To the editor:

While I’m running along the Potomac at dusk, it’s easy to see the natural magnificence of the river as the water makes its way toward the Chesapeake Bay. Even though this beautiful river is treasured by millions of people like me, it and countless other waterways across the country may be at risk of more pollution, thanks to two polluter-friendly court decisions in the last decade.

Now, sadly, too many of our streams, rivers and wetlands — including those feeding into waterways like the Potomac River — may no longer be protected under the Clean Water Act, leaving them at the mercy of big polluters. This leaves the drinking water of 2.3 million Virginians at risk.

This year, as the Clean Water Act turns 40 years old, President Barack Obama should finalize guidelines to restore Clean Water Act protections to all of Virginia’s waterways and conduct a rulemaking to make these protections more durable and long lasting. I urge the president to act soon so our waterways, like the Potomac, remain as beautiful in the future as they are today.

- Maggie Ferrato
Environment Virginia