LA, SD and San Gabriel Rivers], more than half the state's wetlands, numerous seasonal lakes and streams, vernal pools and the drinking water sources for more than half of all Californians. These waters provide important wildlife habitat, flood protection and pollution controls. Wildlife related activities alone generate $2.6 billion annually for California's economy, and the flood control and pollution control that they provide is worth hundreds of millions more per year. Without SB 1477, these waters will receive no protection whatsoever from pollution, discharges and fill.

Last year, California passed SB 288 to fill in the gap created in federal air quality protections. SB 1477 will fill in the gap in water quality protection created by the Federal Government. Doing so will plug an important hole in public health protection.

For all these reasons, I urge you to support SB 1477.

Sincerely,


Name
Home Address
 

Return to the previous web page