Sewage dumping stopped

The federal Environmental Protection Agency has stepped back from a plan to allow inadequately treated sewage to be dumped into waterways whenever it rains.

On May 19 the EPA announced that it was backing down from finalizing its blending policy. It acted in the face of over 98,000 public comments, including objections from state agencies, public-health officials, shellfish growers, religious organizations, and Congress.

That same afternoon Reps. Bart Stupak, Clay Shaw, Frank Pallone, and Jeff Miller presented an Anti-Sewage Dumping amendment, which passed on the House floor. The amendment eliminates funding for the sewage-blending plan.