Washington, D.C. – In response to the Supreme Court’s decision in Sackett v. EPA, the League of Conservation Voters (LCV) and Chispa issued the following statements:

“Today the captured Supreme Court once again decided to put the profits of polluters ahead of what’s best for our health and environment,” said LCV Deputy Legislative Director Madeleine Foote. “Since the Clean Water Act’s passage, polluters and their allies have tried to undermine the EPA’s ability to protect the waters our families depend on, and now this extremist court has disregarded science, the law, and basic common sense to grant them their wish. By allowing polluters to destroy our critical wetlands and other important waters, this decision will increase flooding and lead to more pollution, jeopardizing the health of our communities, especially the health of communities of color and low-wealth communities who are disproportionately impacted by water pollution. Congress must fix the damage done by this Supreme Court by passing new legislation to safeguard our waters, and to expand and rebalance the Supreme Court.”

“Everyone, no matter their race, zip code, or income, deserves access to clean water,” said Chispa National Director Estefany Carrasco-Gonzalez. “Clean and healthy waterways are vital for our comunidades, especially Indigenous communities and communities of color who face the greatest burdens from pollution, lack of water infrastructure investment, and environmental injustice. The Supreme Court siding with polluters instead of our families will have broad implications for our ability to protect water for generations to come. Congress must take immediate action to strengthen the Clean Water Act to prioritize the health of people, not the profits of polluters.”

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