SACRAMENTO – Senator Ben Allen (D-Santa Monica) released the following statement in response to the U.S. EPA’s recent announcement that the agency intends to revise the definition of “waters of the United States” as applied to the federal Clean Water Act of 1972.

“We cannot sit idly by while the U.S. Supreme Court, and now the Federal Administration, take calculated steps to compromise the federal Clean Water Act and the protections it has provided for decades. Through the 2023 Sackett v. EPA and 2025 San Francisco v. EPA court decisions, and now the EPA’s recent announcement, it is clear that federal priorities are shifting to leave many of our water ecosystems more vulnerable to dangerous pollutants and discharge.

“Failing to take action now will result in diminished water quality and burdensome remediation work for local governments that pass costs onto ratepayers. It is up to state leaders to fill the void and ensure adequate protections are enshrined into state law for our waters that serve tens of millions of residents, foster highly productive ecosystems, and provide carbon sequestration benefits to aid in our climate change mitigation efforts. My SB 601 is now more important than ever to future-proof these precious natural resources.”