Reports

People across America regularly breathe unhealthy air that increases their risk of premature death, asthma attacks and other adverse health impacts.

In 2016, 73 million Americans experienced more than 100 days of degraded air quality with the potential to harm human health. That is equal to more than three months of the year in which smog and/or particulate pollution was above the level that the EPA has determined presents “little to no risk.” Millions more people in urban and rural areas experienced less frequent but still damaging levels of air pollution.

America’s waterways provide us with drink-ing water, places to fish and swim, and critical habitat for wildlife – when they are clean and protected.  The passage of the Clean Water Act in 1972 was a turning point in America’s efforts to protect and re-store its rivers, lakes and coastal waters. Though the Clean Water Act has made some progress bringing our waters back to health, a closer look at compli-ance with and enforcement of the law reveals an overly lenient system that too often allows pollution without accountability.