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CLEAN WATERAs a senator, Barack Obama has been a strong leader on clean water issues. He fought against offshore drilling
in the U.S. Senate, and he supports maintaining current moratoriums on new offshore oil and natural gas
drilling. He supports full funding for the Clean Water State Revolving Fund, which funds water quality
protection projects for wastewater treatment, nonpoint source pollution control, and watershed and estuary
management. He also supported a new stormwater cleanup program to manage polluted runoff from roads and
highways, which is the largest source of water pollution in coastal areas today. In Illinois, Obama cosponsored legislation that stopped the use of MTBE, a fuel additive which has been found to contaminate ground water.As president, he will improve the quality of our nation’s lakes, rivers, and drinking water.
Clean up our Water: Barack Obama will reinvigorate the drinking water standards that have been weakened
under the Bush administration and update them to address new threats. He will help communities by restoring
better federal financing for water and wastewater treatment infrastructure, and he will continue his leadership in protecting national treasures like the Great Lakes from threats such as industrial pollution, water diversion, and invasive species. Obama will establish policies to help high-growth regions with the challenges of managing their water supplies.
Regulate CAFOs: Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs), which raise more than 40 percent of
U.S. livestock, comprise a larger share of the livestock industry every year. Barack Obama has worked for
tougher environmental regulations on CAFOs. He has supported legislation to set tough air and water pollution
limits for livestock operations, including limits on nitrogen, phosphorus, hydrogen sulfide, ammonia, and other pollutants. In the Obama Administration, the Environmental Protection Agency will strictly monitor and
regulate pollution from large CAFOs, with fines for those who violate tough air and water quality standards.
Obama also strongly supports efforts to ensure meaningful local control.
Restore the Wetlands: Barack Obama is an advocate for preserving our wetlands and supports a broad range of traditional conservation programs, including the North American Wetlands Conservation Act and the
Wetland Reserve Program in the Farm Bill. He will work with local governments to develop the best strategies
for protecting and expanding wetlands. Obama’s record on protecting wetlands dates back to his days as a state
senator, when he was a cosponsor of the Wetlands Protection Act, which provided for the conservation of
wetlands in Illinois.
Barack Obama will help the Gulf Coast restore the wetlands, marshes and barrier islands that are critical to
tamping down the force of hurricanes and serve as critical fish and wildlife habitat. As president, Obama will
immediately close the Mississippi River Gulf Outlet, which experts say funneled floodwater into New Orleans.
Restore the Great Lakes: Having lived near Lake Michigan for 20 years, Barack Obama has a deep
appreciation for the Great Lakes – for their beauty as well as their centrality to the region’s economy,
recreation, transportation, and drinking water. He has worked tirelessly in the Illinois State Senate and U.S.
Senate to protect the Great Lakes from sludge, mercury, and invasive species. As president, Barack Obama will
push for the passage of the Great Lakes Collaboration Implementation Act, which will move us past playing
defense against environmental problems and toward a comprehensive restoration of the Great Lakes. He is a
cosponsor of the Great Lakes Environmental Restoration Act, which would provide grants for projects
including wetland restoration, coastal wildlife and fisheries habitat improvement, water quality improvement
and nonpoint source pollution reduction. Recently, when the Indiana Department of Environmental
Management agreed to allow a BP refinery to release significantly more ammonia, treated solids and mercury
into Lake Michigan, Barack Obama fought back, calling for congressional hearings into the permit and its
relation to Clean Water Act provisions intended to prevent any decline in water quality.
Water in the West: Barack Obama understands that the American West is facing a serious water crisis. In the long run, we do not have enough water to meet the West’s fast-growing needs. Obama believes the federal
government has an important role to play in helping local communities conserve water. He supports federal
policies to encourage voluntary water banks, wastewater treatment, and other market-based conservation
measures. We also need to improve technology for water conservation and efficiency, and remove institutional
barriers to increase cooperation and collaboration among federal, state, tribal, and private organizations.
Nevada’s "cash for grass" program, in which people are paid to remove grass and put in desert landscaping, is
an excellent model of conservation, and Obama intends to help local communities develop similar projects that
work for them.
http://www.barackobama.com/issues/pdf/EnvironmentFactSheet.pdf">Link