arizona troubled water

Arizona’s troubled waters: Our findings
Using the Freedom of Information Act, Environment Arizona obtained data on facilities’ compliance with the Clean Water Act between Jan. 1, 2005 and Dec. 31, 2005. More than three decades after the passage of the 1972 Clean Water Act, which was intended to eliminate the discharge of all pollutants, facilities across the country continue to violate pollution limits, at times egregiously.Environment Arizona researchers found that:• Fifty-seven percent of all major U.S. industrial and municipal facilities discharged more pollution into U.S. waterways than allowed by law at least once during 2005. • The average facility exceeded its pollution permit limit by 263 percent, discharging close to four times the legal limit.• Twenty-three facilities in Arizona reported 200 exceedences of their Clean Water Act permits in 2005.• On average, Arizona facilities exceeding their Clean Water Act permits did so by 821.6 percent or by nine times the legal limit. Arizona’s average permit exceedence is the third-highest in the nation.• Arizona polluters reported 60 instances in which they exceeded their Clean Water Act permit by at least 500 percent.

First, I rise to salute Environment Arizona for releasing the information they developed pursuant to the US Freedom of Information Act ….

I must note I find it disturbing they were required to resort to the need seek this vital public information through the exercise of the Freedom of Information Act. Why is it that this information is not made immediately available to John Q. Public…? Who is our government regulators and bureaucrats shielding…? Why are the names of those in violation of US Clean Water Act not published in main stream media….?